Franki Giordano

Professor Weaver
Counter argument: Theres better ways to measure a students learning
November 7th, 2016

Rhetorical Analysis
Subject: In the article Im countering, Bless the tests: Three reasons for
standardized testing by Aaron Churchill he argues there are three key
reasons standardized tests are essential. I will be discussing my
disagreement and refuting the points he makes proving standardized tests
arent an accurate measure of a students learning.
Exigence: I choose to counter the argument, Bless the tests, because
students arent benefitting from standardized tests and their learning is
being disrupted by teachers drifting from their lesson plans to prepare their
students for these tests.
Audience: The audience for my counterargument are parents, aged 21-55
with children in grade school, who are unaware that standardized exams
arent an accurate measure of their childs learning or they are aware but
unhappy about it and that there are better alternatives.
Purpose: The purpose of my counterargument is to educate parents of how
standardized tests arent an accurate measure of their childs learning and
why its important for them to try and make a change. Parents and teachers
are the only ones who can bring this to the policymakers attention in hopes
of implementing an alternative to measure students learning.

Counterargument:
Aaron Churchill is an Ohio research director for the Thomas B. Fordham
Institute where he aims to strengthen education policies in Ohio. In
Churchills argument, Bless the tests, he argues the three key reasons
standardized testing is essential: objectivity, comparability and
accountability. Churchills argument discusses how standardized tests are
objective measures unlike the grades teachers give and how these tests are
a better indicator of academic mastery. He then argues how standardized
tests yield comparability of students achievement and how parents and
teachers appreciate this. He ends his argument discussing how standardized
exams are the only way to hold schools accountable and the only fair
measure. In discussing these three reasons Churchill highlights how
standardized testing compares the achievement of students in different
schools but fails to take into account the other factors that vary from school
to school. He also argues standardizing testing to be the best way to hold
schools and teachers accountable for academic performance but fails to
mention how teachers feel pressure to teach students what standardized

tests will be testing them on rather than their curriculum. Churchills

audience is parents with children who must take standardized tests and feel
they are beneficial. I dont think parents with children struggling with
standardized testing will find Churchills argument helpful due to him not
discussing the real issues these parents and students face.
I believe standardized tests dont provide an objective measure of a
students assessment, fail to consider how comparing students amongst
schools isnt fair and standardized exams dont hold schools or teachers
accountable due to results not coming back in the same school year.
According to Aaron Churchill, We need hard, objective information on school
and student performance, and the best available evidence comes from
standardized tests. He argues that standardized testing is the best way to
measure a students growth but leaves out there are other ways that are just
as effective. His argument is supported by his background in education,
Ohios testing system and his strong beliefs. Lyndsey Layton and W. James
Popham both argue that standardized testing isnt an accurate measure of a
students learning. Ill be using Laytons, Study says standardized testing is
overwhelming nations public schools and Pophams, Why Standardized
Test Dont Measure Educational Quality as evidence and to support my
claim and thesis.
Before diving into Churchills points, my position and my refutation, Ill
begin pointing out his fallacies. The tone of Churchills argument is
authoritative and because of his educational background he feels his
experience is enough evidence. As an educational research director, hes
aware of the points hes leaving out but is doing so to make his argument
stronger. Another fallacy is Churchill uses half-truths in support of his
argument, instead of explaining fully how the standardized test systems
work. Unless a reader or parent in this case, does their research, theyll think
he makes great points.
Churchill begins his argument discussing how standardized testing is
essential because it provides an objective assessment of student
achievement. He goes on to discuss how he believes standardized exams
shouldnt replace the teachers grade book but it shouldnt be the only
measure. Churchill recognizes grading isnt the same across schools but
doesnt discuss how teaching styles are different from school to school.
Churchill states, Now, some have argued that teachers grades are
sufficient. But the reality is that teacher grading practices can be wildly
uneven across schoolsand even within them. For instance, one math
teacher might be an extraordinarily lenient grader, while another might be
brutally hard: Getting an A means something very different. Teacher grading

