Standardized Testing Controversy

Standardized testing, especially high-stakes testing, is a controversial topic in most schools today. While the intent of high-stakes testing is to provide data that will help close the achievement gap and create equal learning in the classroom, as of yet, this has not occurred (Ritt, 2016). Many teachers find themselves teaching to the test because of the consequences that could result from poor test scores. Sometimes teachers focus so intently on the state tests that all other means of assessment are abandoned and replaced by multiple-choice exams. School, in turn, becomes quite redundant and boring for the students in the class, resulting in disengagement and lack of progress. The progression is cyclical, so if we could stop have such a laser-like focus on standardized tests, perhaps teachers could relax, and students could learn.

​References

Ritt, M. (2016). The impact of high-stakes testing on the learning environment. https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/658