Standardized tests determine whether students get into college, whether they get promoted to the next grade level and whether schools are doing a good job of teaching students. Can one test or series of standardized tests really determine how smart a student is or how well a school is doing?  This is NOT an opinion question.  You need to find an article that supports your answer!

Nick Gaiski
3/10/2013 11:35:38 pm

This is a hard one to take a side on. Standardized testing does have a lot of pros. But the cons are there as well. Personally I think standardized testing is a good thing, students need to be pushed to excel in life. But to even out the drill-like feel from it, there should be more creative classes like art, and music. Actually there should be one big room where students can just go in and make stuff without being instructed. I feel as if that would let students develop an innovative mind along with being pushed in school. Here is the site where I got my information from http://standardizedtests.procon.org/

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Lucas Johnson
3/11/2013 04:25:21 am

I have read the book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ” by Daniel Goleman, this book deficiently redefines what it means to be smart. Just because you do good on test does not mean you’re going to able to utilize, and use the knowledge. There has to be a balance between the *EQ and IQ in order to be called truly smart, the higher your EQ the better you learn. So test tell us what you knew at the exact point in that emotional set, standardized test have to many outside variables, other than what the people know. Daniel Golman says that this system is out of date and just does not work, and I do agree with him. These methods of teaching are holding the U.S back; we need to see the future, but work to change the present.
*EQ= Emotional Intelligence

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Mrs. George
3/11/2013 05:23:57 am

I tend to agree with you, Lucas. According to many experts, Finland has the best education system in the world. "The [Finnish] curricula are very much focused on critical thinking and problem solving, project-based learning, and learning to learn..." and they aren't necessarily all about standardized testing like we are.
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/january/finnish-schools-reform-012012.html

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Veronica Klein
3/11/2013 12:20:03 pm

I think that standardized tests are not a good measure of a student's knowledge. First off, there is too much information that is not included on the test for it to be a good example of the student's knowledge. If there was a question from each subject in each of the classes taught, the test would be hundreds of questions long. (They're already long enough!)

Secondly, there are different kinds of knowledge learned in life that are not being tested. I might know how Civil War ladies dressed or how to raise chickens, but if that isn't one of the questions on the test, does that mean I'm not smart? No, it just means that I have knowledge not taught in school and therefore not tested. If I had to live in the wilderness with one person for a year, I'd choose my next door neighbor over someone who scored a perfect 36 on the ACT, because he knows how to skin a rabbit and what different cloud types mean in regards to upcoming weather, even though he never went to college. The ACT scorer could sit around all day figuring out the exponential growth of potato plants but if they don't know how to plant potatoes it doesn't make any difference.

Finally, just because you are good at tests doesn't necessarily mean you are smart. Someone who is good at memorizing answers might get a higher score than someone who can actually apply it in life. A test score shouldn't be the deciding factor in whether or not someone gets accepted to a college.
http://news.yahoo.com/standardized-testing-not-black-white-190000300.html

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Corey Robins
3/11/2013 11:21:04 pm

Employing standardized achievement tests to ascertain educational quality is like measuring temperature with a tablespoon. Tablespoons have a different measurement mission than indicating how hot or cold something is. Standardized achievement tests have a different measurement mission than indicating how good or bad a school is. Standardized achievement tests should be used to make the comparative interpretations that they were intended to provide. They should not be used to judge educational quality. Let's look at three significant reasons that it is thoroughly invalid to base inferences about the caliber of education on standardized achievement test scores. (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don't-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx )
That statement is from the website below it and says that standardized test can’t measure educational quality because it’s like “measuring temperature with a tablespoon”. I also believe that a lot of kids might not be very good at tests and put a lot of stress on doing well on these tests which in turn might make them do worse. I know it’s not an opinion question but I wanted to put that in there.

