Due to the pressure that is placed on teachers to have students pass standardized tests, they narrow curriculum to only teach what is going to be tested. Teaching to the test is more prevalent in schools serving students of lower socio-economic status. The pressure that is placed on the teachers and students that are employed or enrolled at a school of this caliber are less likely to do much more than focus on preparing for the end of the year standardized test. This type of education or teaching is not an ethical. When students are taught this way they are not prepared for anything else but taking a test. These students are subjected to method of teaching that does not really teach them anything that they will use after they leave school. Standardized tests are a contributing factor in causing the United States of America to become a two tiered society. Standardized tests immediately set below average children up for failure.
Modifications are made in the way that material is delivered to below level children to help make these children successful. In many cases, the instruction is not on grade level. However, the standardized tests that students are required to pass are on grade level. The process of teaching students on one level and test them on another level also can be considered unethical. When students are taught below level all year and then tested on level that is higher than their level they are set up for failure. I child that continues to fail will consider themselves a failure and will believe that they can not be successful at anything and in turn will give up and quit trying to learn. Any time a child gives up or is made to feel like a failure, the behaviors that lead to this are unethical and immoral, and are behaviors a child should never be subjected to in school or anywhere. Children need to be tested where they are and then motivated academically to maximize their individual potential each year.
Education is one of the most important things any individual can do to better themselves. Graduating for high school is an important milestone in the life of anyone who has ever attended. To think that standardized test are forcing curriculum to be narrowed and causing more students to dropout of school is not only an ethical dilemma, but also a social dilemma. Since it is proven that individuals that graduate have a better chance of finding steady employment and being contributing members of society, the number of students that drop out should be important to everyone.
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2 comments:
I enjoyed reading your post, as you have many opinions that align with my feelings. I feel like you do in that these standardized tests really do set kids up for failure, and the sad part is that we are not supposed to be leaving children behind, yet these tests, time and time again, do just that... they leave them behind. We have stopped teaching for mastery, and just teach for short term memory to ensure that kids have seen what will be on these tests. What an injustice this is to our students.
I taught 5th grade, which is also a "testing grade". I understand the pressure and the reasoning behind high stakes testing. While I believe in NCLB as an educational reform movement, I am not so sure that one test is an accurate view of children’s learning abilities. Sadker and Zittleman (2004) stated, “NCLB’s emphasis on standardization and testing is preventing teachers from teaching and students from learning the ‘enduring lesson’ that our schools should be imparting… We should be preparing them to lead purposeful lives.” (p.740) Without a serious commitment to improving teaching skills through professional development, the pressure to improve test scores will damage both the teaching and learning process. This corruption in turn will alter the meaning of the test scores.
Children are able to express what they know is so many ways that a multiple choice bubble test doesn’t seem like the best answer as the end all, be all of a child’s capability learn and retain information. standardized tests have their place in assessment but so to other types of assessment. If high stakes tests must be used, they need to be incorporated into a well balanced plan among with student portfolios. This way we get a true picture of a student’s performance.
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