Students and Standardized Testing

There has been much controversy over standardized testing for students. Parents, teachers, and students all have questioned the motives of state testing. Sadly, over time it has seemed that education in schools has been molded in a way so that students are used to the format and pressures of standardized testing.

One example would be that students have regular multiple choice tests a week. An issue brought up by parents is that standardized testing adds a lot of more pressure on older students who also have to focus on their school work that counts for a grade unlike the state tests like The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). The Washington Post brings about a good point that, “education policy shaped by standardized test scores is at odds with the deepest of all societal needs — human survival. Inevitable environmental, demographic, technological, institutional, and cognitive system changes require continuous adaptation…. Schools and school systems that point with pride to their high scores on standardized tests are advertising their willingness to limit students’ thought to a couple of low-level thought processes”. (Washington Post)

After speaking to a few students about their feelings about standardized testing, I have concluded that students hate it. A few students say it is stressful, a few say it is boring, some just do not care and put random answers which affects the school’s overall score in a negative way. Since the testing is not graded, most students do not try their best on the tests.