Standardized Testing

Standardized testing. A broad and general of measuring how students all

together learned and retained information. When measuring everyone as a whole and
not considering different styles of learning and application, you will get opposition.
Parents are concerned with their childs progress and learning path. Federal law now
requires an annual assessment.

Photo by Shannan Muskopf

Standardized Test Close-Up

Mayor Marc Morial, a mayor and civil rights leader, addresses standardized
testing, he says, Assessments are part of life, and, while they are not comfortable, they
are necessary. He goes on to say, We wouldnt ask a parent not to take their child to
the doctor for an annual checkup. Similarly, we should not encourage parents to skip
their childs annual academic checkup.

Photo by Bob Simpson

Protesting standardized testing abuse in the
Chicago Public Schools

Alfie Kohn, a professor in parenting, education, and human behavior, explains

these yearly tests started off measuring where a student needed help and where to be
placed. He continues to say, Recently have scores been published in the newspaper
and used as the primary criteria for judging children, teachers, and schoolsindeed, as
the basis for flunking students or denying them a diploma, deciding where money
should be spent, and so on.

Photo by Sarah-Ji
CPSBoycott022

Should a teacher be graded sole form of how well they did throughout a whole
year be measured on how well their students take a test? According to Kohn, many
educators are leaving the education field because of this.

Photo by Stephen Rsoman

Too much emphasis on testing can take away from actual learning and all the fun
parts of school. I went to school in Miami, Florida were the huge standardized test was
the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or as they shortened it, the FCAT. We
spent all year learning about the FCAT. Fun activities like science projects, assemblies,
and field trips were left for the last two weeks of school. The rest of the year was spent
on was spent on the FCAT. Everything we learned was on the FCAT. Right before the
big awaited test week, we learned the best way to guess on the FCAT; when in doubt
choose C.
Despite the negative response from parents, teachers and results, standardized
testing is still the only way of measuring information retained. I believe it will not change
until someone figures out a way to test an individual and according to learning styles.
With what we know today and with our technology I do not believe it would be a hard
task.

Photo by Ken Whytock

Educational Postcard: "No one I know
takes standardize tests for a living"

Denisse Amy
English 2010

Works cited
Kohn, Alfie. The case against standardized testing: Raising the scores, ruining the
schools. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2000.
Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized testing and its victims." Education Week 20.4 (2000): 46-47.
Morial, Marc H. "Testing Provides Crucial Information." Phi Delta Kappan 97.1 (2015):
34. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
"Testing DoesnT Measure Up For Americans." Phi Delta Kappan 97.1 (2015): NP1NP32. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 27 Mar. 2016.