Standardized testing: Education's Hidden Evil.
Each year, millions of students sharpen their number twos, sit down uncomfortably at school desks, listen to instructions, and prepare for the excruciating pain they will be in for the next few hours. What could these poor pupils possibly be partaking in? The answer is one everybody across America is very familiar with. It is one on the tip of everyone's tongues, especially beginning in March. For every person somehow involved with this country's educational system, April is synonymous with standardized testing.
Standardized tests are used to evaluate student progress, along with which they also evaluate teachers, schools, districts, and so on. Many state boards of education use these results to determine state funding in addition to any new educational reforms and policies. While standardized testing is a very popular way to assess the state of education in America, it is one that many citizens feel does not do the job. Students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and education critics from all over the country have come together in the fight against standardized testing. The general consensus is that the testing actually restricts the quality of education in America's schools. .
As testing season rolls around, all students hear about is test preparation. There are numerous books, workshops, and even learning centers that students can turn to for help. This preparation, however, takes place mostly on the students" own time. The main issue regarding test prep, on the other hand, is that students are also prepared for the tests .
during classroom time. "Americans are taking as many as 600 million standardized tests per year, and countless [classroom] hours are being replaced by test prep as a result" (10 Reasons). .
For example, the Illinois Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE), which also consists of the ACT test, is administered to high school juniors across the state.