Chezia Tarleton English 1202 4/8/13 Mrs.

Sippy

Dinner for Smart Masses Our story beings with a college freshman, Chez, preparing dinner with her mother, Cass, for five. A few of Casss old college buddies are coming in town during a convention. Chez is setting the table while Cass is taking the turkey out of the oven. Chez: Mom, do they all have to come to dinner tonight? I really dont like Krista, all she talks about is how AP testing is greatest thing for high-scholars. When I was in high school I wanted to rip my hair out in my AP class. Cass: (Sighing) She has her own opinion like you have yours. Look, I dont want psycho Mark to come but he is. Chez: *Walking into the kitchen* He isnt psycho, hes a genius. I wish more people thought like him. (A dreamy look in her eyes) Cass: Chez, thats gross. He is as old as I am and hes a hippy. *Doorbell rings* Chez: (Annoyed) Great, here comes all of the crazies and Mark. *Chez opens the door and in comes Krista, Mark, Emily, and Cheryl.* Cass: (Hugging Krista) Hey how have you been? Krista: Great, Ive been conducting more experiments on college students around the country, trying to see finally prove that students need to take AP classes *Mean while* Cheryl: Hey Emily! That convention was crazy right? Emily: Tell me about it. I hate having to go to those stupid things, Krista always opens and closes suggesting More research is needed to with our youth be academically college ready. Ugh, I really dont care which way you go about it, I just know that they both have their flaws, the end.

Cheryl: I know right? Her mind is stuck in the past if she really thinks that high scholars should just take AP tests and SATs and they will be fine using archaic devices like chalk boards. Spice up the classrooms with interactive whiteboards so the kids can actually relate to whats going on. Emily: Using more advanced technology would be great to but there will always be a dispute about either method. *Across the room* Chez: Hi Mark, long time no see. Mark: Well you know how it is, following Krista around to contradicting her every step since our college days. Chez: And to think back then you two had a thing. Youre complete opposites. She wants to save the minds of the youth with intense testing and grading and you want to fix the government for doing so. *Interrupting everyone* Cass: Everyone sit down sit down. Im so sorry, we should all eat before the food gets cold. *Everyone takes their seats; Emily next to Cheryl, Krista next to Cass, and Mark in between Chez and an empty seat* Cass: (Happily) Alright everyone, dig in. Krista: Emily, could you pass the mashed potatoes? Emily: Sure as long as youre not going to somehow put the proper way to pass mashed potatoes in an AP test, then here you go. (Laughing with Cheryl while handing Krista the potatoes) Krista: Oh Emily, (Grabbing the potatoes) dont get all upset because no one wants to listen to you at conventions. Staying on the fence never helped anyone. Maybe you should finally commit and see things my way. Emily: I am on a side, AP testes and SAT both are flawed but are used. Krista: So should we just let everyone and their mom into college without any way of judging their intelligence? Emily: Im not saying that you ignorant bitMark: Ladies, calm down. We came here to enjoy dinner with an old friend and her daughter. Cass: Thank you. Besides Krista does make a good point. Chez: Mom! What good point? That creating testes standard testes actually help students? How, why cant there just be test made by the teacher to prove how while a students understands the material? Why cant colleges look at that? Cheryl: Teachers need to also use some technology before paper is an outdated school supply.

Mark: Or we could just have no testes. Krista: Mark youre crazy. What sense does that make huh? Please indulge me with your delusional ideas. Chez: Hes not crazy you stuck up, closed mined*Doorbell rings* Cass: Chez, who is that? Chez: (Annoyed) How am I supposed to know? I havent opened the door yet. *Chez opens the door* Chez: Oh, hello Eve. Krista: Great! Eve: Krista, have you ever bothered to see things from a students point of view? Krista: I have researched students behavior enough to understand that they need standardized tests. Eve: No Krista, have you actually asked students how they feel about tests? Have you ever asked under privileged students how its not fair for them to have to take a test that was constructed by a company that assumes everyone has the same education? Mark: Yeah, without tests students would be less stressed. Krista: I dont care if they are stressed or not we have to have a way to test intelligence. Chez: Krista, how about teacher designed tests? Cass: Chez stop thinking about you and think about everyone. Cheryl: There should just be teacher improvement! * Krista throws mashed potatoes on Cheryl* *Mark throws his cup at Kristas face* Cass: What are you doing!? *Emily slaps Cheryl* Cheryl: What is wrong with you!? Emily: I cant decide what the right thing to do is. *Eve throws Emily out of the window while Krista hits Chez with her chair* Cass: My dining room! *Cass literally kicks everyone out*

Krista: (While being kicked out) MORE TESTS!! *We fade out with Cass yelling at Chez because the whole thing was her fault*

