Research Study

DIRECTIONS:

The following paragraph, which is provided by ProCon.Org, offers an introduction to Standardized Testing. Once you are ready to move on to the next section, please select the “Pro webpage” or the “Con webpage” to read next.

http://standardizedtests.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=6521

 

Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. Their use skyrocketed after 2002's No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing in all 50 states. US students slipped from being ranked 18th in the world in math in 2000 to 27th in 2012, with a similar decline in science and no change in reading. Failures in the education system have been blamed on rising poverty levels, teacher quality, tenure policies, and, increasingly, on the pervasive use of standardized tests.

Proponents argue that standardized tests are a fair and objective measure of student ability, they ensure teachers and schools are accountable to taxpayers, and that the most relevant parties – parents and students – approve of testing.

Opponents say the tests are neither fair nor objective, that their use promotes a narrow curriculum and drill-like "teaching to the test," and that excessive testing undermines America's ability to produce innovators and critical thinkers.

Standardized tests are defined by W. James Popham, former president of the American Educational Research Association, as "any test that's administered, scored, and interpreted in a standard, predetermined manner." The tests often have multiple-choice questions that can be quickly graded by automated test scoring machines. Some tests also incorporate open-ended questions that require human grading, which is more expensive, though computer software is being developed to grade written work also.

Many kinds of standardized tests are in use, but high-stakes achievement tests have provoked the most controversy. These assessments carry important consequences for students, teachers and schools: low scores can prevent a student from progressing to the next grade level or lead to teacher firings and school closures, while high scores ensure continued federal and local funding and are used to reward teachers and administrators with bonus payments.

Standardized testing in the US has been estimated to be "a multi-billion-dollar industry," though proponents have accused opponents of exaggerating its size. The largest test publishers include NCS Pearson, CTB/McGraw-Hill, Riverside Publishing, and Educational Testing Service (ETS).

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