can be subjective in other ways, including favoritism towards certain

students, and it can find its basis in non-achievement factors like classroom
behavior, participation, or attendance. (2015) Just as teachers grading
practices are different, so are their teaching styles, so why should we test
students the same? If we cant rely just on the grade book, why are
standardized tests so heavily implemented?
In supporting his claim that standardized exams yield comparability of
student achievement, Churchill leaves out that standardized exams dont
take into consideration how not all schools teach the same or have the tools
that some schools do. For the most part, teachers are teaching the basics for
each grade level: language arts, math, science and so on, however,
educational objectives and curriculums are different from county to county.
There are also cases in under-privileged schools where teachers have to
spend more time on concepts to help students excel and dont get to cover
everything.
Popham states, Recognizing the substantial pressure to sell
standardized achievement tests, those who market such tests encounter a
difficult dilemma that arises from the considerable curricular diversity in the
United States. Because different states often choose somewhat different
educational objectives (or, to be fashionable, different content standards),
the need exists to build standardized achievement tests that are properly
aligned with educators' meaningfully different curricular preferences. The
problem becomes even more exacerbated in states where different counties
or school districts can exercise more localized curricular decision making.
(Popham 1999) In a false reality that all schools have the same curriculum
and dont face unexpected issues, then standardized exams would be more
fair.
The author mentions that most parents would like to know how their
child is doing when compared to other students in the state and how
standardized tests accurately measure that but falsely leaves out
standardized tests are measured on a national level, which further
demonstrates teaching isnt the same across the nation, why should testing
be? For example, he mentions, School practitioners also use statewide test
results to benchmark their students achievement across school and district
lines. For instance, the principal of East Elementary could compare the
achievement of her students against those attending West Elementary, the
district average, the county average, and the statewide average. How do her
students stack up? Only a statewide standardized test could tell. (Churchill
2015) Churchill fails to mention thats not how comparability works, its
measured on a nationwide norm, not from school to school. Popham says,
As a consequence of carefully sampling content and concentrating on items

that discriminate optimally among students, these test creators have

produced assessment tools that do a great job of providing relative
comparisons of a student's content mastery with that of students nationwide.
Assuming that the national norm group is genuinely representative of the
nation at large, then educators and parents can make useful inferences
about students. (Popham 1999)
Churchills last key reason standardized testing is essential is
accountability. He mentions how student growth is best measured by
standardized exam results. His warrants further support his claim when he
mentions this is the only fair way to determine which schools need
intervention for poor scores and which schools deserve rewards for high test
scores. Churchill states, Like it or not, standardized exam data remain the
best way to hold schools accountable for their academic performance.
Outside of standardized test results, no objective method exists for
policymakers to identify either poor-performing schools needing intervention
or high-performing schools deserving rewards. (Churchill 2015)
However, Layton claims, In 40 percent of districts surveyed, test
results arent available until the following school year, making them useless
for teachers who want to use results to help guide their work in the
classroom. (Layton 2015) I understand Churchills claim in recognizing
which schools need help or praise due to test results, however, teachers
cant help struggling students until the next school year in which they are no
longer has these same students in their classrooms. If test results were given
in a more timely manner, where teachers can help struggling students in the
noted areas, then standardized tests might be a more accurate way to
measure a students learning. Recent studies suggest implementing one on
one interactive testing with students and teachers according to that schools
curriculum. These testing measures not only helps a teacher with that
particular student but measures based on that schools lesson plans instead
of a nationwide standard.
To conclude, standardized tests arent an accurate measure of a
students learning due to inaccurate objectivity measures, comparability to a
nationwide norm and accountability. My research shows Churchill left out
important factors to consider when claiming standardized exams are the only
effective, fair measure of a students learning. Parents and teachers are the
only ones who can get together and make a change to bring to policymakers
attention that standardized exams dont benefit students learning and
education the way they say they do.

Works Cited
Churchill, Aaron. "Bless the Tests: Three Reasons for Standardized Testing."
The
Thomas B. Fordham Institute |. Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 18 Mar. 2015.
Web. 01 Nov. 2016.
Layton, Lyndsey. "Study Says Standardized Testing Is Overwhelming Nation's
Public Schools." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2015. Web.
01
Nov. 2016.
Popham, W. James. "Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational
Quality." ASCD.org. Educational Leadership, Mar. 1999. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.