Standardized Testing in American Schools Stefanie Brock Intermediate

Standardized Testing in American Schools Stefanie Brock Intermediate Composition November 13, 2016

A Short History of Standardized Testing The College Entrance Examination Board was established and in 1901, the first examinations were administered around the country in nine subjects. In 1926, the first SAT tests were administered. They were founded by the College Board, which is a nonprofit group of universities and other educational organizations. The original SAT test lasted 90 minutes and consisted of 315 questions testing knowledge of vocabulary and basic math and even including the famous fill-in-the-blank analogy questions. The test grew and by 1930 assumed its now current form of separate verbal and math tests.

Standardized Testing Today You will find today that the ever-popular SAT and the ACT are only part of the multitude of tests students may face before attending college. The College Board now even offers SAT II tests, designed for specific subjects ranging anywhere from biology to geography. These four-hour Advanced Placement exams, which some universities use for students who want to get credit for introductory college-level classes, are popular. Nearly 350, 000 American high school students took the AP history test last year, which is the most popular subject test offered. There's also the PSAT, which is a test taken the junior year of high school taken as preparation for the SAT and is also an assessment for the beloved National Merit Scholarships.

Time Spent Taking Standardized Tests This study given by The Council of the Great City Schools analyzed tests given in 66 urban U. S. districts during the 2014 -2015 school year. It did not count the quizzes and tests that were created by classroom teachers. It also did not account for the amount of time the schools gave to test preparation. It displays the average number of hours spent testing, and the average number of mandated tests given.

Teachers and Standardized Testing It has been found that there is no correlation between the amount of testing and the way students perform on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which a federal test given every two years. To receive a grant under the competitive Race to the Top program, or a waiver from No Child Left Behind, states have to evaluate teachers based in part on student test scores. Since federal law requires standardized tests only in math and reading in certain grades, states added tests in social studies, science, languages, even physical education, so they could have scores to evaluate teachers with.

America VS. The World A new study given by Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies shows that Americans came in last place in math skills. When it comes to technology skills, Americans came dead last compared with other developed countries as well. Japan and Finland led the group with the top literacy, math and technology skills, while, sadly, the United States' performance was average or well below average in each category.

Obama’s Call for Change In a video posted to Facebook by the White House, President Obama pledged to take steps to reduce testing overload. In “moderation, smart, strategic tests can help us measure our kids’ progress in school, and it can help them learn, ” Obama said. “But I also hear from parents who, rightly, worry about too much testing, and from teachers who feel so much pressure to teach to a test that it takes the joy out of teaching and learning, both for them and for the students. I want to fix that. ” Link to Video. Copy and Paste to Internet Browser. https: //youtu. be/q. JJrjn. RJZRE

An Intense Debate on Capital Hill Standardized testing has caused intense debate on Capitol Hill as lawmakers work to craft a replacement for No Child Left Behind. Testing critics tried unsuccessfully to erase the federal requirement that schools test in math and reading. Civil rights advocates pushed back, arguing that tests are an important safeguard for struggling students because publicly reported test scores illuminate the achievement gap between historically underserved students and their more affluent peers.

A Promise to Cut Back the U. S. Department of Education offered a 10 -page action plan to states and local districts that spelled out ways to reduce redundant and low-quality testing. The department promised to make money and staff available to help and vowed to revise some of its policies. The agency is recommending that states cap the amount of time devoted to test-taking to no more than 2 percent of class time. A similar proposal is part of the bill pending in the Senate to replace the No Child Left Behind Act. The council’s report adds fuel to the national debate about testing that has spurred various “opt out” movements among parents and students and has put growing political pressure on Congress and state legislatures to cut back.

Sources Alcocer, Paulina. “History of Standardized Testing in the United States. ” NEA. National Education Association, 21 Apr. 2003. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. Layton, Lyndsey. “Study Says Standardized Testing Is Overwhelming Nation’s Public Schools. ” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2015. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. Popham, W. James. “Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality. ” ASCD: Professional Learning & Community for Educators. ASCD, Mar. 1999. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. Sparks, Sarah D. “Five Ways U. S. Education Differs From Other G-20 Countries. ” Education Week. N. p. , 06 Sept. 2016. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. "Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America? " Pro. Con. org Headlines. Pro. Con. org, 2 June 2016. Web. 08 Nov. 2016. Walker, Tim. "Poll: Americans Want Less Standardized Testing and More School Funding - NEA Today. " NEA Today. National Education Association, 14 Oct. 2015. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.