Standardized Testing

Every year, test companies spend fifty cents to five dollars to score an essay and a couple of pennies for each scored multiple choice question for millions of students who take standardized tests throughout the U.S (Winerip, Par. 6). For many years, the issue of standardized testing has been very controversial and has brought up many insightful arguments. The supporters of standardized testing argue that the test results determine a student’s intelligence level, while the challengers argue that one test cannot be the sole factor off of which a child bases their future. Although standardized testing may be a useful tool in determining a child’s academic performance, it should not be the only factor that measures a child’s success.

Standardized testing is mainly supported by test creators who argue that when test results are used appropriately, they can determine a student's “present level of strengths and weaknesses and his or her aptitude for certain abilities” (Sample, Par. 1). The three types of standardized test include achievement, aptitude and diagnostic. The achievement test measures the material a student has mastered; the aptitude test predicts the future performance of a student and the diagnostic test “determine[s] learning problems in a child” (Sample, Pars. 3-4). According to Betty Steinberg, Connecticut’s Education Commissioner, standardized tests push children to use their “higher-level skills” (Winerip, Par. 16). Many educators believe they have been able to “close the gap” and provide for a more successful learning environment. Moreover, the administration of tests occasionally allows teachers to monitor each individual student’s progress and comprehension level so that proper help, if needed, can be provided (Winerip, Pars. 18-19). Furthermore, standardized testing can be beneficial to the parents because it allows them to compare their child’s performance to the performance of other children of the same age (Sample, Par. 4)....