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Tyler Davis
3/12/2013 11:08:08 pm

When you go out for a job the employer looks at mostly all the tests you have taken starting out from probably eighth grade. It is important to do well on those tests if you want to impress the employer. Standardized aren't a test to get you into a good college.
The scores can make your resume look good or bad.

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Katy Wallace
3/12/2013 11:25:30 pm

Schools used to use standardized testing to help place students in the classes that would fit them best. However, for the past few years the standardized test scores were used to tell the community if a school is successful or failing at teaching the students what they need to learn. What if the students at the school do know the material, but they struggle with tests? “Are we measuring intelligence or practical ability, or are we simply measuring test-taking ability?” I have always struggled with taking tests, but if the teacher had me take an oral test of the same thing, I’d do well on it. For some reason, tests tend to stress people out and that’s normal.
http://www.standardizedtesting.net/

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Tyler Falls
3/12/2013 11:35:58 pm

No, one set of tests cannot not determine whether a student is smart. It could just mean that they are guessing correctly. And just because a student doesn’t do so hot on a test, does not simply mean that they are not smart. I would rather take someone who knows what they are doing then someone who can simply make up a chart. I agree with Veronica Klein, I would rather take my neighbor then someone who scored a perfect 36 on the ACT. Tests are important don’t get me wrong. But the way the U.S.A makes count is not right. It shouldn’t just matter what we get on our ACT’s. A student could get all A’s and do poorly on the ACT, and just because they get a bad grade on the test they don’t get into a good college. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don't-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx

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Chris Hopkins
3/12/2013 11:36:21 pm

Honestly, I believe that standardized testing is nothing more than a large waste of time. The test do nothing besides grade how well you can guess. Most of the time, I can't find my answer on an Algebra exam when i correctly solve the problem, we've all had that issue.
"Not really. On standardized exams, all test takers answer the same questions under the same conditions, usually in multiple-choice format. Such tests reward quick answers to superficial questions. They do not measure the ability to think deeply or creatively in any field. Their use encourages a narrowed curriculum, outdated methods of instruction, and harmful practices such as grade retention and tracking."
The fact that employers care so much about grades and testing sickens me. All a grade is based on is homework. To me, doing homework means you can do the simple stuff, like a monkey. I'd rather not feel like a monkey to get a good grade. I am good at tests/quizes, which is normally what helps me pass.
http://www.fairtest.org/facts/whatwron.htm

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Bo Morgan
3/12/2013 11:39:09 pm

Standardized testing is good and bad for students and schools. The good thing about standardized tests is that they help assess how the nation is learning. The bad things about standardized tests are they don’t show whether a student knows the information or not. A student could be really smart, but just a bad test taker. Where those students could demonstrate they know the information in a different way. Also, teachers are being evaluated based on test scores of students they never had in class. Students can also be denied a diploma based on one standardized test. Finally, students may not have been taught all the information on a standardized test; so how can you expect them to do well on that portion of the test? I got this information from http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/02/22/standardized-tests-good-bad-ugly

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Kayla Kalmink
3/14/2013 04:44:21 am

Standardized testing has some pros and con to them. Some of the pros are that teachers can see how their students are doing, letting students see what they are improving on and what needs work, and gives a comparison in a group of students. Some of the cons are that teachers don’t know what going to be on the test, the stresses of doing well on the test for students and teachers and last of all some schools are under pressure to well to get funding to do this in the future.

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Kayla Kalmink
3/14/2013 04:47:22 am

Standardized testing has some pros and con to them. Some of the pros are that teachers can see how their students are doing, letting students see what they are improving on and what needs work, and gives a comparison in a group of students. Some of the cons are that teachers don’t know what going to be on the test, the stresses of doing well on the test for students and teachers and last of all some schools are under pressure to well to get funding to do this in the future.
http://www.brighthubeducation.com/student-assessment-tools/16137-the-pros-and-cons-of-standardized-testing/

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Jillian Bailey
3/14/2013 11:23:44 pm

I do not think standardized testing is fair. I found and article on debate.org about this topic and in it it said "No it is not. No, I believe it is not a fair way because children are not judged on what really matters like creativity, work ethic, critical thinking, self- discipline, and how they get along with others. Also it's not fair because some students may receive teachers that do not teach them the information properly." I believe that this is a true statement, some students get held back because they are not so good at math when in the long run they become an artist and are living a dream life. So I do not think it is fair to judge students with standardized tests.

