Standardized Testing Flaws

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The Flaws of Standardized Testing Standardized testing was established to evaluate students and teachers, but instead it takes up too much class time and puts extreme stress on students. This controversial topic is highly debatable. Evidence and statistics show that standardized tests aren't an accurate measure of student achievement. This paper will discuss 4 ways that standardized testing is unnecessary and unhelpful. The first way standardized testing is flawed is what is actually measured. The second way standardized testing is flawed is how much class time it takes, and how it is being taught. The third way standardized testing is flawed is the reliability of the results. The fourth way standardized testing is flawed is how it affects…show more content…
A Harvard study shows that standardized testing measures crystallized intelligence instead of fluid intelligence. Fluid intelligence is logical thinking and problem solving skills. Crystallized intelligence is the ability to access long term memory(Bidwell). Learning something and memorizing something are two different things, learning is more important. The goal of education is not to memorize, but instead to develop problem solving skills(James). Memory is important, but not important enough to have test after test forced upon students. Standardized testing provides an unreliable measure of student…show more content…
The test can either reward teachers or penalize them(Standardized Test). This practice encourages teachers to spend more time covering things on the test instead of a wider, more critical curriculum. Teachers should not be punished based on how students test, especially when the test doesn’t affect the student's too much. Supporters of standardized testing say that it gives valuable information to teachers and education professionals. Standardized testing does not give good information, instead this type of testing gives falsified information and a false sense of security. Supporters of standardized testing also say that testing isn't really harmful to students. This paper has proved that standardized testing affects students negatively in numerous ways. Standardized testing a major problem in the United States public education system. This testing is flawed in what it measures. It is flawed in the results that it gives. It is flawed in how much class time it takes, and how it affects students

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