Critical Thinking Paper: Standardized TestingOlivia GonzalezMay 10th, 2015Blue GroupCAP 9

Federal and State standardized tests are not accurate measurements of students educational potential and are detrimental to the teaching profession. Because the tests are not reflection of student learning, poorer schools do not have the resources to do well, and teachers focus on teaching a test they do not write, but upon which their performance may be evaluated, the Federal and State governments must discontinue standardized testing and explore better options to improve the learning experience. Currently, standardized testing is being used as a way to measure the success of schools, teachers, and students, but these numbers do not actually mean anything.

The obsession with standardized testing began with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. The stated purpose of the act is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and State academic assessments (No Child Left Behind Act, Section 1001). The No Child Left Behind Act also addresses the implementation of State and Federal testing. It states that State assessments, such as the MSA, and Federal tests, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, are used to improve accountability and teaching, and to ensure that students, particularly the disadvantaged, are meeting the academic achievement standards. The act requires annual testing in reading and math in grades 3-8, as well as testing in additional subjects for grades 9-12 (No Child Left Behind Act).

Poorer schools do not have the resources to do well on standardized tests. According to the No Child Left Behind Act, standardized testing is a solution to closing the achievement gap with the disadvantaged in particular. If the previous statement is true, then why do schools with less money and higher immigrant populations do worse on these tests? Take for example Philadelphias public school system where students are extremely poor; 79% are eligible for free and reduced meals. Fewer than half of the students in Philadelphias public school system score a proficient on their State test (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment or PSSA). The two factors are in fact linked. According to an article in The Atlantic, all of this has to do with the economics of testing. Across the nation, standardized tests come from one of three companies: CTB McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, or Pearson. These corporations write the tests, grade the tests, and publish the books that students use to prepare for the tests (Meredith Broussard, theatlantic.com). Schools that do not have as much money cannot afford textbooks, which can cost up to $70.00 per book, and are crucial to successful scores since they contain some of the material covered on the tests.

Students who do not speak English as their first language are also at a disadvantage. The tests are written in English, and often use terms that one would not know if he or she were not a native English speaker. Take, for example, a math question involving the expression round-trip. Students who are fluent in English -- and have enough money to take a vacation -- will obviously know what the term means, but a student who does not have those same advantages, will not understand the question. In addition, many young children taking these tests do not know how to read, or do not have the vocabulary to take these tests. Peggy Robertson, a former teacher says, we know developmentally some kids might not learn to read until the second grade Under Common Core, if youre not reading at a particular level in kindergarten, youre already being told youre a failure. When you place these artificial standards on children and force them to comply to it, you set them up to hate learning and to hate reading" (Allie Bidwell, usnews.com).

Standardized testing forces teachers to give up valuable learning time to review for and to give tests that they themselves have not written. Not only does this require the teachers to teach the test, but it also puts the focus of school on standardized testing, rather than learning. This means that students will learn the information, take the test, and then a week or so later, forget all about what they just learned because there is a new topic on which they have to focus. Also, standardized testing is interfering with the learning process, causing students to forget everything from their regular courses by the time they have to take their final exam.

Standardized tests also take away teachers flexibility to teach, because they have to teach the Common Core curriculum, which supposedly matches these tests. However, one of the things these tests are testing is the teacher. How is it fair for these tests to be a reflection of teaching ability if teachers are all forced to teach the curriculum the same exact way? A poll done in October 2014 by PDK/Gallup showed that 69% of public school parents were opposed to the use of student test results as an evaluation of teachers. When asked what helps students get good jobs, only 22% of public school parents said that high performance on standardized tests was important, whereas 87% said that real world skills such as teamwork, dependability, and persistence were more important (pdkpoll.pdkintl.org).

Those in favor of standardized testing argue that the tests are necessary to have a strong, functioning education system. However, that cannot be true, since Finland, the country with the most successful education system in the world, does not have standardized tests. In fact, the US policy of spending billions of dollars on testing is frowned upon. Pasi Sahlberg, a former physics and math teacher in Finland says, We prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test (Lynell Hancock, Smithsonian Magazine). Finnish students also spend less time at school than American students, receive less homework, and are not required to go to school until the age of 7. Clearly, the American culture of standardized testing is hardly necessary, and may even be harmful to the way students learn. Finland has higher high school graduation rates, a higher percentage of students get a college degree, and the poverty rates are lower. All of this can be attributed to a strong, standardized test-free, education system.

