Cons of Standardized Testing

Since the mid-1800 standardized tests have been apart of America’s education. After 2002’s No Child Left Behind Act, these tests became mandated testing every year in all of the 50 states. Though supporters of standardized testing see it being a fair measurement of student achievement, others do not feel the same. This method of testing does provide value to school systems, they still can have a negative aspect about them.

Stress

These tests can cause major stress for students. They can start to feel large amounts of pressure when taking these tests. They want to perform well and will stress during studying for the test and making sure they know the proper information and stress during the test itself. Students can lose their confidence due to the results of the test and also develop a negative attitude towards school and testing. These tests do not only create stress for the children who are not prepared for the examination period but also students who are prepared and excel in these subjects.

Lack of Information

Teachers could miss out on teaching their students valuable information on subjects that are not included in the tests. Even in the subjects that are being tested on, teachers can bypass giving their students a deeper understanding of the subjects. Classrooms can become dull and lack the creativity that can limit a student’s learning potential.

Poor Evaluations

Though the test is unbiased by having everyone take the same exact test, there is still a bias towards students who excel in those subjects or that don’t struggle under test anxiety. It only considers the single test that they are taking. It does not evaluate how the student has grown since the first day of school which can be a disservice to teachers who have helped these students grow. The test measures student’s skill levels in specific areas such as reading, writing, and math. The test negates to see other skills such as creativity, motivation, and cooperation that can be found in the classroom.

Inadequate Assessment Tool

The test does not encourage students to have the change to think outside the box. The world is not a right or wrong situation, there are critical thinking and time that gets put into real-world situations. In the real world, you don’t get a multiple-choice situation where only one answer is the solely correct answer. These students are preparing for a test when they could be preparing for a productive life outside of school.