Cons to Standardized Testing
Below are links to three different types of sources. A summary is provided for each article.
Op-Ed
Summary: A board of moms are discussing how to deal with students/their children who are stressed out about standardized testing. There is a paragraph at the end speaking to parents and students about the fact that standardized tests can degrade self-confidence in students, and that parents and students need to reassure themselves that these tests only measure a small part of people’s intelligence.
Link: http://patch.com/missouri/ladue-frontenac/moms-council-qa
Summary: This article is about Karen Magee, the president of New York State United Teachers, urging for mass opt-out of Common Core testing. It discusses her viewpoint and then brings in the view of an Executive Director of High Achievement New York and discusses his view of Karen being irresponsible for suggesting opt-out in her position.
Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/teachers-union-president-karen-magee-calls-for-common-core-boycott-2015-3
Summary: This article is from a reading coach from Mantanaz High School in Florida. She talks about “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” The good being how the test ensures consistency. The bad being that it takes away from the teachers and students time to actually be learning in class. The ugly being how their is a limited testing window.
Link: http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/02/22/standardized-tests-good-bad-ugly
Summary: Article by a writer who took PARCC sample test. It looks at lots of sample questions demonstrating the ambiguity of test questions in Humanities.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-greene/an-educator-samples-the-parcc_b_6657722.html
Summary: This article tells tales of how once great teachers are leaving their jobs because they lose authenticity in teaching when they are teaching children just to do well on tests. It claims the current education system is teaching fear and competition rather than actual teaching values. The lack of skill or passion needed to teach has gone down, so regular people teach just to have a job and do not do well because they do not have a legitimate interest in education. That makes us have bad teachers.
Link: http://teachersjourneytolife.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-paranoia-of-standardized-testing_9.html
Summary: This article aims to explain why students in some of the most poor areas in the US score lower on S.T. then students who live in higher-income areas, it focuses mainly in Pennsylvania. It starts to break down one womans story of researching who creates the test, their connections to text books, how S.T. questions are chosen, and how low income schools are affected by S.T. This article focuses mainly on lower education (elementary.)
Link: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/07/why-poor-schools-cant-win-at-standardized-testing/374287/
Summary: This article outlines some of the basic arguments from Brooklyn teachers who have experienced a large increase in standardized tests. It emphasizes on PS 29 Teachers Resolution, a claim against heavy standardized testing and the amount of unproductive strain and effort it requires from teachers and students as well.
Link: http://www.thenation.com/blog/179193/brooklyn-teachers-push-back-against-high-stakes-testing
Feature Articles
Summary: This article points out that standardized testing removes the authenticity for a teacher and their classroom and makes any lesson seem less relevant than it should be. The consequences of low test scores could potentially break a school, and in that is a question of the respect that a teacher professional deserves. Standardized testing takes away a student's ability to think critically. The No Child Left Behind act presents a firm mold that teachers must teach and students must learn. Standardized testing was created to track and improve learning...but with low achieving schools and students then the standards fall to average inhibiting improvement.
Link: http://time.com/3696882/leaving-standardized-testing-behind/
Summary: Why standardized testing doesn’t measure education properly. Why students scoring low on test doesn’t mean that teachers are not doing their job properly, and vise versa. This article includes a lot of stats and facts. There is a new section almost every paragraph with new ideas about the pros and cons of standardized testing. It gives a lot of overview on why exactly testing is bad, how it’s biased, and how they will create something that isn’t helping us learn.
Link: ttp://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don%27t-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx
Summary: This article is about how social media is influencing the standardized testing discussion that has been going on lately. It talks about how much of testing has moved to computerized tests and because of lack of computers, testing is spread out and teenagers are sharing things like essay questions online. Some see this as “social cheating” and based off of future numbers, people will determine whether schools performing better were affected by this social influence.
Link: http://qz.com/369321/american-testing-companies-are-probing-twitter-to-catch-students-cheating/
Summary: This is an article about an administrator cheating on a standardized test. It details how Atlanta City superintendent is accused of conspiring to alter scores, and how she earned a substantial bonus along with recognition for her districts progress.
