Allie Bernstein, '27
“A standardized test is any form of test that (1) requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that (2) is scored in a ‘standard’ or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.” -The Glossary of Education Reform.
The American educational system is dominated by standardized testing. Some of the most important assessments that you could take fall under standardized testing. Do you want to go to college? Become a doctor? Lawyer? Are you considering becoming a pharmacist, nurse, therapist, teacher, or financial planner? All of these careers require you to pass a standardized test, making your chances to put all of your years of education to work much more difficult. For example, think about the path you have to take to become a lawyer: You have to first earn your bachelor’s degree, which takes four years. To even get to the college or university you attend, you have to perform well enough on either the SAT or ACT (a standardized test). Then, before you become a lawyer, you have to earn your Juris Doctor degree at a law school. To apply to the necessary law school, you have to perform well on the LSAT (another standardized test). Then, after all of that, before you can finally be a licensed lawyer, you have to pass a notoriously difficult assessment called the bar exam (once again, a standardized test).
At this point of trying to become a lawyer, you’ve already spent around $146,000 on your bachelor’s degree (statistic from Best Colleges) and approximately $159,000 on earning your JD degree (statistic from Test Max Prep). 7 years of education and $305,000 passes you by, but you could still be stopped by a standardized test, and not able to become a lawyer.
So, why are standardized tests so dangerous? First of all, they aren’t fair. A test shouldn’t be the primary obstacle that comes between a person and their goal, especially if they’ve already put effort, time, and money into it. Secondly, not everyone is a good test taker. Tests tend to be highly stressful for many students, and some are going to be worse at managing that stress than others. Two students could be taking the same test and studied an equal amount, but if one student is experiencing more anxiety and pressure than the other student, then that person will consequently perform significantly worse. This is similar to actors: Two people can memorize the same lines, but once put in front of an audience, one person may experience stage fright and ultimately fail. Not everyone is meant to be an actor, just the same as not everyone in the American education system should have to participate in standardized testing. Lastly, standardized testing isn’t inclusive to people with learning disabilities. The format in which all standardized tests are administered typically isn’t easily comprehensible for neurodivergent students. They have time limits, which are known to negatively impact the scores of not just neurodivergent students but also people without learning difficulties. Overall, standardized testing causes negative effects much more than positive ones.
Schools in America are reliant on standardized testing, but there is a possible replacement for it in the future. Portfolio-based assessments consist of students selecting work they’ve done throughout the unit and writing a reflection on the topic they’ve learned. Students must follow a rubric given by the teacher, so they don’t just simply select the work they’ve received the best grades on. Portfolio-based assessments reflect more what the student has actually understood and retained, rather than circling ‘A’ on a multiple choice question. However, some experts disagree with completely eliminating standardized testing, as it shows the areas that individual students need to improve on.
Given all of these different angles, it seems there should be more of a balance when it comes to standardized testing. There should be more grades coming from portfolio/project-based assessments, but this doesn’t mean standardized testing can not ever be used. Standardized testing should be handled as a helpful tool that gives insight into what area you may need more focus on. However, these tests should not affect students' grades. Although steering away from the typical standardized testing style may seem radical, to students' success, it is imperative.