Faults of Standardized Tests

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Faults of Standardized Tests Standardized tests are exams designed to measure a student’s scholastic performance. These tests are an argumentative issue, because some people feel the test do not show the student’s intelligence. I am one of these people. What the test may cover may not be what the students have learned in class. As a student you learn more about what the teacher views as important, but are evaluated on by what the state thinks is important. "Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful" (Procon 2) Standardized tests are not a reliable way to evaluate someone’s intelligence. In many cases teachers are encouraged to teach only material that will be seen on certain standardized tests. To quote one critic, "they are infernal machines of social destruction" (bracey 1). For this reason, teachers are forced to extract superfluous material from the course. Instead, teachers focus only on specific items from the test. Students are encouraged to memorize facts and bring short responses. In an article published by the FairTest organization this method is called "teaching the test." Teaching the test seems to be conducive to improving test taking skills but real academic progression is not always represented. Additionally, Standardized testing is not an effective way to test the skills and abilities of today’s students. Standardized tests do not reveal what a student actually understands and learns, but instead only prove how well a student can do on a generic test. Schools have an obligation in a way to prepare students for life and with the power standardized tests have today, students are being cheated out of a proper valuable education and forced to prepare and improve their test skills. Too much time, energy, and pressure to succeed are being devoted to standardized tests. Standardized testing, as it is
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