Curse of the "Standardized Tests"

This week in my Social Justice class we were discussing standardized testing in high schools. Government is constantly cutting funding for education, while expecting more from schools. If schools don’t meet certain criteria then their funding is cut off. I believe this is completely wrong and there are so many better options to fix these issues. Education is one of the most important parts in the success of this country and American citizens are allowing the government to ruin the educational system.

I believe the best way to go about achieving better graduation rates and improving grade point average of students is to stop the standardized testing. As crazy as that sounds just listen to what I have to say. I believe I am a rather intelligent person, but I have never been the best at test taking. Where I have excelled the most and had the most success is when tests weren’t the most crucial part of a class. I have taken a few courses in my educational career where the teacher doesn’t grade by testing, but by participation and through project based instruction. Not only have I received better grades, but I have retained the most knowledge after completing these courses.

My rationale behind this is that there can be a lot of anxiety when it comes to standardized testing. You have to be able to memorize terms and key terms, but you aren’t tested on the real meaning of the material. When I study for a multiple choice exam, for instance, I memorize what I have to and throw all other information that is not going to be on the test out. This is wrong, who is to say that that other material is not important? Also with all the stress and anxiety from the fear of failing the test, I feel that I hold the information for a matter of days after taking the test. With not being graded by testing but by participation I am able to engage the material from a different perspective. I enjoy learning the material and without the anxiety of test taking, I am able to retain the information longer. I am able to retain more information due to the fact that I am not focused on key terms, but rather the content and application of the information. Without having to memorize, I retain the meaning of the information and I am able to use the material well into the future.

We need to stop standardized testing as a solution to the education system. By making school relevant to the student I believe that the government would see vast improvements in the quality of learning in schools, lower dropout rates, and more benefits to students. Kids will start wanting to attend school and by God enjoy it. Learning is a beautiful aspect of life, why do we have to make it a scary burden? I believe that with this new method of teaching we will see a better graduation rate, more intelligent youth, better GPA’s, better job skills from students emerging into the workforce, and a stronger, better America.