By (Proud) Ramida Kitrungrueangkul - Thailand
Michelle Obama once said “If my future were determined just by my performance on a standardised test, I wouldn't be here. I guarantee you that.” This quote excellently illustrates how even a highly-stated person in the political world can even disagree with the ways that standardised testing is set out nowadays. On the other hand, Steven Crowder once said “Standardised tests don’t care if you’re white or black, short or tall, or even the rate at which you learned the course material. It can’t be cheated, bent, or bargained with.” He successfully expresses his opinions on how standardised testing is a crucial part of our current education system. Nevertheless, the ongoing discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of standardised testing remains inconclusive to this day
So what is standardised testing? Standardised testing is a requirement that is designed to hold teachers, students, and schools accountable for academic achievement and to incentivize improvement ("Effects of Standardized Testing on Students & Teachers: Key Benefits & Challenges"). The scores are measured in a ‘standard’ or consistent manner which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individuals and groups.
Reasons for standardised testing
There are several reasons why standardised testing is an important part of our education system. First of all, since assessments are objective, it allows teachers and supervisors to easily assess and compare student performances and to identify achievement gaps and allocate resources accordingly. Moreover, a universal standard for education is established since not all school curriculums are the same. This fosters a more balanced learning environment because standardised testing acts as an efficient and reliable way to compare students from different backgrounds. Nowadays, many colleges and universities use standardised test scores such as SAT, ACT and TOEFL as part of their admissions process. These assessments hold significant value in contexts such as education for higher education. Without these tests, alternative methods for assessing student readiness for higher education would need to be developed. For instance, in recent years many colleges have chosen to become Test optional, a policy where each applicant gets to choose whether or not to submit their scores. This immediately attracted a wider range of applicants, and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused this policy to accelerate.
Reasons against Standardised testing
On the other hand, standardised test scores cannot dictate one's future success. Many argue that there are several reasons why the decision to abolish standardised tests is the best solution to the modern education system. First of all, the inequality in this system is often overlooked as students from disadvantaged backgrounds may not have access to the same resources. According to authors Ivory Toldson and Tyne McGee, ‘Currently, test preparation materials begin at $25, and test preparation courses and tutoring cost up to $6,600. More affluent families send more money to “train” their children to take the test, which often involves skills that have little to do with crystallising the knowledge they should have gained in high school’ (Toldson and McGee).
This can result in severe ramifications including score disparities that do not accurately reflect a student's potential and can simultaneously perpetuate educational inequality. It is said that students with a family of income of $100,000 or more are more than twice as likely as students with family income under $50,000 to have combined SAT test scores of 1400 to 1600. This indicates the effect of this income disparity on test scores (Kantrowitz).
Additionally, these tests contain restrictive mark schemes that stifle creativity and classroom critical thinking. This can result in the student receiving a less comprehensive education. Specifically focusing on the narrow range of abilities, namely those associated with test-taking strategies and memorisation, as opposed to a wider range of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, may potentially lead to negative side effects in the future such as impairing individuals' capacity to navigate real world challenges effectively. Finally, the high-stakes of standardised testing can create a stressful environment for students. This can lead to anxiety and can negatively impact one's well-being and mental health. Due to the rise in competitiveness every year, research from Harvard Graduate School of Education has shown that some children are seeing their cortisol levels spike on testing days, and others setting it drop, which might lead them to disengage (Tatter).
Conclusion
Nowadays, many education systems are moving towards a more holistic approach, which takes into account a broader range of test scores and other factors such as extracurriculars.
This could reduce the reliance on standardised tests but still retain the purpose of it which is to compare the relative performance of individuals and groups. Therefore, it is important to carefully analyse the influence on education, fairness, and overall effectiveness before deciding whether to abolish standardised tests or to develop a substitute.
Bibliography
"Effects of Standardized Testing on Students & Teachers: Key Benefits & Challenges." School of Education, 2 Jul. 2020, soeonline.american.edu/blog/effects-of-standardized-testing/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
"Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing for College Admissions (SAT and ACT)?" Spark Admissions, www.sparkadmissions.com/blog/standardized-testing-pros-cons/#:~:text=Standardized%20testing%20can%20also%20help,illustrate%20student%20progress%20over%20time. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Ivory A. Toldson, and Tyne McGee. “What the ACT and SAT Mean for Black Students’ Higher Education Prospects (Editor’s Commentary).” The Journal of Negro Education, vol. 83, no. 1, 2014, pp. 1–4. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.83.1.0001. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Kantrowitz, Mark. "How Admissions Tests Discriminate Against Low-Income And Minority Student Admissions At Selective Colleges." Forbes, 21 May 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/markkantrowitz/2021/05/21/how-admissions-tests-discriminate-against-low-income-and-minority-student-admissions-at-selective-colleges/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Tatter, Grace. "Tests and Stress Bias." Harvard Graduate School of Education, 12 Feb. 2019, www.forbes.https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/19/02/tests-and-stress-bias#:~:text=Children%20are%20affected%20by%20standardized,by%20standardized%20tests%20than%20girls%27.com/sites/markkantrowitz/2021/05/21/how-admissions-tests-discriminate-against-low-income-and-minority-student-admissions-at-selective-colleges/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
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