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Formal assessment provides concrete, measurable and objective evidence of learning. Standardized tests are
popular because they have been vetted for reliability. Teachers can use test results to measure student progress over
time and also to compare one group of students to another. For example, a teacher might administer a test that
measures knowledge and understanding of a topic such as photosynthesis before the subject has been introduced, and
then administer the same test at the end of the unit to measure the knowledge gained.
No one can deny the fact that handwritten test has proved itself to be an
indispensable part of knowledges evaluation. And it is believed that students
achieving good results from this are considered clever. In my opinion, traditional
form of examinations would continue to be used as an intelligent appraisal
measurement.
Another undeniable reason why handwritten test can measure a students true
knowledge achievement is that student could have the opportunity to share
their own views to a specific problems. Take essay as an example. When
students are given an essay topic at a test, they are encouraged to freely write
about anything in their mind based on what they have been learnt and
occasionally there would be some possibility to get genius ideas while taking an
exam. The minus negative of taking test in normal way is that it might trigger
anxiety in student so that they can not show their real capacity.
In conclusion, I believe that traditional pen and paper tests can provide a high
quality assessment on students intelligence. Therefore, they would persisted
continuously as a vital method of evaluation in educational system.
In spite of the debate over state and national standards reform efforts, it is universally
agreed by educators and experts that a key component of improving student achievement is
raising standards.
In the 1996 National Education Summit, state governors, education leaders, and business
leaders came to a consensus that use of standards will:
1. Help all students learn more by demanding higher student proficiency and providing
effective methods to help students achieve high standards;
4. Reinforce the best teaching and educational practices already found in classrooms and
make them the norm;
5. Provide real accountability by focusing squarely on results and helping the public and
local and state educators evaluate which programs work best.
Proponents of standards-based reform argue that flexibility in past reform efforts have not
necessarily been shown to be successful. State tests can highlight gaps and promote
pressure for improvement, as well as demonstrate that these gaps will drive the resources
to the most needy schools. On a wider scale, a major advantage of standards-based reform
is that standards and assessments can allow access of curriculum for all students, as well as
more equitable outcomes.
However, it is generally agreed that in order to be successful, these higher standards must
be aligned with reforms in testing, teacher education, improved teaching practices, and
proper allocation of resources.
SUMMARY: DISADVANTAGES
While several states are implementing some form of standards-based reform, there is very
little empirical evidence to prove that standards, assessment, and high-stakes accountability
programs are effective in improving public schools. In many states, such as California,
attempts to implement standards-based reform are inconsistently or carelessly aligned with
quality research. The following are some of the shortcomings of standards-based reform.
1. Recent reports on the standards-based reform movement in New York suggest that in
many schools the careless implementation of standards and assessment may have negative
consequences for students.
2. Vague and unclear standards in several subject areas in several states complicate matters
and do not serve as concrete standards defining what students should know and be able to
do.
3. Top-down standards imposed by the federal or state government are also problematic.
They impose content specifications without taking into account the different needs,
opportunities to learn, and skills that may be appropriate for specific districts or regions.
Expert: Well, actually, there are multiple advantages and disadvantages of these types of tests. Let's talk about the advantages
first.
1. Standardized tests are practical, they're easy to administer and they consume less time to administer
versus other assessments.
2. Standardized testing results are quantifiable. By quantifying students' achievements, educators can
identify proficiency levels and more easily identify students in need of remediation or advancement.
3. Standardized tests are scored via computer, which frees up time for the educator.
4. Since scoring is completed by computer, it is objective and not subject to educator bias or emotions.
5. Standardized testing allows educators to compare scores to students within the same school and across
schools. This information provides data on not only the individual student's abilities but also on the school as a
whole. Areas of school-wide weaknesses and strengths are more easily identifiable.
6. Standardized testing provides a longitudinal report of student progress. Over time, educators are able to
see a trend of growth or decline and rapidly respond to the student's educational needs.
