How Standard is Standardized Testing?

By: Victoria Miller

After reading this lesson, students will be able to…

Explain what a standardized test is.
Describe one pro and one con for standardized testing.
Discuss what alternative(s) to standardized testing you like the most, why?

Thought Exercise

Take moment to look at the image to the left. What feelings and thoughts come to mind?

What is a Standardized Test?

The American Psychology Association refers to standardized tests as an instrument for assessment (APA Dictionary of Psychology, 2020). Standardized tests are assessment tools used around the world to help students, teachers, and politicians monitor student progress. Standardized tests are constructed using information that sets a standard. Meaning, how a student scores on a given standardized test will be compared to their peers and can be very crucial to getting into college or even to the next grade. Virginia uses standardized testing for grades 3-12 for all core subjects (english, history, math, science, other) in order to ensure that every student meets the minimum expectations for each grade (Standards of learning (SOL) & testing, 2021).

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of having standardized tests?

Objective:

Standardized tests are able to offer an objective view at the student’s progress compared to other students at their level. They have been used to create an objective standard for education.

Encourages Community Involvement:

Standardized testing helps students and the community get involved with the students’ academics (Churchill, Poiner, Aldis, & Murray, 2015). By knowing what the average scores are, communities can donate money towards tutoring programs or college success programs.

Helps Marginalize Students That Have Fallen Behind:

Standardized tests also help to marginalize students who are behind the standard and offer them the help they need (Pros & Cons - ProCon.org, 2022). By knowing what students or groups of students need help, educators can tailor lessons and classes around the students' needs.

Does Not Account For Test Anxiety and Skewed Test Scores:

Some educators find that standardized testing is a high-stress concept and the test anxiety that results can skew the scores (Brown, 2019; Wood et al., 2017).

Effects on Teacher Evaluations Force Teachers to Focus on the Test and Not the Curriculum:

Standardized testing and its' association with teacher evaluations has proven to be harmful on the students and teachers. Teachers are forced to focus on memory and repetition tactics so they can get favorable scores (Brown, 2019). Teachers have found themselves teaching to the test instead of to the core curriculum.

Standardized Test Scores Can Lower Diversity in College Admissions:

Another disadvantage of standardized testing is the inequality in the scores and inevitably the college admission lack of diversity as a result (Calvin, 2000) The difference in scores can be caused by many factors, but the socioeconomic differences between races has been found to have an impact on standardized testing scores. Seeing as communities with lower socioeconomic status tend to have less funds for test prep and college prep programs (Calvin, 2000).

What Alternatives are There to Standardized Tests?

Some educators believe that it is important to have standardized testing but at a much lower frequency. While others believe in replacing standardized tests with methods such as adaptive testing, portfolio-based assessment, and stealth assessment (Brown, 2019).

Alternative Examples

Stealth Assessments are more focused on application and hands-on learning. Assignments where the student is given initial instruction and then allowed to work on their own, allows the teacher to asses their progress as the student progresses through the assignment. Good examples would be science labs or in-class experiments, engineering and mechanic instruction could benefit from stealth assessment as well.

Adaptive Testing is best used for knowledge based content. This is a still a test, but these tests change as the student progresses through the questions. As students get questions correct/wrong, the test administers easier or harder questions to get a more accurate assessment of the students level of knowledge on a particular topic. These tests can be used in virtually any core subject and can help identify the students who are behind.

Portfolio-Based Assessments help show how a student has progressed throughout their term. This method takes one large assignment and breaks it down into smaller parts, in the hopes of catching mistakes or misinformation along the way. Having assignments build off of each other can help students with planning and organizing skills as well. This method is best used for core English classes or elective art classes. Smaller parts of a much larger project help the student take time to prepare and finalize each section before continuing on, they learn in the process and could possibly produce a better quality final assignment as well.

I have included my personal portfolio that I have built on as a student at Old Dominion University. Feel free to look through my portfolio to get an example of one of the many ways that a portfolio can look.

Conclusion

As educators, it is important that we understand the advantages and disadvantages of standardized testing because it heavily influences our lesson delivery, curriculum, and the students ability to comprehend the information. Although it is important to have these checkpoints in place, using test scores to evaluate students leads teachers to teach to the test material and test-taking skills instead of crucial curriculum content (Brown, 2019). As a student who aspires to be an educator, I hope to learn from standardized testing and its effects so that I can learn how to combine the curriculum with the test material. As a teacher, I hope to be apart of the generation that breaks this demand for standardized testing and the test anxiety that comes along with it.

POP QUIZ!

Please select one answer per question:

1. Select the advantage of standardized testing.

A. They can impact teacher evaluations and lesson planning

B. They provide an objective standard for education

C. They can cause variation in diversity for college admissions

D. The scores can be altered based on the testing environment

2. Which alternative to standardized testing would be the best option for School X?

School X is looking into standardized testing alternatives, but they are unable to completely get rid of testing due to school regulations. They would like to be able to test a student, but allow for the test to change as the student passes or fails certain questions. Understanding where the students’ progress lies is important and they want to be as interactive and diverse as possible.

A. Adaptive Testing and Portfolio-Based Assessments

B. Portfolio-Based Assessments

C. Stealth Assessments and Portfolio-Based Assessments

D. Stealth Assessments

References

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2020). Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://dictionary.apa.org/standardized-test

Brown, B. (2019). Negative effects of standardized testing. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all/449?utm_source=digitalcommons.csumb.edu%2Fcaps_thes_all%2F449&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

Calvin, A. (2000). Use of standardized tests in admissions in postsecondary institutions of Higher Education. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 6(1), 20-32. doi:10.1037/1076-8971.6.1.20

Churchill, A., Poiner, J., Aldis, C., & Murray, J. (2015, March 08). Bless the tests: Three reasons for standardized testing. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/bless-tests-three-reasons-standardized-testing

Education, V. (2021). Standards of learning (SOL) & testing. Retrieved January 29, 2022, from https://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/index.shtml

Pros & Cons - ProCon.org. (2022, January 26). Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://standardizedtests.procon.org/

Wood, S., Hart, S., Little, C., & Phillips, B. (2017, April 21). Test anxiety and a high- stakes standardized reading comprehension test: A behavioral genetics perspective. Retrieved January 31, 2022, from https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/656756.

Answers to Pop Quiz: B, D

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