How Standardization is Ruining our Education System- Samantha Pleitez

 Standardization has not yet ruined our education, but eventually might happen. The way our schools around us use standardization tests is a problem. Standardization test were made to see how great ones academic achievement is, not grade students or evaluate teachers and schools from it. Andre Perry states, “ When the effects of structural problems on student learning are ignored, teachers and school boards are blamed for any deficiencies in student performance. Racism ends up pointing a finger at Black education leaders, teachers, and kids for disparities that result from systemic racism.”

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/03/30/standardized-tests-arent-the-problem-its-how-we-use-them/ 

This shows the effects that these test are causing. The test are normally just given to colored students and basically students that are not American. Today they are being used to grade students and teachers performance not their achievements. 

Alfie Kohn had stated, “ The movement driven by “tougher standards,” “accountability,” and similar slogans arguably lowers meaningful expectations insofar as it relies on standardized testing as the primary measure of achievement. The more that poor children fill in worksheets on command (in an effort to raise their test scores), the further they fall behind affluent kids who are more likely to get lessons that help them understand ideas.” (Standardized Testing and its Victims) Most public schools that are filled with low income colored students are always going to have less experienced teachers and less opportunities because they have a lower fund to spend than schools in the wealthier areas. Students who experience racism end up doing worse in school due to having to lose concentration and worse performance than kids who don’t get bullied. 

https://youtu.be/hhDpUK2jER

John says that Literature shows to be a major issue for English learners compared to English speakers.

“Although standardized testing was issued with good intentions, very few can argue that it has yielded the intended effects. The push for standardized testing has gotten stronger, but have 

there been any positive results? As of 2012, the US educational programs ranked 17th out of 50 other countries.”

Teachers voices on Standardization

Teachers have spoken up about their thoughts on standardization, they said our education system should teach learning to learn not teaching to test, which is what our system has been using. This new way of teaching to test does not prepare everyone for the real world. It’s like when you get older it is all about teaching to test. In highschool it is teaching to pass the ACT or in college for example I am a nursing major and college is just going to prepare me how to pass the NCLEX not how to be a nurse. Which shows that this problem might not continue with the standardization tests, but as you become older the way you are being taught something is just to pass another test.

(Percent of teachers who think that the primary state standardized test given to their students was developmentally inappropriate)