Standardized Tests: Disadvantages
Expert: There are disadvantages of standardized testing. Standardized testing is also highly scrutinized. Critics cite the following
disadvantages for the use of standardized testing:
1. Standardized test items are not parallel with typical classroom skills and behaviors. Due to the fact that
questions have to be generalizable to the entire population, most items assess general knowledge and
understanding.
2. Since general knowledge is assessed, educators cannot use standardized test results to inform their
individual instruction methods. If recommendations are made, educators may begin to 'teach to the test' as
opposed to teaching what is currently in the curriculum or based on the needs of their individual classroom.
3. Standardized test items do not assess higher-level thinking skills.
4. Standardized test scores are greatly influenced by non-academic factors, such as fatigue and attention.
Factors That Impact Standardized Testing By Grade
Student: Yeah, I've noticed that if I take a test on a day that I'm really tired, I'll perform lower than usual.
Expert: Yes, there are several factors that will impact standardized test scores.
A big disadvantage to standardized testing are those non-academic factors that impact scores. These include test anxiety, fatigue,
lack of attention - and the list goes on. Specific characteristics can be categorized by grade.
In grades kindergarten-2nd, students have a short attention span, and there is a large amount of variability in their attention span.
There is very little motivation to do well on standardized tests in this grade range due to students' inability to understand the
purpose of the test. Test results are also inconsistent among this grade range.
For grades 3-5, test scores are interpreted as the 'end-all be-all' for evidence of academic ability, which causes a lot of stress and
anxiety. Students in this grade still have a wide range of abilities and levels of understanding, which lead to wide variability in
scores.
In grades 6-8, there is an increase in test anxiety. Students also tend to become more skeptical about the value of standardized
tests in this grade range.
Efficient to Administer
Standardized assessment tests remain the preferred medium for evaluating large groups of students.
All scoring is done by computer, which takes human error out of the process, while greatly reducing
the time that's needed to grade tests. The use of computers also helps local districts track a child's
academic progress as he moves through the school system.
Advocates of formal reading tests claim they hold teachers accountable for high-quality
instruction and improve education, but critics argue they unfairly pressure students and
teachers and do not account for differences in learning styles. Formal reading tests are
scored and timed according to specific rules and generally given at the same time of
year for all students so results are fair and can be used for comparison, according to LD
Online. However, they might unfairly favor students who receive better test preparation.
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Objective Yet Limited
Formal reading tests give an unbiased and objective measure of reading ability. They are scored
anonymously, not subject to teacher biases and less susceptible to grading errors. However, their
results offer limited help because teachers do not have any input into test makeup or insight into why
students receive certain scores, according to information from the Florida Department of Education.
The test questions generally have only one correct answer and do not test higher-order thinking skills.
Supported by Data
An advantage of formal tests over informal tests is that they are backed by research. Formal reading
tests have been tested to be sure they are error free and measure abilities fairly, reliably and
accurately. They have statistics and comparable data to support their results, as Scholastic reports.
Test scores generally are calculated by computerized systems, and results can be compared to other
students of the same age or ability level, regardless of school or educational setting.
Effects on Attitudes
Some students might experience test anxiety when taking formal reading tests, a disadvantage over
more relaxed assessment situations. Test anxiety might cause reading abilities to decline and
performance to suffer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some students are not good test takers or have
learning styles not conducive to formalized tests. While they might excel in natural reading settings,
formalized testing situations might distract or overwhelm some students. The intense pressure to do
well on formal reading tests might cause some students to dislike reading for enjoyment.
Test Preparation
Teachers might feel pressure for students to receive higher scores on formal reading tests, especially
when their job stability and pay advances depend on it, according to a New York Times article. These
pressures and high expectations might cause some teachers to have unethical test preparations. To
ensure improvements, teachers might obtain copies of tests and teach only on topics covered on the
test. Not only does this unfairly skew results, teachers might leave out other potentially important
subjects and become less creative in their lesson planning.