The silence in the room, with only the sound a pencil makes with the paper, produces the heart-thumping atmosphere standardized testing gives to students. Most students experience the overwhelming stress that is brought upon their academic life from SAT, ACT, or any standardized tests. They see them as one of the most important factors for college acceptance. The constant worry that sits on their shoulders will not disappear until testing is over, and there is nothing they can do about it until they hopefully get a letter from their dream college.
Standardized testing was first introduced in the United States in the 20th century. They served as a system to compare highly decentralized education system in the United States. The U.S. Public
The test ensures the equivalent content for all students. Michelle Rhee, a former Washington, DC, school counselor, argues for equivalent content saying, “‘You can't separate them, and to try to do so creates two, unequal systems, one with accountability and one without it. This is a civil rights issue.’” It would be unfair for student, for example in the minority, to have an alternate test. Therefore, standardized tests are inclusive and non-discriminatory. Within these tests, they measures students skills and problem-solving ability. A feature on these tests is the multiple choice which is graded by machines. Therefore, it does not subject to human subjectivity or bias (“Standardized Tests” 1). These tests do not only prove to be a way to measure a student’s ability without bias, but a way to ensure teachers are meeting the standards and needs for the students. An issue surfaced when Kath M. Newman, an associate professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University, stated that she was angry at her son about a test. She stated that these “high-stakes” test will not reflect his true abilities due to pressure. Some educators agree that the testing format from standardized tests are not ideal. However, there were other educators who disagree stating that these tests are needed to ensure that educators are doing their job and for student to absorb the material (Tony 8). What the standardized tests already ensure are the unbiased and reliable way in measuring a student’s ability and a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. Having said that, making stricter standards and increasing testings are way to better the student in preparation for college. In January 1998, Public Agenda found that 66% of college professor said “elementary and high school expect students to learn too little.” After a surge in