The Tornadic Effect of Standardized Testing (2024)

FAQs

The Tornadic Effect of Standardized Testing? ›

They can't even explain their reasons for choosing the answer they did.” In short, standardized tests don't motivate our students to think critically but rather to memorize and recite answers. The pressure and stress of standardized testing also cause schools to lose good teachers.

These include the loss of classroom time devoted to learning traditional subjects, added stress on teachers and students, less interesting and in-depth curricula, and a lack of focus on important skills students need to participate in a global economy.

Such tests reward quick answers to superficial questions. They do not measure the ability to think deeply or creatively in any field. Their use encourages a narrowed curriculum, outdated methods of instruction, and harmful practices such as grade retention and tracking.

Standardized tests provide parents and teachers with a false sense of security. If a student scores well on a test, then it is assumed that they know the material. However, this may not be true at all.

May Hurt Student's Self-Esteem

Many experience test anxiety, which affects their performance because the testing environment is so stressful. This anxiety can lead to a drop in self-esteem and overall academic achievement.

Standardized tests measure little of what parents and others want children to learn and experience in schools. They do not measure creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, leadership or empathy. Many schools narrow their focus to the tested subjects of math and reading. Other important subjects are sidelined.

For one, it means that options will be limited for consumers. Also, standardization may limit producers from providing more value to consumers than their competitors, because they are constrained by the standards.

Scores don't provide a true picture of a student's ability. Far too many people wrongly assume that standardized testing data provides a neutral authoritative assessment of a child's intellectual ability.

Standardized testing creates a barrier between classes because of preparation. It also tests preparedness, not the intellectual intelligence that all students have, but some can't show on standardized tests. Overall, standardized tests do not effectively measure students' intelligence or success at the college level.

Since their inception almost a century ago, the tests have been instruments of racism and a biased system. Decades of research demonstrate that Black, Latin(o/a/x), and Native students, as well as students from some Asian groups, experience bias from standardized tests administered from early childhood through college.

Is standardized testing bad for mental health? ›

This can cause many mental issues as students are studying for long periods of time and stressing about a test. According to soeoline.com, “Standardized testing causes headaches, sleep problems, depression, anxiety, stress and attendance issues”. Standardized testing is also, in some cases, ineffective.

Providing a common benchmark: Standardized tests allow for comparison of student performance across schools, districts, and states. This can help educators to identify best practices and areas for improvement in their own classrooms and schools.

Fewer than half of students met the state standard in English language arts, with a drop of 4 percentage points to 47.1% from pre-pandemic 2018-19, when the state last required the test statewide. Exactly one-third of students performed at standard in math, a decline of 6.5 percentage points.

In conclusion, standardized testing can have detrimental effects on a child's creativity, learning, and future opportunities. The high stakes attached to standardized tests, particularly in terms of college admissions, can create additional stress and anxiety for students and their families.

The pressure and stress of standardized testing also cause schools to lose good teachers. Many teachers feel that they spend more time preparing students for standardized tests than they do teaching.

Narrow Focus on Assessment: Critics argue that standardized testing often narrows the curriculum, as educators may prioritize teaching to the test to improve scores. This focus can lead to neglecting other essential aspects of education, such as critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

Psychologically, testing causes high anxiety and poor sleep along with other detrimental issues. The design of the traditional multiple choice tests and free-response tests are not complementary to how some student's brain works.