Link: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-07-11/news/sns-rt-us-usa-schools-atlanta-20140711_1_44-atlanta-public-schools-test-answer-sheets-judge-jerry-baxter
Summary: This article addresses how understanding of the opt-out process for standardized tests is becoming more and more cloudy for students, parents and school officials alike. It discusses how the legality of opting out is unclear, as well as the way in which an opt out is measured and therefore affects the district and school. Out of lots of questions raised, few are answered.
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-common-core-test-optout-met-20150303-story.html#page=1
Summary: This is an article focuses mainly on the myths and facts of standardized testing. It talks about how standardized testing is majorly bad for students. There are some facts that show how schools are cutting class courses or education time in order to teach directly to the tests. On top of that, this article says that many of the standardized tests we see today were actually never meant to rate the individual student but to show a spread of data. It is written by Alfie Kohn, one of the leading proponents of PBL models.
Link: http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/standardized-testing-victims/
Summary: We don’t learn much from standardized testing. Over the years we have given it too much prominence. Furthermore they don’t show what we don’t already know, one student might receive an A in one class and a B in the other which could equate to the same thing. This article builds an idea of alternative models along with a critique of current testing. Well reasoned but not too technical.
Link: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/09/36jouriles.h33.html
Summary: This article is outlining Florida’s new high-stakes test that has seen increased opposition. Moreover, it specifically is outlining the arguments made by an adorable 4th-grader who is in opposition to the validity of the state’s new testing. It also brings into light a few school district’s oppositions, of whom are fearing that the both the test being online and the fact that it hasn’t actually been testing devalue the validity of the test.
Link: http://patch.com/florida/landolakes/watch-4th-grader-schools-board-standardized-testing
Summary: A 16 year old response to the PARCC, pretty angry and well presented
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/07/a-16-year-old-takes-the-new-parcc-exam-heres-her-disturbing-report/
Op-Ed
Summary: A board of moms are discussing how to deal with students/their children who are stressed out about standardized testing. There is a paragraph at the end speaking to parents and students about the fact that standardized tests can degrade self-confidence in students, and that parents and students need to reassure themselves that these tests only measure a small part of people’s intelligence.
Link: http://patch.com/missouri/ladue-frontenac/moms-council-qa
Summary: This article is about Karen Magee, the president of New York State United Teachers, urging for mass opt-out of Common Core testing. It discusses her viewpoint and then brings in the view of an Executive Director of High Achievement New York and discusses his view of Karen being irresponsible for suggesting opt-out in her position.
Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/teachers-union-president-karen-magee-calls-for-common-core-boycott-2015-3
Summary: This article is from a reading coach from Mantanaz High School in Florida. She talks about “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” The good being how the test ensures consistency. The bad being that it takes away from the teachers and students time to actually be learning in class. The ugly being how their is a limited testing window.
Link: http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/02/22/standardized-tests-good-bad-ugly
Summary: Article by a writer who took PARCC sample test. It looks at lots of sample questions demonstrating the ambiguity of test questions in Humanities.
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-greene/an-educator-samples-the-parcc_b_6657722.html
Summary: This article tells tales of how once great teachers are leaving their jobs because they lose authenticity in teaching when they are teaching children just to do well on tests. It claims the current education system is teaching fear and competition rather than actual teaching values. The lack of skill or passion needed to teach has gone down, so regular people teach just to have a job and do not do well because they do not have a legitimate interest in education. That makes us have bad teachers.
Link: http://teachersjourneytolife.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-paranoia-of-standardized-testing_9.html
Summary: This article aims to explain why students in some of the most poor areas in the US score lower on S.T. then students who live in higher-income areas, it focuses mainly in Pennsylvania. It starts to break down one womans story of researching who creates the test, their connections to text books, how S.T. questions are chosen, and how low income schools are affected by S.T. This article focuses mainly on lower education (elementary.)