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Jon wilcox
3/14/2013 11:43:18 pm

In my opinion I think that the standardize tests really do show what the student has learned and how smart they are. Anyone can walk through class work but you actually have to know the information when you take the test. If you worked hard enough, these test can be a big help and get you into college. Blow school off and you get what you deserve on your test. Also these grades show if teachers are doing their jobs or not. Just another benefit. That is why standardize tests are good.
http://astro.temple.edu/~mhicks/standardizedtestingpro.html

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Amber Snore
3/14/2013 11:44:05 pm

Personally I don't believe that standardized testing is the proper way to assess someone’s intellectual ability. I tend to get really stressed out when it comes to testing, and it causes me to do a lot worse than I'm really capable of. I know that if standardized testing wasn't a part of a class I was taking, my grades would greatly approve. When employers look for employees, they are judging upon work effort and if you're motivated enough, I'm not saying being educated isn't important, but I am arguing the point that homework is work, and some kids don't even do it, somehow passing with a decent grade because of their test scores. I put forth effort; I shouldn't be punished by a terrible test grade for getting nervous while testing. I'm honestly not terrible at testing, but still I find it to be very nerve-wracking.

I found my information at: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/student-assessment-tools/16137-the-pros-and-cons-of-standardized-testing/

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Todd Fox
3/14/2013 11:48:52 pm

Much information can be found to sway you one way or another. Standardized tests scores are great for colleges because everyone took the same test and information can be deduced on academic standing. However there are factors that can play into the testing environment that can sway the results for some students such as nerves. These tests sometimes can not cover all important areas of study.
http://standardizedtests.procon.org/

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Addison Millard
3/14/2013 11:55:43 pm

Standardized testing is one of the worst ways to measure a students aptitude. It's in the name. "Standardized". But as students, we are all different. We look different, we act different, and most of all we learn differently. Standardized testing is unfair to say the least. As stated in the article below, students in fancy, well-to-do private schools have many more resources in their favor, while students at under-funded, ill-equipped public schools lack those advantages. Unfairness aside, when it comes time for a big ST, for example the ACTs, preparation for the test dominates the curriculum. Pressures on the schools to preform well, sacrifice the students opportunity to learn things that are actually important. Honestly, in 30 years, who in the entire world is going to give a flying floogal how well you did on the ACT? No one. My parents don't even remember their scores. Schools should be focusing on teaching their students the skills they need to succeed in the REAL WORLD, not how to do well on a silly test.
The article, Test Problems: Seven Reasons Standardized Tests Aren't Working, backs my points.
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Test_Problems_Seven/?page=2

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Miguel Arjona
3/15/2013 12:01:01 am

I dont agree with standarized testing because its not fair to the students to have to do something that they are unprepared for. Some teachers dont always teach the proper stuff that is going to be on the tests which makes it a waste of time for students to learn something that isn't what they need to know.debate.org

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Steven Wolfe
3/15/2013 01:40:33 am

I don't agree with standardized testing because the teachers don't always teach you what you should know on it. Even with practice testing before the ACT or SAT most of the stuff your teachers did not teach you to do. know.debate.org

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Caleb Engle
3/17/2013 11:21:57 pm

The U.S. went from 18th in the world at math in 2000, to 31st in the year 2009. Since 2000 because of No Child left behind all the states were required to have standardized testing. Is it a coincidence that we go from 18th to 31st at math when states are required to take standardized testing? I think it is. Resources are from http://standardizedtests.procon.org/

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