As optional test scores on college applications become more prevalent, test scores are being questioned about their relevance. From ILEARN to the SAT, standardized tests have been the foundation of students’ educations. Teachers and students construct their school year around legally mandatory assessments and are named only as good as their test scores. Younger generations are taught to prioritize testing, adding more stress to the pressure of school. Although the PSAT is merely preparation for the SAT, tension and anxiety regarding it passes from year to year.
Starting as early as grade three, the Indiana government requires elementary students to sit through hours’ worth of testing. Throughout elementary and middle school, children are reminded daily of the standardized tests at the end of the year. Most, if not all, lessons emphasize the subjects on assessment tests. Young students are being told their scores represent their teachers, school and corporation. All of this information is true. However, this adds a load of pressure to the children.
The pressure forced on students at such a young age directly causes stress and tension throughout their educational careers. This is not only an annual struggle. The anxiety infects the entire school year. The scores on most tests are mailed home as well as accessible online so parents can easily access them. Although mandatory for parents to be involved with their children’s education, they can be the most stress-inducing aspect of testing. Today, elementary and middle school students are extremely behind in their curriculum. That being said, parents should be taking a more prevalent role in their student’s lives.
Students with learning and developmental disabilities make up nearly 15% of public schools in America. Although some accommodations can be made, a percentage of these students still perform at a disadvantage in comparison to others. Almost every student in the same class is being tested over the same curriculum in the same format. Regardless of developmental and learning disabilities, testing merely represents how a student performs in a subject. All students demonstrate their knowledge differently when taking a test.
Although a common occurrence, standardized assessments should not be associated with intelligence. There are loads of differentiation between students, and one group of students should not be deemed brighter than the other based on test scores. Thankfully, optionally submitting standardized test scores on college applications is becoming more of a common practice. In the future, the exponential disappearance of mandatory standardized tests is to be expected.
