History of Standardized Tests

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The History Of Standardized Tests Student Name Course/Number Due Date Faculty Name The History Of Standardized Tests Standardized testing has not only played an integral part in the history of the United States but also throughout the World. The earliest recorded evidence of using results of the examination to determine one's ability to perform has been traced to 7th Century Imperial China, Sui Dynasty, in 2200 B.C.. They would give government job applicants and officials an exam, built upon a rigid "eight-legged essay" format, to test their knowledge of philosophy and poetry (Procon.org). The examination process continued every three years to determine if they were fit to maintain their office. These practices continued until 1905 A.D., when they were eventually deemed immoral and banned. But the testing methods were around long enough to pass to various different areas of England, so the practice continued. These types of ideas did not become a practice for the Western world until the progressive movement of the early 1800s, named the industrial Revolution. During this period, school-aged children were taken off farms, out of factories, and put them in the classroom. Standardized testing made it easy to test large numbers of students quickly and what they thought was efficient. In the mid-1800s, Boston school reformers Horace Mann and Samuel Gridley Howe introduced standardized testing to Boston schools that were modeled on the centralized school system. The new tests were devised to provide a single standard by which to judge and compare the output of each school . This allowed educators to gather objective information about teaching quality. Boston's standardized testing program was soon adopted by school systems nationwide. In 1906, concerns about excessive testing were voiced. The New York State Department of Education advised the state
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