For a majority of students, math is always the subject in school that gives them the most trouble. With difficult concepts and very particular ways to evaluate problems, it can be very hard for students to succeed in mathematics. In today's schools, students are evaluated in the math classroom typically after every unit. The tests usually consist of a set of problems that are to be completed in a small amount of time, which is the factor of testing that proves to be most difficult for students. For example, the article states "Our time-bound approach to testing often leads to math anxiety. Students with math anxiety are affected by feelings of tension, apprehension, or fear, which interfere with learning or remembering math facts and skills" (Persico 2021). As noted from the source, putting a time limit on these tests only increases the stress factor for students. As someone who has taken a lot of math exams myself, I can totally relate to this feeling. When time limit stress begins to set in, you begin to panic about the exam, and then you lose all focus.

The problem with mathematics for most students is that it is the subject they have struggled with since as early as elementary school. The concepts of math can be very difficult for a lot of people to pick up and understand without a lot of help, which is why struggling early can leave so many students with a distaste for math throughout their entire time in the school system. The dislike for math is another contributor to the stress that accumulates during exams, as stated in the article as it writes, “There is no doubt that math makes some students very anxious. This problem can begin as early as elementary school, and might be prompted both by genuine concerns—the student perceives that his or her math skills need work—and by social cues that subtly convey the message that math should be feared” (Beilock and Willingham, 2014). Other subjects in school test similar to math, but it is the fact that there is already anxiety and stress among students associated with math that is built up prior to even taking the class that contributes to lower success rates on exams than other subjects. 

Everybody expresses their concerns over standardized testing, including students, parents, and even teachers. However, when it comes to how we assess our students in the math classroom, it is no different than standardized testing! The article, "The Invalidity of Standardized Testing for Measuring Mathematics Achievement" talked about how "One test alone will not provide valid measurement of the mathematics achievement of individual students or of a group as a whole" (Stake p. 173). The article goes on to discuss more problems with standardized testing, specifically the math portion of the tests. Having a singular test to judge the student's entire knowledge of the content is just unfair. One bad day for a student could single-handedly destroy their grade. Everybody can point out the flaws in these tests, however, when you look at a typical unit test assigned in a math classroom, a lot of them are several problem tests and multiple choice based. How can we argue against standardized testing but not against the current form of assessments in the regular classroom?

The whole purpose of this discussion ties back to making learning fair for every student in the classroom. Some students are just not strong test takers. Test stress and anxiety may overwhelm students and cause them to underperform on a test compared to how much they actually know. In a world of schooling today that is filled with injustice and inequality for so many students, it is important that we can at least offer each student a fair shot at succeeding on their tests. The article titled “How to Make Sure Class Assessments are Fair” by Cheryl Mizerny lists out several ways we can change up testing to give students a fair and equal shot. One piece from this article states that “For each unit, provide assessments in a variety of formats so that students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding if an objective test is not their strength (Mizerny, 2019). Students should have the ability to showcase their knowledge of the content in more ways than just a single exam. Utilizing even just one of the alternative assessment methods that were listed above can be beneficial to the way students learn in so many ways. Not only does it take stress and weight off the students’ shoulders, but it allows them to learn the material in an actual enjoyable and fair way.