Despite the benefits teachers and schools obtain, standardized testing like the FCAT is not effective in evaluating student’s performance because not all students learn at the same level, they fall under pressure, and they are being taught just for the test which prevents from learning skills that are yet to be learned. Admittedly, the FCAT brings benefits to
NCLB was established so that students were not held back in a grade and were promoted to the next grade. I think this is a political aspect that is failing our students. If a student is not understanding the material or doesn’t pass the tests showing that they understand and can retain the information, I don’t believe that they should be promoted. I believe that it only hurts the students because they get more behind as they advance through the levels. The ethical issues that regard the high stakes testing is that it could be unfair to some students.
These kinds of test have been going on for years but they have not put as much importance as they do now. Kids are getting stressed out due to these tests so by the time they take the test they have used all the energy cramming to learn what is on the test. In the past there was no added stress because the outcome of the test did not decide the outcome of their future. If they do bad on test then it creates a domino effect, these test decide who these kids are. It decides if they go into remedial, regular, or advanced classes.
Furthermore, without the right study skills and preparation needed the odds of success lower dramatically. Having adequate study skills can put you in the right direction to achieve academic success. Everyone is different, meaning different study skills, and working differently for students. To start off, it is best to study in timed segments. Don’t try to cram all of your studying in at once; it is best to take breaks in between.
I mean, sure, grades are very motivational, but they are also very harming. Countless suicides are caused by grades and pressure, and I think it just really isn’t necessary to put a student on the spot like that. Let’s say a student makes straight A’s. That’s great in most cases, but does it really self-motivate the student into learning more, or does it give them a little lee-way to slack off and maybe not study as much? Or let’s say that a student gets straight C’s.
Making it on your own At times people tend to work well while they are under pressure. To others they simply must be under pressure to get work done and give their full effort. In her article In Praise of the F Word, Mary Sherry argues “Flunking as a regular policy has just as much merit today as it did two generations ago. We must review the threat of flunking and see it as it really is- a positive teaching too.” By making it clear to students that flunking can definitely be a result of them not putting in the time and effort in assuring they pass their class will make them more determined to learn and earn their good grades, it will also help stop those students who choose not to even try in their classes. Also by making students fear failure it will not only motivate them
There are some major problems with using them. Students with high I.Q’s are expected to do better than the rest of their class, and on the flip side students with low I.Q.’s are expected to do worse. That is not always fair because students with low I.Q.’s might not get the attention needed simply because their teachers do not expect much from them. In the end there is no fairness to some. This leads to an ethical question of, is giving an intelligence test ethical?
Students can experience a more beneficial learning environment by having a longer school day. High schoolers in particular should always be learning and wanting to approach more opportunities. Also, having a better learning experience means having no stress from being really tired. When you are stressed, it can make you distracted and unfocused on your studies. If kids miss a day it will result in missing out on learning new things and they would need to make work up.
The first reason the grading policy should not be changed is students/parents would not know their exact grade. For instance, if a parent wants to know how their child is doing in school, they wouldn’t know because the new grading system doesn’t give enough insight (doesn’t break grade down). Also due to the fact that more students pass than fail,
This allows for a more focused eye on subjects that will be on standardized tests like math and reading. This actually causes a less well-rounded education since teachers have to start teaching to the test. Teaching to test does not cause smarter kids, but instead causes kids to memorize certain parts of a subject while leaving out other subjects like music and art which induce creativity and independence of oneself. So instead of standardized testing, schools should make sure students have a more rounded education which will actually make the kids smarter than when drilling them for standardized tests. (“States Seeks to Block ‘No Child Left Behind’”).