To solve the problem of standardized tests, State and Federal governments must discontinue them. Instead, the governments should focus on making sure that students are learning. Teaching should become a more prestigious job, and just like in Finland, every student should be able to get the same level of education, no matter his or her socio-economic status. Class sizes should be reduced, so that the teacher can have a more personal relationship with each student, and so that the teacher can cater to their learning styles. There should be more focus on making sure that teachers are educated and have a required advanced degree. In addition, the money saved from cutting out standardized testing can be used to pay teachers a higher salary.

Standardized tests, mandated in the United States at the Federal and State level, are not only inaccurate measurements of intelligence, but also a burden to teachers. Standardized testing began with the No Child Left Behind Act as an attempt to close the achievement gap and ensure that everyone receives an equal education. However, these tests are having an opposite effect that actually widens the achievement gap, and makes it so that students at schools that are struggling financially are getting lower test scores. Taking and teaching for standardized tests takes away from valuable learning time, as well as interfering with the teachers ability to teach. Nonetheless, teachers are being evaluated on how well their students do on tests that are not written by them, and that sometimes do not even match the curriculum. Finally, the tests are not an accurate measurement of intelligence because people learn in different ways and because the country with the worlds best education system, Finland, does not have standardized testing.

Works Cited

The Atlantic. theatlantic.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. . Bidwell, Allie. "Opt-Out Movement About More Than Tests, Advocates Say." usnews.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . . Hancock, Lynnell. "Why Are Finland's Schools Succesful?" Smithsonian: n. pag. http://www.smithsonianmag.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. . United States. Cong. House. No Child Left Behind Act. H. 1. Washington: GPO, n.d. Print.

Annotated Bibliography

The Atlantic. theatlantic.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. . This source had a lot of useful information in regard to minority students, or students living in poverty. The example of the Philadelphia schools was also something that I used in my paper to support my point.Bidwell, Allie. "Opt-Out Movement About More Than Tests, Advocates Say." usnews.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . This source mentions some of the difficulties for younger children, such as the inability to read, that cause a major setback when they take these tests. The article also has many quotes from teachers, that are beneficial to my paragraph about the effect of testing on teachers. directadministration.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. . This source was helpful when I was writing my thesis and I was trying to decide if I should focus on the achievement gap or not. Even though I didn't use the achievement gap very much in my paper, this source was useful in giving some alternative approaches to measuring the achievement gap, other than standardized testing.Hancock, Lynnell. "Why Are Finland's Schools Succesful?" Smithsonian: n. pag. http://www.smithsonianmag.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. . This source taught me a lot about how the Finnish school system functions and how it differs from the American system. It also contained many quotes from teachers, several of which I included in my paper."No Child Left Behind (ESEA)." www2.ed.gov. Department of Education, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . This source was extremely important because it helped explain the No Child Left Behind Act. The source is also reliable since it comes from the department of education official website.PDK/Gallup Poll October 2014. N.p.: n.p., n.d. http://pdkpoll.pdkintl.org. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. . This poll provides statistics on the public's view towards teacher evaluation through standardized tests, as well as the importance of these tests towards a successful life. This is important for my paper because it gives numerical proof to the point that I am trying to make.Pellissier, Hank. "The Finnish Miracle." greatschools.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. . This source gave me much more insight into the Finnish school system, and how American teachers admire the system. It also taught me more about Finnish customs and culture.

"Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing." worklife.columbia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. . This source was very detailed, and helped me to pick arguments when I was writing my thesis. It will also be useful next year because it has both pros and cons.United States. Cong. House. No Child Left Behind Act. H. 1. Washington: GPO, n.d. Print. This source is crucial to my paper, since the No Child Left Behind Act plays a major role in the obsession with standardized testing. The act requires annual tests in English and Math, and the implementation of state and federal tests. This source will also be useful next year in my argument pro standardized testing.

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