Standardized tests fail to capture student capabilities

Many students struggle with big “necessary” standardized tests that are stressful and time-consuming for both students and teachers. Many school districts require standardized tests as performance assessments, which brings a lot of direct pressure.  When I moved to Massachusetts, I was told if I didn’t pass the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) I wouldn’t be allowed to graduate. I put a lot of tension on myself by thinking “I’m going to fail” if I don’t perform well on the MCAS which slightly shows how scores can be affected by pressure. Standardized testing negatively impacts teachers and students due to expectations and applied stress.                                                                          

According to American University School of Education, “teachers may feel excessive pressure from their schools and administrators to improve their standardized test scores.” Even teachers are pushed to have students score well because the scores are seen as an evaluation of how well teachers teach. This is a harsh outlook on what could be a good teacher, but due to the restrictions on how they teach and the applied pressure, they’re limited, and can be seen as unsatisfactory to the administrator’s standards.                

Everyone has bad days, and people are prone to let that dictate how they engage with things. We all know this would affect test scores but these factors aren’t put into consideration while testing. According to the Tenney School, “while some people operate better under stress, many will be too stressed out to demonstrate their true intelligence.” Feeling stressed isn’t rare but schools are made to have a safe and comfortable learning environment. How are students supposed to enjoy learning and grow when they have to worry about their whole future based on a test? We’re young adults figuring things out. The unreasonable amount of expectations put on us is already enough without worrying about how we will score on a test made to fit the masses.

I understand the educational system needs a way to benchmark progress to see if there is improvement, so I’m not saying it’s irrational to support standardized testing. Standardized tests are regulated in common jobs today, According to the National Test Prep Association, “in nearly any field, standardized testing is the most practical way to remove subjectivity and achieve an objective evaluation.” However, for schooling, there can be better alternatives that are more accurate and better fit a person to their learning style. If colleges like Yale, Duke, and NYU are becoming test-optional there must be some realization that these tests are outdated and unnecessary. The SAT became a standardized test in 1926, I feel we as a society should realize this out-of-date system and find different approaches to benchmark students. For example, a student who aspires to be a public speaker would do much better doing an oral presentation than someone who can perform well sitting down and filling in multiple choices and writing responses.

Standardized testing is an inaccurate, unreliable source that causes stressful, tense environments for students and teachers who shouldn’t be put under that kind of school pressure considering it is supposed to be an open, happy, healthy learning environment.