The SAT. The PSAT. The ACT. These are just a few standardized test that many students will need to take in high school. But students have been taking standardized tests long before they get to these in the later education. The average student in the United States takes one hundred and twelve mandated standardized tests between their pre- kindergarten classes and their senior year of high school, according to a study done by the Council of Great City Schools. In almost all of the countries that outperform the United States on international exams, their students are only tested three times between their first and last years of schooling. So the question is, are standardized test actually improving the education system in the United States? If not, why are children spending hours preparing for and taking meaningless exams when they could actually be learning new material? The education system in America needs to decrease the emphasis placed on standardized testing and increase the attention placed on classroom learning.
Category: Uncategorized
Are State Exams Making Children Ill?
There is great concern for students’ health and well- being as a result of standardized testing. A large number of educators, child development experts, and adolescent psychiatrists had gotten together and signed a statement saying that they would advise against the additional testing required by the No Child Left Behind Act.
Many standardized tests are impacting students’ health. There was one school nurse who made the claimthat with an increase in the emphasis on standardized testing there had been an increase in anxiety related illnesses. Anxiety related symptoms include depression, sleep issues, headaches, vomiting, nauseousness, behavioral issues, and attendance decline.
This increase in anxiety is especially a concern for children with already existing mental health issues. Parents started speaking out about their fears and worries regarding the increase in testing and the impact it is has on their children.
One parent said that their friends’ children are having anxiety attacks and throwing up because of stress. Another father said that his son, who is nine years old, was unable to sleep for three days due to the pressure of the state exams. The fourth grader experienced vomiting, diarrhea, and extreme anxiety, all because of the pressure to do well. The poor child just wants a good grade.
School administrators in North Carolina report that they end up throwing out up to twenty test booklets for the sole reason that children had vomited on them. Principals from New York reported that it is not uncommon for children to lose control of their bladders, vomit, or just give up and cry.
Pediatricians are reporting that during times of testing, there is an increase in patients with anxiety and stress related symptoms. Children are having panic attacks and stomachaches. Because of this, the kids don’t want to go to school- can you blame them?
Instead of learning exciting new material to expand their minds, kids are forced to take exam after exam. They are being told how important these tests are and they feel as if their lives depend on it. Kids want to do well not only for their own good, but to make their parents proud, make their teachers happy, and fit in with their peers.
61 percent of psychologists agree that ever since the implementation of Common Core, levels of test anxiety in students has risen greatly. Disappointment, fear, anger, and helplessness are all feelings associated with test taking nowadays, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Especially in the middle school ages of eleven to fourteen, kids are dealing with a wide range of emotional and physiological changes.
In these delicate years of early adolescence, the pressure to have extremely high test scores adds a great deal of stress to the vulnerable minds of children. Today, schools and parents are encouraging and pushing their kids to excel in multiple sports and have a great variety of extracurriculars such as clubs and volunteer work.
The good news is that researchactually shows that engaging in activities such as physical exercise keeps people from developing depression. When people isolate themselves they ruminate and dwell on negative thoughts. Therefore, the busyness of students’ schedules may actually keep them from dwelling on the fact that they have so much that needs to get done.
I know when I was younger, I always had some sort of activity scheduled nearly every day of the week. During the week I would have activities such as soccer practice, basketball practice, cheerleading practice, girl scout meetings, piano lessons, theater rehearsals, etc. In addition to all of my activities, I was always an A student. It is easy to see why kids are so stressed.
The saddest thing is that a large number of students believe that no matter how hard they try, they will do poorly on standardized tests. Students’ perceptions become skewed by exam results. Students who achieve low scores will in turn have lower self- esteem and believe that they have little ability to learn.
These effects are extremely worrisome. School is supposed to better children’s lives and prepare them for careers and adulthood. Giving students large amounts of high stakes standardized tests can have an impact on their well- being. We need to find a balance between this all or nothing mentality when it comes to these examinations.
Sources:
https://psychcentral.com/blog/6-steps-for-beating-depression/
https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-psychological-effects-of-too-much-testing/
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/eap/files/c._simpson_effects_of_testing_on_well_being_5_16.pdf
Are Standardized Exams Well-Suited for Students?
