Pros of Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is used to measure a student’s educational ability. It determines that averages of students to identify which are scoring above and below the set average. The questions are the same and the test is scored the same way. These tests can be used to identify struggling students, set benchmarks, and distribute funds to schools across the nation. Many argue whether or not standardized testing should remain part of the education process and if it is helping or hurting the students.

Benchmarking

Standardized testing can give the education system benchmarks for how students are performing. It can be used to compare how students are doing in contrast to other students in the same class and even throughout the entire country. Teachers and parents can then see the students comparisons and determine the best course of action when planning for these students education and future.

Identify Problems

Along with the comparisons provided by the benchmarks, schools have information on how their students are learning. If the scores are low for the district, they will need to focus on creating or improving their curriculum. Determining which students are struggling in certain subjects can also give the school the ability to place them in specialized classrooms. Teachers can also determine what comprehension level their students are at which gives them the ability to guide students who may need more assistance.

Evaluation

Many tests in the education system have the ability for teachers to add bias while grading tests. Whether a short answer isn’t one that agrees with the obvious prompt or there’s another way to figure out a math problem, students can often get docked points for doing something different. The test can eliminate any bias that could be coming from marking test questions. Since all questions are the same, the answers will be uniform as well. It provides an accurate way to evaluate the students in areas such as math, reading, and writing and negates an examiner from grading based on any bias.

Many people see the value of standardized testing which is why it has been placed in the education system. It has its obvious benefits for students and the schooling systems. Though this testing method has many benefits there are still people who question the effectiveness of this process. Stay tuned for my next article on the cons of standardized testing.