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[Debate/토론] (PC-014) Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?
최고관리자  |  18-03-06 23:44
Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. Their use skyrocketed after 2002's No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing in all 50 states. US students slipped from being ranked 18th in the world in math in 2000 to 27th in 2012, with a similar decline in science and no change in reading. Failures in the education system have been blamed on rising poverty levels, teacher quality, tenure policies, and, increasingly, on the pervasive use of standardized tests. 

Proponents say standardized tests are a fair and objective measure of student achievement, that they ensure teachers and schools are accountable to taxpayers, and that the most relevant constituents – parents and students – approve of testing. 

Opponents say the tests are neither fair nor objective, that their use promotes a narrow curriculum and drill-like "teaching to the test," and that excessive testing undermines America's ability to produce innovators and critical thinkers.

Pros

1. 93% of studies on student testing, including the use of large-scale and high-stakes standardized tests, found a "positive effect" on student achievement.

2. Standardized tests are reliable and objective measures of student achievement.

3. 20 school systems that "have achieved significant, sustained, and widespread gains" on national and international assessments used "proficiency targets for each school" and "frequent, standardized testing to monitor system progress".

4. Standardized tests are inclusive and non-discriminatory because they ensure content is equivalent for all students.

5. China has a long tradition of standardized testing and leads the world in educational achievement. 

6. "Teaching to the test" can be a good thing because it focuses on essential content and skills, eliminates time-wasting activities that don't produce learning gains, and motivates students to excel.

7. Standardized tests are not narrowing the curriculum, rather they are focusing it on important basic skills all students need to master. 

Cons

1. Standardized testing has not improved student achievement.

2. Standardized tests are an unreliable measure of student performance. 

3. Standardized tests are unfair and discriminatory against non English speakers and students with special needs.

4. Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful.

5. "Teaching to the test" is replacing good teaching practices with "drill n' kill" rote learning.

6. NCLB tests are drastically narrowing the curriculum. 

7. Instruction time is being consumed by monotonous test preparation.