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Torie Garrett

English 1102

Professor Barnes

21 March 2021

Literature Review

Every year throughout middle school up until high school we have the joys of

standardized testing. I can just remember the nervous feeling I would get and thinking to myself

how this one test means so much. Getting good grades was important but it seemed like passing

the state tests is what really mattered. I do not think that a few tests at the end of the year should

determine if you pass or fail. With that being said the question I am going to answer is how is

teaching the test harmful to students?

Standardized testing has changed so much over the years. In America standardized

testing arrived in 1838. That was almost 200 years ago and it has developed in many different

ways. Between 1838-1890 colleges proposed the idea of standardized testing for students to be

able to attend. In 1901 the college examination board was established and up until 1916 they

were improving and maturing the methods of testing. Between 1917 to 1939 standardized testing

ignited all over the world. It was even adopted into the U.S. military service. In the year 1922 it

was thought that standardized testing was even being overused. From 1958- now not much has

changed. Testing has now become a measure of all things and most teachers are required to

“teach to the test” which I do not think is an effective teaching method. Teaching to the test is

what proposed to me to choose this topic. I believe students should learn more than to just pass a

state test.
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One idea I have seen throughout all of my articles is that standardized testing does not

provide any feedback on how to better perform. That is completely true. I remember when I was

a student in high school or middle school we always got test scores back but never got any

feedback on how to improve. In the article 15 Reasons Why Standardized Tests are Problematic

it states “The results aren’t even given back to the teachers and students until months later, and

there are no instructions provided by test companies on how to improve these test scores.” That

shows how they also do not provide the teachers any feedback either. So students are never able

to see what they did wrong and teachers are not able to help fix the mistakes. Another point that

has been brought up in many of the articles is how teachers need to spend more time getting to

know their students. Margot Pastor wrote in her article “If we focused on that and worked to

build our strength as identifiers and promoters of children’s learning, we could have a real

impact”. With standardardized testing being what is so important it is hard for teachers to focus

on how different students learn differently.

In a few of the articles diversity was talked about. They stalk about how tests may be

favored towards students with certain backgrounds. The ASCD guest blogger says that

standardized tests treat every student like they are identical. I remember being in school and

being able to say that is completely true. The only thing they do is some students who learn

differently are able to get more time on the test if needed. Never have they done anything about

diversity. This point was also brought up in the article “Standardized Testing” it said “ Research

indicates that performance disparities between students from different racial, ethnic, and

economic groups may result from standardized tests being biased toward students from certain

backgrounds.” This just shows another reason why we should not value standardized testing the

way that we do.

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A common misconception that gets made is that if a teacher has a low performing student

or class on a standardized test then he or she is doing something wrong. That is not true. Margot

Pastor talked about how one year she saw a teacher have one class do great and the other perform

very low. She said the principal was concerned and tried to have her work under another teacher

to see where she went wrong. That is not how things should be done and that should concern us.

Just because a teacher had a low performing class does not necessarily mean she did anything

wrong. Many other factors could have played a role in this. Students all learn differently and that

is something educators should be able to understand.

Another key point I have seen in many different articles is how much stress standardized

tests create. ASCD guest blogger said “Some kids do well with a certain level of stress. Other

students fold. So, again, there isn’t a level playing field. Brain research suggests that too much

stress is psychologically and physically harmful.” After reading through many of my sources I

have realized how unfair the testing really is. They have all given so much information to show

things that educators and even parents should be concerned about. They all point out very similar

things which are also very concerning. It was also talked about how that much stress can trigger

the flight or fight response.While that is very true it is not like that for every student but that has

been shown to affect performance levels on the tests.

I have learned there are a few possible answers to my research question. I have learned

how teaching to the test can cause teachers to not be able to focus completely on how each

individual student learns. The test does everything more as a whole which is not how it should be

done. I do not know the answer to my question yet and I do feel like there are many areas I

would like to do more research in. One thingI would like to look further into is how many

teachers think teaching to the test is harmful and how many agree with it. I think it is always
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good to look at the other side of the argument even if you do not agree with it. Also hearing more

opinions from other educators will help me support my question. Another thing I would like to

look into more is more about the effects it has on the students. I think those things would really

help me construct a good research paper.

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Works Cited

Garrison, Mark. Shibboleth Authentication Request, 2009,

web-b-ebscohost-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzI5MjM

2OF9fQU41?sid=5ba299d4-7cd5-46c0-88e6-cff707fddbc1%40sessionmgr101&vid=3&f

ormat=EB&lpid=lp_1&rid=0.

Pastor, Margaret. “Why Standardized Tests Aren't Working for Teachers or Students (Opinion).”
Education Week, Education Week, 29 Apr. 2020,
www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-why-standardized-tests-arent-working-for-te
achers-or-students/2019/06.

Johnson, Mark. "Standardized Testing Is Overrated. Here's How I'm Working to Change It in My
State." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context:
Opposing Viewpoints,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/BAALBE047542319/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=dee8
cb4e. Accessed 18 Mar. 2021. Originally published as "Standardized Testing Is
Overrated. Here's How I'm Working to Change It in My State," The Daily Signal, 30 Jan.
2019.

-, A., Armstrong, T., -, & Blogger, A. (2018, June 14). 15 reasons why standardized tests are

problematic. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from

https://inservice.ascd.org/15-reasons-why-standardized-tests-are-problematic/

"Standardized Testing." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In
Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3010999023/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=1c3568ca.
Accessed 18 Mar. 2021.

Association, National Education. “History of Standardized Testing in the United States.” NEA,
2021,
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www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/history-standardized
-testing-united-states.