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Standardized Testing A Valid Tool Term Paper

Students will not be able to understand the need to learn a subject and they will not have an opportunity to research or think about a particular subject when they are merely forced to memorize the details. Teachers are badly affected since they have to impart knowledge based on limitations and directions from authorities. Students cannot be shaped into unique individuals who will have their own opinion on various topics. Only uniform thinkers will be left with no room for innovation. By memorizing details, students will not enjoy what they learn. They are left with a certain number of questions and answers to be memorized in a given period of time. Teachers reach a saturation point by this monotonous mode of education. They get fed up of repeating the same details. Moreover, additional resources like paper, staff support, administrative and parental assistance is also required. Teachers are left to handle huge number of students in a class, with no much time to plan the curriculum and there will be an increase in the number of distracting students. Moreover uninteresting methods of teaching lead teachers to give up their profession. Objective assessment deteriorates the amount of information and creative thinking in students. (Frederick Taylor in the Classroom: Standardized Testing and Scientific Management) 4. Correlation between standardized tests' scores and student's acceptance rate declaration that SAT did not advocate the aspect of aptitude was welcomed by many students in the United States. This was not considered after scrutinizing the aspects of the test but an observation on school children revealed that they simply memorized the names and facts and that it did not contribute in improving the writing and reading skills of students. Moreover it was stated in the report that the importance given to train student to take standardized test was evolving comprise on the quality of education in America. Universities and colleges were not ready to give up this method of education and argued that applicant to colleges and students who sought admissions to higher grade classes took up the test without compromising on the quality of education. Further this kind of test was required to shortlist candidates who apply for various course of study at universities and colleges. The correlation between the marks obtained in standardized tests and the acceptance of students into higher educational institutions have various other factors attached to it. It has been observed that with the increase in the income of a student's family, the marks of students in this test increases. (Two Cheers for an End to the SAT)

Another factor that influences the marks of students is considered to be educational qualification of parents. The decrease in the marks obtained by students who appear for standardized test to seek admission is considered to be the huge number of candidate who take up the test. The amount of knowledge a student has achieved through academics is not clearly evident by this kind of test. The verbal part of the test is carried out to know the vocabulary of the person rather than a comprehensive test on the language of the candidate. A study on candidates at the East Carolina University revealed that they were adopting a surface method to appear for the test whereby they memorize the answers required to appear for the exam rather than conducting a deep study by understanding the subject in detail. These candidates were not interested in scoring marks by learning but wanted to score comparatively high marks than other applicants. (Two Cheers for an End to the SAT)

Further, the result of standardized test during admission to a college is not correlated to the result of student on completion of their first year at college. This difference in marks reveals that standardized test is not a reliable method to assess the academic excellence of a student even with a single variable. This makes it clear that the performance of students on completion of study of college will not have any relation to their score in the standardized test. The importance of standardized testing further deteriorates with the aspect of discrimination. Well qualified students from minority groups who do not have the ability to score well in tests cannot make their way into good colleges while the white students who prepare for the test alone can score high marks. Hence there will not be a racial mix in these colleges which intend to promote diversity. Even individuals who support affirmative action require SAT as a criterion to provide admission. Hence the acceptance rate is depended upon the score in a...

(Two Cheers for an End to the SAT)
5. Other methods of measuring students' academic success.

The evaluation of a student's performance should be aimed to effect a change to the extent of knowledge acquired by the student and increase the level of performance. The Measures of Academic Progress method is employed to better the teaching abilities and thereby improve the learning standards of students using projects assisted by computers. Computers are used to impart the requisite data to the teachers from time to time. The result obtained from MAP evaluation is used to improve the learning of a student to a set target which will lead to a better performance of the school as a whole. MAP test is conducted around four times a year to give timely progress report to the teachers with correct information. This method of testing is employed in many schools and organizations associated with education use MAP test to assist children in improving their mathematics, language and reading abilities. This method of evaluation is an exclusive and flexible one which caters to the learning ability of students by evaluating the child's knowledge and unknown areas of study. MAP test evaluates the progress of student throughout the academic years irrespective of their age or grade. The result from this kind of evaluation is significant from both the perspectives of learning and teaching. Teaching assignments can be planned and distributed over the academic year by considering the results of MAP test which ultimately enhances the standard of the school. (Reading, Mathematics, and Language Usage tests)

In the higher studies area, the performance of students is measured using non-cognitive self thoughts which lead to the success of a student. Hence the various criteria to be considered under this test are academic self efficiency, leadership qualities, motivation to learn, and the nature of learning, group study, and expectation from assessment and participation in uniform group studies with a common knowledge about the non-cognitive skills to learn. Here the results are measure in "grade-point-ratio, consistency of learning and their marks with respect to the above mentioned criteria." (Immekus; Maller; Imbrie; Ningying; McDermott, S2C-3) This test is conducted at the end of an academic year, usually on first year students of a professional course to check their excellence in academics. The marks scored by these should reveal how non-cognitive abilities of students give uniform results. (Immekus; Maller; Imbrie; Ningying; McDermott, S2C-3)

Benchmark testing is another method of evaluating the knowledge of a student. Other methods of evaluation students include performance task assessment through the background of the student, group discussion, and proper information of the student's improvement and through the specimen of their project. The total performance and achievement of a student is assessed through the study of students achievement with respect to CIM benchmarks, a research on students and parents about the advantages of the course of study, by keeping a record of attendance at school, by drafting a progress report for a child with achievements marked on it every year, by evaluation the teaching ability and skills of the teachers. This method is aimed at providing uniform and equal standard education to all students so that none of them score poor marks or performs badly. (Measure of Success)

6. Conclusion in your own words mentioning whether standardized testing is a valid tool of measuring students' academic success or not From the aforesaid details, it may be concluded that 'Standardized Testing' is not a valid tool to measure the academic success of a student. Standardized testing is an objective method of testing which gives importance to the knowledge of facts which does not give an opportunity for the student to conduct a creative thinking about a subject. Certain students may end up learning and memorizing the details for a test without giving importance to the reason why that subject is being learned. The objective of the student remains in scoring high marks to quality for another course of study without in depth knowledge of the subject. This will have an adverse effect in the field of research and analysis where the student is ignorant about the cause-effect relationship. Further students will not learn the aspect of logic which is essential in the field of science. A comprehensive study on the other hand will give enough opportunity for a student…

Sources used in this document:
References

Harris, Joseph; Turkington, Carol. Get Ready! For Standardized Tests: Grade 1. McGraw-Hill

Professional. 2000.

Immekus, J.C; Maller, S.J; Imbrie, P.K.; Ningying, Wu; McDermott, P.A. (2005, Oct) Work in Progress - an Analysis of Students' Academic Success and Persistence Using Pre-College Factors. Proceedings 35th Annual Conference, vol. 19-22, pp: S2C-3 - S2C-4.

Kohn, Alfie. Two Cheers for an End to the SAT. http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/sat.htm
N.A. Measure of Success. http://www.3rcs.org/academic-success/
N.A. Parents Guide to Testing. Wilmette Public Schools District. http://www.wilmette39.org/assessment/parenttestingguide.pdf
Reading, Mathematics, and Language Usage tests. http://www.nwea.org/assessments/map.asp
Management. 2001. http://radicalpedagogy.icaap.org/content/issue3_2/rees.html
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