Only 13 percent of teachers feel that that the standardized tests required to be taken by the students in their state are well fit and correctly suited for pupils. 70 percentof educators believe that the standardized assessments mandated by their state are developmentally inappropriate for their students.
Standardized tests are based on a select curriculum prescribed to specific grade levels, meanwhile teachers spend years learning that there is a variation in the ability for children to learn new concepts and skills. The ability usually depends on their individual experiences and skills in addition to what is actually the concept being taught.
With all this being said, why would a standardized test filled with narrow curriculum be a good way to measure student or teacher success?
Children get ready for different skills at different stages. Let’s say there are two children of the same age. One may be developmentally ready to learn multiplication and division, but not ready to learn musical concepts. The other may not yet be ready to learn about times tables or long division but may flourish in music and the arts.
A standardized test would say that the first student was overachieving or meeting standards, and the second was below standards. The test would imply that the second student was unsuccessful, which would be a false assumption.
All people have different sets of talents and skills, including young children. Although it is important for children to learn about things like multiplication, it is important to remember that successful development is not dependent on the mastery of mathematics. Brains develop differently at various paces. We all have different sets of strengths and weaknesses. Often, where one person lacks, another excels. This is true from childhood through adulthood.
In a sense, by making the test only on a select set of skills, we are telling children that the mastery of one skill more important than another. Kids are being shown that there is only one way to be successful and if they do not perform well on the state standardized tests then they are far behind their peers in every aspect.
Additionally, not all state tests are considered equal. There are differences between the developmental appropriateness of standardized tests. 81 percent of teachers feel the PARCC is not developmentally appropriate, 70 percent of educators feel the Smarter Balanced exams are not developmentally appropriate, and 65 percent of teachers whose students are required to take other state exams feel that the mandatory exam is developmentally inappropriate.
One survey revealed something that may be surprising- differences in demographics revealed no difference in how educators viewed their standardized tests. Things such as student to teacher ratios, percentage of students eligible for reduced price lunches, and percentages of minorities had no effect on teachers’ perceptions of the appropriateness perceived for their state tests.
Success on these ill fit tests put extreme pressure and stress on both teachers and students. This generation is “the most tested generation in history”(Simpson 2).
In high school we were required to take standardized tests, and I remember my classmates taking the exams extremely seriously. Students would get so nervous that sometimes they would feel nauseous. Whenever I had to take a standardized tests, my hands would be shaky and become clammy. Everyone would get so fixated on performing well on an exam that is not even appropriately measuring our skills.
If the tests are not suitable for students, why is there so much pressure put on them in the first place? Perhaps educators should have more input in the education system in which they work. Teachers know their students the best, so shouldn’t they have the largest influence on a system made for their benefit?
Sources:
http://neatoday.org/2016/02/18/standardized-tests-not-developmentally-appropriate/
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/eap/files/c._simpson_effects_of_testing_on_well_being_5_16.pdf
Effects of Standardized Testing on Educators
The very fact that there will be a standardized test changes the way in which we are learning new material. Often, studies find that testing created to be high stakes leads to the narrowing of instruction and classroom curriculum. Especially when tests influence major changes and decisions in a student’s life, such as promotion, teachers choose to teach to the test.
Teaching to the test is the practice of teaching students only the material they will be tested on, withholding extra information not vital to high scores. Studies found that the pressure upon teachers to improve their students test scores resulted in some educators neglecting materials not included on the test. This means that students are no longer learn through long term projects, reading physical chapter books, solving higher order problems, computer programs, etc. Teachers are teaching students by giving worksheets with questions formatted identically to the standardized tests. Some Maryland schools were found redesigning course objectives and restructuring course content all in an effort to improve their students’ test scores.
Teachers are becoming increasingly stressed by the emphasis placed on standardized tests. The stress can even extend towards the families of teachers. Educators have so many things to do that many forget to prioritize their personal family lives. Legislation such as the “No child Left Behind Act” has made the importance of testing even more pertinent in the lives of both students and teachers. In some cases, student performance is linked to the salaries or their teachers and the job stability of educators, determining which teachers will continue to teach and which ones will be fired.
Teachers often feel a lack of control because of the increasing significance of standardized testing in the classroom. This exponentially increases the stress levels of educators. Their own personal careers, salaries, and livelihoods may be determined by how well their pupils perform on a single exam, one day of the year, at a single time.