Academic Essay Have you ever had to study for a test not knowing what exactly is going to be on it? Of course you have, all of us have. Every single person that has been in the American school system has been forced to take a test designed to test ones intelligence. Of course we must understand that tests are necessary. Without tests how else would we figure out how well a student understands the class material. It would seem that if teachers would make all of the tests there would be a more accurate score of how well a student comprehends the material, yet companies still construct standardized tests. The government must come up with ways to make money and that is one of them, making standardized tested, money put into it, meaning our money, our taxes. (Speyer). We have to pay for colleges to even see how smart we are. Some wonder, how can we stop this? I wonder that myself. What is the reason behind standardized tests and why are they necessary. Without standardized tests it seems like there would not be a simple way to see how well a variety of people understand one particular subject (Mattern). Colleges all around the world view high school students GPA, SAT scores, AP scores, and ACT scores. Shaw noted how just paying attention to a high schoolers GPA to determine how college ready they are is flawed. A student may perform poorly in school but be great at taking tests, thus an SAT would aid in their acceptance to college. Whereas just looking at ones SAT scores would have the same effect. A student may be a terrible test taker like myself and the SAT would crush their chances of high learning (Shaw). With that data given, it seems that the only way to test college readiness is to use both of the methods.

I personally think that teacher made tests as well as GPA should be used to determine ones academic college readiness. If those two methods would be used, everyone would have an equal chance of acceptance. The students would only be tested on the material that they have learned in class. When I had to take my AP exam for Biology, my whole class had points taken off for the portion of the exam we did not learn. We the students, or our teachers did not know what exactly was going to be on that exam. That unknown portion hindered all of the students and reduced their grades. With teacher made finals, there will be nothing to surprise the students and possibly set back their grade. All teachers have to do is introduce technology into the classrooms to ensure that the students can relate to the material (Lutz). In my AP Biology class my classmates and I did not have the technology to fully understand the class. Our teacher was able to use outdated technology in our classroom but that did not really help when trying to explain major concepts. If teachers were provided with new technology I believe our whole classroom would have benefited. Though I believe tests are needed, one of my sources does not agree. Mark Speyer believes that all tests should be revoked. He believes that standardized tests are created simply to take more money from civilians. As previously stated, all standardized tests are created by companies. The employees of those companies are not teachers or professors who know the material for the exam. They are employees that do what they are told (Speyer). Having tests constructed my companies does nothing but harms students. The companies do not tell the teachers or instructors what they need to teach their students. All they do is made the test and hand it to schools and students. One would ask, how can students and teachers be prepared for the tests? This is a right question and Speyer and I think that there is no way for a student or teacher to be fully prepared. Companies that format standardize tests feed off this confusion by

selling SAT Prep books, online support, or by there being SAT Prep classes (Speyer). Though Speyer may believe all tests need to be removed, my belief is not as rash as his. Speyer does make a good point. Major corporations do profit from producing tests that are not fully explained, leaving students and teachers in the dark. So far most research on standardized tests focused on price, GPA, and detail about the exam. Eve Tuck researched the effect of standardized tests on urban or underprivileged students. Many researchers fail to ask how students feel about the tests created for them. Many students residing in the suburbs receive the same knowledge as another student across the country in the same economic status. With most students receiving the same education standardized tests would seem very reasonable. The problem comes into play when underprivileged students have to take the same test as everyone else. Underprivileged students who do not receive the same education as suburban students, making classic standardized tests inequitable (Tuck). Most urban students receive around 15% less information in school than suburban students (Tuck). Though that may seem like a small percent, 15% could be the difference between getting into college or not. To insure that urban students have the chance to succeed, teacher made tests should be used to tests a students understanding of the material. Thinking back to all of my sources, I am now aware of the many different views on standardized tests. Some deem standardized tests as the only way to completely tests ones educational college readiness, while one may suggest that all tests be a thing of the past. By combining my sources viewpoints, I completely trust that teacher made exams and high school GPA should be used to adequately judge a students academic college readiness. If teachers are provided with up to date equipment, they will be able to deliver their students with all the information needed to not only pass their test but fully understand the course. Teacher created

exams will also provide an equal chance for all students entering into college after high school. Those are my beliefs but the argument regarding standardized tests will always be questioned. Work Cited Lutz, Cheryl L. A study of the effect of interactive whiteboards on student achievement and teacher instructional methods. Dissertation Abstracts International. 72-03 2010 Web. March 14 2013 Mattern, Krista et al. The Relationship between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes. College Board (Aug 2011): 1-17. ERIC. Web. Mar 10th 2013 Shaw, Emily et al. An Alternative Presentation of Incremental Validity: Discrepant SAT and High school GPA Performance. Educational and Psychological Measurement (Jul 2011): 1-25. ERIC. Web. Mar 9th 2013 Speyer, Mark. Our Numbers Are up! (Is That Good?) Journal of College Admissions (Feb 2008): 8-15. ERIC. Web. Mar 12th 2013 Tuck, Eve. Urban youth and school push out: gateways, get-aways, and the GED. New York: Routledge, 2012. Web. March 14 2013