Forney 1

Zanara Forney

Professor Reynolds

English Composition II

1 May 2022

Standardized Testing: Beneficial or Harmful to Students?

Standardized tests were not always the main method of assessing students in the United

States. Prior to 1845, oral examinations were the principal way of evaluating students’ knowledge

in classrooms. But in 1843, the secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education Horace

Maan traveled to Europe to visit schools, and was impressed by the use of written examinations.

He later returned back to the U.S and had his board members give written exams to students

located in Boston. (“History of Standardized Testing”). The exams weren’t well received at the

time, but his decision to use written exams helped change the way testing was done in the U.S.

Now, there are multiple types of standardized tests given throughout the U.S, including AP

testing, the ACT, and the SAT. The purpose of these tests are to allow schools to not only compare

student scores, but help students with future placement, inform colleges about which potential

students could be admitted, and structure future learning in classrooms. But despite the intent,

there is debate on whether or not the current procedure for standardized testing in the U.S is

beneficial for students. There are positives to taking the exams, however they do not seem to

outweigh the negatives that the youth experience as they prepare for one of the biggest moments

of their school career. The current method of standardized testing in the U.S is not beneficial

towards students because it causes psychological stress, it does not acknowledge the racial and
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socioeconomic barrier some students face, it distracts from other classroom subjects, and it does

not properly measure a student's learning potential.

In 2002, an act called No Child Left Behind was approved by President Bush. The act

required students to test for subjects like reading and math starting in the 3rd grade through 8th

grade, and a minimum of once during junior or senior year in high school. The goal of the act was

to shrink learning gaps by giving all children an equal chance to obtain a better education. But

along with the increase in testing, the stress of students increased as well. In stressful testing

environments, or before a big exam, students experience something called test anxiety. Test

anxiety is a combination of physical and psychological symptoms that arise from the pressure to

do well. About 10 to 40% of students have test anxiety and 15 to 22% percent have a very high

level of it. (Pietromonaco). In addition to test anxiety, nervousness over exams can manifest in

more physical ways. The physical aspects of testing anxiety can include feeling ill or having an

increased heart rate. Also, according to a study done in Texas. cortisol, a hormone the body

produces when under stress, is produced 15% more during the morning of a test than on a normal

school day. Scholars are required to perform well not only for the sake of their scholastic future,

but for their school and families as well. This creates a huge pressure and burden that begins in

elementary school and persists in high school. Also, in addition to the standardized tests, students

must take their regular classroom exams as well. The constant pressure to take tests and perform

well is not healthy for a student’s psyche. Standardized tests must be administered in a way that

allows the student to strive for success while also alleviating pressure off of them.

Not every student is afforded the same opportunities when it comes to preparing for

standardized testing. Socioeconomic status affects how students can prepare for tests, and like

other aspects of life, the wealthy are afforded more opportunities than the lower class. Children
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who come from wealthy families can afford more study materials to help prepare for the test. For

example, when taking the SAT, a test administered by the College Board and typically taken

during junior year, wealthier students score higher because they are able to pay to take the test

multiple times, which allows them to gain experience and improve from the previous time. A lot

of lower income students can receive fee waivers to help cover the cost of the SATs. But the cost

to take the SAT can be pricey. In 2018-2019, the SAT was around $47.50 for the primary test and

about $64.50 to take the regular test with the essay. In addition, students had to pay $26.00 to

register for the test, $22.00 for the other additional tests and $26.00 for the language tests.

(Johnson Hess). Waivers are not guaranteed for every student, and it can be expensive to afford to

take the test, especially more than once. Also, poorer families have a hard time buying things like

pencils, books, or even hiring a tutor. Statistically, over 41% of children in the U.S live in low

income families. This means that almost the majority of students in the country cannot easily

afford the learning resources or materials the upper class can. In order for state testing to be fair,

middle and low-class students must be provided the same opportunities as upper-class children.

Racial background also affects how students prepare for the tests. At the beginning of the

19th century, social scientists (some who were white Anglo-Saxon Protestants) became perturbed

about the amount of non-white people entering public schools. Carl Brigham, a psychologist who

supported eugenics, wrote in his book that black Americans were inferior to the Nordic race

group and spoke against the intermixing of non-whites into America’s gene pool. (Rosales and

Walker). So Carl, who believed that academic testing showed racial superiority, developed

aptitude tests for soldiers during WWII, and later was commissioned by the College Board to help

create the SAT’s. Even though the use of the SAT’s has changed throughout the century, both it

and other state-mandated tests tend to show the gap between white and non-white students.
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Poverty, lack of funding towards schools, racial segregation, stereotypes, and cultural bias can all

affect students of color, especially black and Latino students. (Couch, Frost, Santiago, & Hilton).

