Standardized Testing

In this most recent era of education reform, standardized testing and the highly debated issue of state mandated standardized tests has placed students, teachers, schools, and school districts in an awkward and uncomfortable position as they are feeling immense pressure to improve test scores to meet the state’s goals of accountability. Dialogue concerning this new accountability movement, which includes the use of the test results, the data correlation with student achievement, and teacher and school effectiveness, inherently brings up the question whether tests are really doing what they are supposed to do. High-stakes testing and the accountability the tests are supposed to measure, as required by state legislatures, produce a new pressure, particularly on students. Their test scores may impact their promotion to the next grade level and, eventually, their graduation status of receiving a regular diploma versus a certificate of completion. In addition to the problem facing stu...