Karibella. W
Melissa. S
Composition II
22 November 2024
A Black Light to Parents and An Obstacle For Students
Students quietly file into a classroom, and each sits at their own desk. Papers are passed out, and a timer is set. Everyone dutifully bends their heads and begins to work on their test. This is the picture of standardized testing. Standardized testing is a common practice to assess the progress of students. In American public schools, standardized tests quiz students on the main academic subjects to see how they are performing and grade them against a set range of scores. The problem is, in a test environment, students may not be performing at their best and would then receive a lower grade than what reflects their true knowledge. Standardized tests can be useful by providing insight into a student’s learning. However, the tests can be faulty and cause problems for students if they get bad grades. Standardized testing should not exist because it is not an accurate measurement of cognitive abilities the pressured testing environment causes diminished cognitive ability, students with learning differences are disadvantaged, and test grades may affect how parents treat their children.
Admittedly, standardized tests can help parents and teachers track their students’ progress. Having a hard score that can demonstrate how well a student is doing in a specific area helps parents and teachers know when a student needs help. If a student receives a low grade, the adults can work with the student to improve in neglected studies and further their knowledge. However, students may still get future low grades if they are not good at taking tests. For example, a student who is extremely gifted in the sciences might not be gifted in working and retaining facts under pressure. Their test grades would drop, and they may even lose opportunities to work in the sciences even though they are very smart. This issue can be solved by making new tests and changing the way they are administered. Newer tests could help assess the child’s overall progress and skills beyond recalling plain facts. The way tests are conducted could also change by providing a calmer, stress and distraction-free environment. Students should be given tests that will measure their progress and brain, not just their memorization skills.
To begin with, some test scores might not reflect how smart students are because a student cannot focus during a test. Working under pressure and in a distracting environment can inhibit good factual recall. When our brains are distracted, they have a harder time recalling information or understanding content. This is why everyone dreads the time of the year when the tests are pulled out. The hours of studying and preparing take a toll on students, and they are already tired of the material on test day. On the day of the test, students go to school and sit down in a room together to take the tests on paper or a computer. Many kids, all nervous, in the same room, all trying to focus to get a good score. A test room could be quite distracting with the tapping of pencils and shoes and the sound of words being etched into a page. With all of these distractions and stress, it might be hard for a child to focus and recall the answers to problems. A 2018 research study looked at how stress affects students; it found “students have 15% higher cortisol levels in the homeroom period just before taking the high-stakes test, relative to that same timeframe during weeks without testing” (Heissel et al. ). Cortisol is a hormone released when one is experiencing stress. Higher levels of cortisol before testing demonstrates how stressful exams can be. By not addressing this issue, students will be judged solely on their scores and could lose valuable opportunities and privileges.
Following the previous point, tests can also show bad grades due to a student having a learning disability. Learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and Dyscalculia can stop the student from performing well. Learning disabilities are relatively common, and they can hinder opportunities for kids because they do not have the right resources to learn. “An estimated 7 million (11.4%) U.S. children aged 3–17 years have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national survey of parents using data from 2022.” (CDC) The design of standardized tests is not pre-set for people with learning disabilities, which makes the test very difficult for students with a learning disability. If a child has dyslexia, they might mix up words and answer things incorrectly, while one with dysgraphia might fail a math assessment. Additionally, students with undiagnosed learning issues would not do well on tests because they are not receiving the correct accommodations. Caroline Miller wrote about Dyslexia in classrooms, saying, “Another thing children often hide is undiagnosed learning disorders. If a child is fidgeting when she’s supposed to be reading, it may be that dyslexia is causing her great frustration.” (Miller) When students with learning disabilities have to take standardized tests that are not designed for their brains, they can receive inaccurate, low scores that could reduce their chances of quality learning for the future.
Lastly, when students receive bad test grades, future schools and programs may reject them. Getting good grades on tests is a major focus in high school because internships, colleges, and other programs turn to grades for a picture of how the student performs. When standardized tests are a main factor in whether or not they can be used, and the test is not well designed, the student could lose privileges because of the test. If the student then is failing the class due to his low test scores he will already feel bad enough without losing key social time. The story of a young student demonstrates this. This student got straight A’s, had many extracurriculars, and overall performed well in school. However, she got very bad grades on tests and exams. She had to omit applying to certain good schools because of her low test scores. (Belsky) This story is a clear picture of opportunities being taken away from smart students because they can’t take tests well. Why should students be deprived of great opportunities because of tests that are not well-designed? Schools should change or get rid of standardized tests rather than leaving them so that the bad scores will cease to purloin chances from students.
In conclusion, standardized testing is not the proper way to test children because the testing environment is distracting, students with disabilities will have a harder time, and getting bad grades could affect future opportunities. All of the reasons for changing or getting rid of standardized testing are linked together. The distracting test environment will be hard for the average kid and even harder for a kid with a learning disability. The fear of getting bad grades will cause further stress about tests, resulting in lower performance and possible consequences. In short, schools should consider changing standardized tests to reflect the progress and whole abilities of students so that parents and students can fully and happily engage in the wonderful journey of learning!
Works Cited
“Data and Statistics on ADHD.” CDC, 29 Nov. 2024, www.cdc.gov/adhd/data/index.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Belsky, Gail. “Good Grades, Bad Tests Scores: My Daughter’s Story.” Understood, www.understood.org/en/articles/good-grades-bad-tests-scores-my-daughters-story. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
Heissel, Jennifer et al. “Testing, Stress, and Performance: How Students Respond Physiologically To High-Stakes Testing.” National Bureau Of Economic Research, 2015, https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w25305/w25305.pdf. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Miller, Caroline. “Whats ADHD and Whats Not In The Classroom.” Child Mind Institute, 6 Nov. 2023, childmind.org/article/whats-adhd-and-whats-not-in-the-classroom/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.