Why More Standardized Tests Won’t Improve Education
American students are spending growing amounts of time preparing for and taking high-stakes standardized tests. The federal government requires students to take annual state tests in math, English, science and social studies. Some states and districts have gone even further, requiring standardized tests for every subject, including art, music, journalism and physical education. Test scores are used to bar students from moving from one grade to another, to determine teacher and administrator pay, and to label schools as “failing” – a step that often leads to closure.
This expansion is occurring even though high stakes standardized testing has never been shown to improve student achievement or teacher performance, and even though the testing mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind legislation is widely considered to