Test scores can be affected by a great number of variables. How well students slept the night before, what kind of breakfast they ate, how anxious students are, how hot or cold they feel in the testing room, etc. are out of the teachers’ control. Yet, these factors have a say in how well students perform on standardized tests, determining the fate of the educators.
I remember that when I was in middle school, some students would purposefully do poorly on standardized tests because they simply did not care. The test had no effect on them, so they didn’t even bother putting in any effort when taking the exams. Yet, teachers’ careers and salaries were at stake. Why would the government allow a bunch of obnoxious kids determine the success of hardworking Americans, who selflessly chose to educate the minds of future generations?
The self- image of educators is negatively affected by low test scores. Combined with the high pressure for their students to perform well on the tests, teachers end up providing questionable test preparation. This in turn increases the feelings of guilt and stress for teachers. Educators are torn between what will benefit the student as a whole and what will be most likely to aid in the successful completion of the standardized test.
If students do increasingly better on their standardized tests, a question arises- are students improving their broader learning or are the higher scores a result of teaching to the test? The stronger the pressure for teachers to improve their students’ test scores, the more likely teachers are to resort to questionable measure to do so. The pressure put upon teachers is created by parents, school administrators, and other teachers. Interestingly, educators teaching in schools with increasing test scores feel the most pressure in comparison to schools with stagnant or decreasing test scores.
With all of these issues and problems created for teachers, are standardized tests even worth the trouble? Maybe schools should get back to simply educating students and preparing them for life once they become adults. There must be other ways to encourage learning besides high stakes testing. Curriculums designed to the test hinder students’ learning possibilities. One resolution for high stakes testing is to make the tests not count, but then another issue is brought about. If the tests don’t count for anything, can we really trust children to take them seriously?
Sources:
https://cresst.org/wp-content/uploads/TECH334.pdf
http://www.nea.org/tools/fighting-stress-teaching-to-Test.html
The Price of Standardized Testing
Teachers already know which students excel in reading and writing and which ones struggle. They know who understands mathematics in a snap and who has a hard time tackling the many different concepts. If we were to give a class of students a standardized test, what would we find? We would find out exactly what the teacher could have reported her/ himself. Is finding out that students perform on a bell curve really that surprising? Would the money spent giving out standardized tests be better spent helping to give schools the resources needed for them to give their students the resources most likely to help aid in their education?
Studies show that states spend over $1.7 billion every year on standardized testing. After looking at spending data for forty five different states, it was determined that they spent over $669 million each year on primary assessment contracts. With the introduction of Common Core, little information has been kept up to date concerning the costs of assessment systems set in place throughout the United States. There is a clear lack of transparency in the pricing of assessments. This hinders the ability of states to make informed decisions regarding the testing systems chosen.
One option to fix this issue is for larger states, or multiple states, as a group, ban together to encourage test makers to share information about their pricing models. In a perfect world, test makers would make the formula which is used to create the price of assessment contracts freely available to view. This would allow states to know for sure if they are making financially responsible decisions. A consortia could foster opportunity to appreciate a surplus of savings.
The cost per student varies greatly among different states. In New York, the cost is $7 per student, in Oregon it’s $13, in Georgia $14, Delaware $73, Massachusetts $64, Hawaii $105, and District of Columbia $114. 89% of the total cost is accounted for by six vendors. New York City based Pearson Education makes the most amount of money accounting for 39 percent of revenue. They are followed by New York based- McGraw- Hill Education with 14 percent, and then Minnesota based- Maple Grove at 13 percent.
Some researchers say that instead of standardized tests, teachers should publish grade distributions. Grades portray progress of learning and the formation of skills. Evaluation reports can be published locally and expert verification of national and state reports can have legislators to supervise the publication.
There are a few issues with this system. Grades are subjective when compared to one another. Some classes are harder than others and some teachers make certain classes more difficult than others. Teachers also grade differently. For example, last semester I had a teacher who would give her students 10/10 for participation as long as you showed up to class and stayed in your seat without falling asleep. This semester, one of my teachers only gives 9/10 as the maximum grade because according to him, “There is always room for improvement.” Teachers have a great variety of standards and grade in particular ways. There is not a mainstream grading rubric for the A to F grading scale.
