We are more than test scores

By: Mallory J.

Students protesting the use of standardized tests; Copyright: fair use

For most people, at least in the United States, standardized testing is a normal part of education. AIR Test, PARCC, OAA, End-of-Course exams, and the almighty SAT and ACT. For most people, these are the tests that determine whether they move on in their educational career. But now, people are questioning whether tests such as these are an accurate representation of a student’s intelligence.

An issue with standardized testing, especially when pertaining to younger, middle school children, is that teachers are teaching to the test. Rather than just teaching kids the information in the curriculum, they are focusing on the facts, formulas, and vocabulary that will be on a test. This prevents kids from actually learning material. They focus on just memorizing formulas for a test instead of remembering it in the long term. In turn, less time is being spent on the sciences, social studies, and the arts to prepare students to take the tests in math, reading and writing. This means that students aren’t really getting a full-rounded education.

For most students, these periods of preparation for the SAT, ACT, and End-of-Course Exams are an extremely bad stressor. Students stress over getting the best scores to either beat out their peers or get into a competitive college. However, according to the Ivy League college Yale, “the SAT and ACT are one of the less important factors in their admission process”. Many people stress themselves out to the point where they are having anxiety attacks and can no longer function properly.

Some supporters of these tests may say that it’s a consistent way to measure a student’s ability. That standardized tests are consistent throughout every year and every subject and every school whereas each teacher in a school may teach students differently. However, some students learn differently meaning that standardized tests aren’t going to be fair for everybody. Not everybody is good at taking tests. Those people may get a 23 (on a 36 point scale) on the ACT but have 4.0 GPA and be 2nd in their class.

Standardized tests are not a good measure of a student’s achievement or intelligence. However, no matter what anybody feels about a standardized test, they seem to be here and not going anywhere. So, teachers and students both need to make some changes in order to make them more bearable.