In a study done by the National Center for Children in Poverty, it states that 61% of black children

as well as 58% of Hispanic children come from low paid families. (Dean). Children of color are

affected by the wealth gap in comparison to their white peers. This especially affects college

entry, where white upper class high school graduates are more likely to gain favor in college

admission than others. The testing gaps of different racial and ethnic groups must be solved in

order to allow every student a better chance to succeed on their tests.

Fig. 1. Average Combined SAT Test Score by Family Income, May 21, 2021. Created by Mark Kantrowitz.

A main reason that standardized tests are valued in the U.S is because colleges use the

results to determine what potential students they want to admit into their schools. But the use of

scores may be outdated, especially since despite how well a student tests, factors like wealth play

into how many lower-income students can attend the same colleges as higher-income students. In

research published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, it states that students from lower class

backgrounds are not as likely to attend some of the same colleges higher income students are,

even though their scores are alike. (Kuei). This is unfair to less wealthy students, because they are
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taking the same tests upper class kids are taking, but they aren’t being afforded the same benefits.

Also, the scores may not prove college readiness as much as it is believed they do. According to a

study conducted by scholars from the University of Chicago Consortium, a high school GPA is

five times more accurate than test scores when someone is predicting whether or not a student

will be able to successfully graduate from college. (Kuei). There are multiple factors that can

contribute to how a student does on their test, but graduating from high school with a good GPA is

a big indicator that a scholar can not only finish four years of education, but they can maintain

their grades while doing so. State tests should not play a huge role into whether or not someone

gets admitted into college. Social class can sometimes take priority over test scores, and they are

not a good indicator of college success.

The requirement to learn multiple types of knowledge is an issue with standardized

testing. Typically, throughout their school careers, students will test in different subjects such as

English comprehension, mathematics, science, and even history. However, the school year

typically lasts 9 months, and it is difficult to cram a multitude of information within that time

period. Not only that, but the method in which students are being taught the test material is

insufficient. Students learn multiple subjects throughout the school year, and are required to

memorize it all before the test. However, because state testing promotes memorization as opposed

to critical thinking, students may be able to retain some facts, however, after the tests are taken,

they will quickly forget a lot of what they learned. Instead of focusing on memorizing the

curriculum learned throughout the school year, teachers should focus on reviewing before the

exam. A study done in 2006 found that students who were able to take a pre test before the actual

test memorized 60% of the contents, while those who only studied remembered 40%. (Brame &

Biel). Reviewing the material before taking an exam is more beneficial than expecting students to
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remember everything they learned prior. The way classrooms prepare their scholars for

standardized tests must be changed in order for schools to see more fruitful results.

Some schools prioritize studying for state administered tests so much that the rest of the

classroom curriculum can become neglected. In addition to tested subjects such as math, reading,

and science, students also take extracurriculars such as art, physical education, foreign language,

or student government. But standardized testing is taking over public schools so much that

students are not receiving a well-rounded education. In a study, it showed that teachers felt the

need to achieve the testing standards pushed on them by “teaching the test” rather than provide

knowledge on multiple types of subjects. (“Effects of Standardized Testing on Students &

Teachers”). Students attend school to learn a variety of knowledge and skills, but it is the main

subjects that are the prime concern, since the state requires the students to test on them. Students

have to be able to focus on all their school subjects so they can pass their classes and graduate.

Reading and math skills aren’t the only important abilities to have, and standardized tests have to

be prioritized in a way that allows students to give their time to more than one thing.

Standardized testing also has another weakness- they do not provide the information

needed to improve students' scores. The ACT and SAT are typically taken during the spring of

Junior year, and it can take up to two to eight weeks to receive the results. When results are finally

received, students and schools can see their strongest or weakest subjects depending on which

state mandated test they take. For the ACT, each individual test score can be seen for English,

reading, science, and math. The points range from a low of 1 to a high score of 36. The composite

score, or the average of all the results, can also be seen. For the SAT, scores are based on a

1600-point scale, with 3 different sections: math, reading, and the essay portion. Students will be

informed about how well they scored, but they will not be informed on what answers they got
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wrong, why they got them wrong, and how to correctly answer the question. Standardized tests do

not create a learning opportunity for improvement. Even if a student retook the test, without

feedback they cannot fully address the areas they need to work on. Exams must not only allow a

student to see their growth, but guide the student to better test scores in the future. Otherwise,

they cannot showcase their full learning potential.