There are usually four main factors causing variation in teachers’ grading. These are the composition of students, the abilities of the teacher, the rigor and equity of the teacher, and lastly the teacher’s concept of achievement. If we were to require the publication of grades, that would mean that there would be extremely high stakes and intense pressure, which is likely to lead to lying, faked grades, and adjusted results.
Schools with high standardized test scores are widely regarded as successful. These kinds of schools often have affluent and compliant students and families. The test scores are often something these “successful” schools like to show off to make themselves appear superior to other competing schools in the area. It makes the school appear competitive. However, when teachers are observed in the classroom, it is obvious that there is great room for improvement. Good test scores often give subpar teachers a pat on the back that they do not deserve. Some may even say that good scores prevent improvements and progress for students and teachers. Why would they spend time and money improving their curriculum implementation when the school received the highest standardized test scores in the state?
Standardized testing is a billion dollar industry paid for by tax payers. There are better ways to spend such large sums of money. Many school buildings are in desperate need of repairs, students use the same dated textbooks that their parents used, and the class sizes in most schools are way too large for efficient learning. We need to think twice about how tax money is being spent by the school systems.
Sources:
https://www.brookings.edu/research/strength-in-numbers-state-spending-on-k-12-assessment-systems/
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/09/36jouriles.h33.html
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/standardized-testing-costs_n_2213932.html
An Intro to Standardized Testing
The SAT. The PSAT. The ACT. These are just a few standardized test that many students will need to take in high school. But students have been taking standardized tests long before they get to these in the later education. The average student in the United States takes one hundred and twelve mandated standardized tests between their pre- kindergarten classes and their senior year of high school, according to a study done by the Council of Great City Schools. In almost all of the countries that outperform the United States on international exams, their students are only tested three times between their first and last years of schooling. So the question is, are standardized test actually improving the education system in the United States? If not, why are children spending hours preparing for and taking meaningless exams when they could actually be learning new material?
After passing the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, the United States went from number eighteen in the world to thirty one a few years later in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment. There was a drop similar to that in science and no improvement in reading. According to the National Research Council, there is no evidence, despite decades of programs, that test based incentive programs improve education and consistently generate positive achievement effects.
“Teaching to the test” is becoming an extremely common practice in schools. Children are being drilled and drilled on exactly what they will need to know for the tests. This method is replacing actual learning resulting from good teaching practice. Children are only learning correct answers, not actual material knowledge. Some experts argue that there are positives to “teaching to the test.” This practice focuses on essential skills and critical content, eliminating activities that would otherwise be wasting time not producing gains in learning. The overuse of mandated standardized tests leads to a decline in the teaching of higher order thinking and complex assignments. The actual amount of high cognitive content in the curriculum is diminished.
Curriculum is narrowed drastically by mandated standardized tests. The Center on Education Policy reported that 44% of school districts decreased the amount of time students spend learning about social studies, science, and the arts by about one hundred and forty five minutes each week. This is done in an effort to increase math and reading scores on the standardized tests. 75% of social studies teachers said that the reason for a decrease in the teaching and discussion of current events is due to standardized testing.
Some refute the claim that standardized test narrow the curriculum by simply saying that the exams focus on the important skills students need. However, often precious instruction time is spent practicing for tests. To avoid being shut down, some schools in New York City added two and a half hour test prep sessions every day, in addition to test practice during vacations. If schools’ test scores take a sharp decrease, they often become consumed with test prep as opposed to teaching the children material which can be used to do well on future tests.
Not only do standardized tests cause teachers to stress, but they cause severe stress in the students, who are the ones who actually have to take these exams. Due to the sheer number of major tests that students take and prepare for, students often become anxious. Even the brightest students get anxiety about the tests, and it is not uncommon for children to cry or even vomit. Many of the standardized tests have instructions included on what to do with the exam if a student vomits.
On the other end of the spectrum, often times older students in the upper grades put little effort into the mandated standardized test. They know that the scores do not affect their grades, so they care very little on how well they perform. Some students don’t even look at the test questions, and just create pictures or designs on their scantrons.
Mandated Standardized testing is a topic that has many layers and is quite expansive. There are many accounts on the pressures and practices of this kind of testing, and there are varying results on its effectiveness.
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