Zarvaan Balaporia

Writing, Mrs. Beattie

Persuasive Essay

Against Standards
Diane Ravitch once said, Some of the most brilliant and intelligent students do not
shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.
Ladies and gentlemen allow me to ask, if a well credited academic professor can say
that standardized tests do not bring out the best in every individual student, why are
these tests still being used to shape people's future?
Standardized tests were first introduced in 1905 to test people on simple concepts for
basic position choices. Later on, these tests were used to measure progress on the
understanding of topics. However, today, over a hundred years later, these tests are
used to asses complicated concepts and determine the future of individuals. This is all
decided by which circle they have filled in. There are many reasons why standardized
tests should no longer be used in school, and if you allow me to explain, I will prove it.
How would you perform if the one day you wake up with a migraine happens to be the
day you have to take the ACT? What would it be like to go take one of the hardest tests,
the day after you lost a loved one? Any of these situations are bound to have an impact
on your test taking ability and eventually your score. Standardized tests do not take into
account the state of mind that the test taker is in and this is needed for a test to be
accurate.
When taking these tests where one fills in bubbles, it is expected that the test taker has
a clear head and no other life stresses running through his or her mind. Some dream of
a stress free minute! How can it be expected that, for a four hour test, one must block all

that out? Only a few can, trust me. I have taken many tests through my two years of
high school. Personally I cannot stay one hundred percent focused or clear minded on a
test any longer than thirty minutes. A computer corrected, multiple choice test, cannot
interpret emotion. This is what colleges will not see when they look at someone's score.
Education is said to Prepare students for the future or Prepare them for the real
world. If this is the case, why are students being tested in a setting that does not fit
either of these claims? In a work setting, people are allowed to use resources, and
converse with peers. If education is preparing students for this work environment, then
why are students required to stay seated, remain completely silent, and use only their
knowledge as a resource when being tested? If a more accurate work environment was
provided during a test, maybe the performance would more accurately reflect the
student's ability.
When one takes a standardized test, it is taken to eventually get a score. This score
usually takes the form of a number. For the ACT one is scored one through thirty six and
for the SAT up to 1600. By putting an individual's knowledge into a number, one is
dehumanizing the person in order to fit him or her on a paper. As Institue4learning.com
says A student may have a deep knowledge of a particular subject, but receives no
acknowledgement for it because his or her test score may have been low
(institute4learning.com).
All people cant be amazing at taking tests. However when the pressure of someone's
future rides on the results of a test, one is forced to focus on how to take a test, rather
than to understand what is being tested. This can even be seen in the classroom. Some
teachers have been found teaching how to take tests instead of the topics and subjects

that will be tested. This shows how the format of these test are harder to learn than the
concepts they intend on testing. According to institute4learning.com A group of Harvard
graduates were asked why it is colder in the winter and warmer in the summer. Most of
them got the question wrong. They were good test-takers but didnt understand
fundamental principles that required a deeper comprehension (institute4learning.com).
Some of this nation's top students cannot answer a fundamental question. Yet they are
successful because they know how to take a test. In life, basic concepts and knowledge
are more important than taking test skills. No one will be taking tests all there life. If
standardized tests found a way to test the more essential questions, maybe these tests
would show accurate results.
Standardized tests are not meant to be used in todays classrooms. Take it from the the
inventor of standardized tests, Frederick J.Kelly. He said These tests are too crude to
be used and should be abandoned. There is a practicality to standardized tests. That
cannot be denied. Is it worth the false assessment of knowledge that they present? We
need to stop standardized testing in schools. We need to eliminate the overpowering
pressure these tests put on students. We need to find an alternative that allows
individuals to truly display their knowledge.

Works Cited
15 Reasons Why Standardized Tests Are Worthless. American Institute for Learning and
Human Development, institute4learning.com/blog/2013/02/28/15-reasons-why-standardizedtests-are-worthless-2/.

Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America? Pro Con,

standardizedtests.procon.org/.
Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing. Columbia University,
worklife.columbia.edu/files_worklife/public/Pros_and_Cons_of_Standardized_Testing_1.pdf.
Standardized Testing. TIME, content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1947019,00.html.
Ten Must-Know Facts About Educational Testing. National PTA,
www.pta.org/programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1724.