Some may claim that standardized testing is helpful for students. After all, the tests allow

for schools to monitor a student’s progress over time, and can help to allocate funding to schools

for future learning. However, standardized tests ignore the learning differences among

individuals. For example, students whose first language isn’t English find a barrier when required

to take standardized tests in English, even if they speak some of the language. (Pietromonaco).

This can especially be seen when taking reading comprehension tests, since figurative language

and grammar rules can be hard to follow if someone is not a native English speaker. When

administering state tests, schools must keep in mind that some students may not comprehend the

language the same way as others. Also, elements of standardized testing can discriminate against

children with learning disabilities or special needs. While neurodivergent students are given more

time on their tests, the questions tend to be the same as neurotypical students. (Ershova). They do

not accommodate for any struggles that a special needs student may have when reading and

understanding the content within the tests. Also, students with learning disabilities are not

achieving the same score percentages as the rest of the students in their schools. Test results

released from 2015 in New York showed that only 5.7% of neurodivergent students met or passed

the proficiency standard for reading in comparison to the other 36.6% of the student population.

(How Standardized Tests Are Limiting for Those With Disabilities). There is a clear difference in

how they are prepared for state testing compared to others. Only some of their issues are
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addressed, while the bigger problem remains: These students are not being kept in mind when

standardized tests are created. Students with learning disabilities should have assessments

formulated to their needs so that their strengths can be displayed fairly.

Standardized tests are not inherently bad. Their results allow schools to form a strong

learning curriculum, and they can guide students on the right path to success. But there are a lot of

weaknesses in our education system that are revealed in state testing. The mental health of

students is not prioritized, there is discrmination against those of certain social classes, some

colleges prioritize wealth over ability, and tests are not created with every student in mind. In

order to see truly successful results from the tests, they have to be improved first. Standardized

tests must allow for scholars to be less stressed, acknowledge the social class and racial barriers

students face, make sure that other school subjects are a priority as well, and allow for students to

reveal their true learning potential.

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Works Cited

Berwick, Carly. ‘What Does the Research Say about Testing?’ Edutopia. 27 Oct 2019.

www.edutopia.org/article/what-does-research-say-about-testing.

Dean, Ashley. ‘More Testing Means More Stress For Teens — And There’s No Solution In Sight’.

CPR News. Colorado Public Radio. 19 December 2019.

https://www.cpr.org/2019/12/19/more-

testing-means-more-stress-for-teens-and-theres-no-solution-in-sight/

‘Effects of Standardized Testing on Students & Teachers: Key Benefits & Challenges.’ Effects of

Standardized Testing on Students & Teachers. American University. School of Education

Online Programs. 2 July 2020.

https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/effects-of-standardized-testing.

Ershova, Sofia. ‘Standardized Tests Are Inaccurate’. The Sandbox News, St Petersburg College.

15 Aug 2019.

https://sandbox.spcollege.edu/index.php/2017/02/standardized-tests-are-inaccurate/.

‘History of Standardized Testing’. Lehigh University College of Education. 18 Oct. 2013,

https://ed.lehigh.edu/news-events/news/history-standardized-testing.

‘How Standardized Tests Are Limiting for Those With Disabilities’. NeuroHealth Arlington

Heights. 2019. https://neurohealthah.com/blog/standardized-tests-with-disabilities/

Johnson Hess, Abigail. ‘Rich students get better SAT scores—here's why’. NBC News. 13

October 2019.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/10/03/rich-students-get-better-sat-scores-heres-why.html

Kuei, Evelyn. ‘Should colleges continue using standardized test scores for admission?’. El

Vaquero. 21 October 2021.

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https://ihselvaquero.com/3138/viewpoint/should-colleges-continue-using-standardized-test

-scores-for-admission/

Pietromonaco, Cristina. ‘Running Head: The Effects of Standardized Testing on

Students’. Sacred Heart University. DigitalCommons@SHU. 2021.

https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1588&context=acadfest

‘No Child Left Behind Act of 2001’. Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

OSPI.

https://www.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/grants-grant-management/every-student-succeeds-a

ct-essa-implementation/elementary-and-secondary-education-act-esea/no-child-left-behind

-act-2001#:~:text=The%20major%20focus%20of%20No,obtain%20a%20high%2Dqualit

y%20education.

Rosales, John. Walker, Tim. ‘The Racist Beginnings of Standardized Testing’. National Education

Association. 20 Mar. 2021.

www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/racist-beginnings-standardized-testing

#:~:text=Decades%20of%20Racial%20Bias&text=According%20to%20Fair%20Test

%2C%20on,in%20college%20enrollments%20and%20completion.