Link: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/07/why-poor-schools-cant-win-at-standardized-testing/374287/
Summary: This article outlines some of the basic arguments from Brooklyn teachers who have experienced a large increase in standardized tests. It emphasizes on PS 29 Teachers Resolution, a claim against heavy standardized testing and the amount of unproductive strain and effort it requires from teachers and students as well.
Link: http://www.thenation.com/blog/179193/brooklyn-teachers-push-back-against-high-stakes-testing
Feature Articles
Summary: This article points out that standardized testing removes the authenticity for a teacher and their classroom and makes any lesson seem less relevant than it should be. The consequences of low test scores could potentially break a school, and in that is a question of the respect that a teacher professional deserves. Standardized testing takes away a student's ability to think critically. The No Child Left Behind act presents a firm mold that teachers must teach and students must learn. Standardized testing was created to track and improve learning...but with low achieving schools and students then the standards fall to average inhibiting improvement.
Link: http://time.com/3696882/leaving-standardized-testing-behind/
Summary: Why standardized testing doesn’t measure education properly. Why students scoring low on test doesn’t mean that teachers are not doing their job properly, and vise versa. This article includes a lot of stats and facts. There is a new section almost every paragraph with new ideas about the pros and cons of standardized testing. It gives a lot of overview on why exactly testing is bad, how it’s biased, and how they will create something that isn’t helping us learn.
Link: ttp://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don%27t-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx
Summary: This article is about how social media is influencing the standardized testing discussion that has been going on lately. It talks about how much of testing has moved to computerized tests and because of lack of computers, testing is spread out and teenagers are sharing things like essay questions online. Some see this as “social cheating” and based off of future numbers, people will determine whether schools performing better were affected by this social influence.
Link: http://qz.com/369321/american-testing-companies-are-probing-twitter-to-catch-students-cheating/
Summary: This is an article about an administrator cheating on a standardized test. It details how Atlanta City superintendent is accused of conspiring to alter scores, and how she earned a substantial bonus along with recognition for her districts progress.
Link: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-07-11/news/sns-rt-us-usa-schools-atlanta-20140711_1_44-atlanta-public-schools-test-answer-sheets-judge-jerry-baxter
Summary: This article addresses how understanding of the opt-out process for standardized tests is becoming more and more cloudy for students, parents and school officials alike. It discusses how the legality of opting out is unclear, as well as the way in which an opt out is measured and therefore affects the district and school. Out of lots of questions raised, few are answered.
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-common-core-test-optout-met-20150303-story.html#page=1
Summary: This is an article focuses mainly on the myths and facts of standardized testing. It talks about how standardized testing is majorly bad for students. There are some facts that show how schools are cutting class courses or education time in order to teach directly to the tests. On top of that, this article says that many of the standardized tests we see today were actually never meant to rate the individual student but to show a spread of data. It is written by Alfie Kohn, one of the leading proponents of PBL models.
Link: http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/standardized-testing-victims/
Summary: We don’t learn much from standardized testing. Over the years we have given it too much prominence. Furthermore they don’t show what we don’t already know, one student might receive an A in one class and a B in the other which could equate to the same thing. This article builds an idea of alternative models along with a critique of current testing. Well reasoned but not too technical.
Link: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/07/09/36jouriles.h33.html
Summary: This article is outlining Florida’s new high-stakes test that has seen increased opposition. Moreover, it specifically is outlining the arguments made by an adorable 4th-grader who is in opposition to the validity of the state’s new testing. It also brings into light a few school district’s oppositions, of whom are fearing that the both the test being online and the fact that it hasn’t actually been testing devalue the validity of the test.
Link: http://patch.com/florida/landolakes/watch-4th-grader-schools-board-standardized-testing
Summary: A 16 year old response to the PARCC, pretty angry and well presented
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/03/07/a-16-year-old-takes-the-new-parcc-exam-heres-her-disturbing-report/