Nishanth Prajith
Professor Aisha Sidibe-Leyva
English 11000
30 April 2019

The Untold Truth Regarding Standardized Tests

(Research Paper Draft)

From, the time of the Han Dynasty in China 2000 years ago tests have been used as a way of measuring one’s intelligence. These test along with other requirements according to job specification helped determine who would be a great candidate for a specific job which ranged from advisor to the king, military general, head of the intelligence, head of food and health, etc. But the tests were never given sole importance of choosing one candidate instead they were just used to understand the person a little bit more. However, today in the modern world, the story is different. Every job requires the candidate to take a test, which will, in turn, determine whether they will get the job. In addition, every student is required to take a test to determine what college or high school they will attend. People in the 21st century instead of understanding the person, knowing their abstract features are just comparing one another based on tests scores which sometimes are not created fairly. Some argue that standardized tests are fair and that they serve as useful criteria for measuring student’s intelligence against others, however, this has not really been the case because the test does not test any form of critical thinking and most importantly they are biased towards students from underprivileged households with different economic status. Students who come from different cultures and different parts of the nation see and understand things differently. And these differences might be the result of better education or even better resources available for the students. Therefore, these tests when administered are not taking such factors into account which results in unreliable validity and later influences the student’s future.

The earliest form of standardized testing came from China, and it started with people filling out examinations testing their knowledge in their field, poetry and other subject areas to get a government job. However, this was not the case for the Western world, which considered writing essays to be a form of testing until the Industrial Revolution. And during this period in the early 18th century, people were taken out of farms and put in factories and behind desks. However, there was one small issue, the factory owners and other government officials were not able to determine who was fit for what job and they also did not want to spend a lot of money. So, standardized tests came into existence and emerged as a way to test a large demographic quickly, which later the education system adapted to test one’s students intellect against others.

And by WWI, standardized tests became a routine procedure for any potential candidate that wants to join the Army or any U.S service job in particular during the times of need. Today the SAT and ACT are the most well known standardized tests in existence. These two tests went through a lot of iteration and by the end of World War II, these tests were accepted by a majority of the universities in the country that it became a guideline for seniors going into high school. In addition, today alongside SAT and ACT, college board also offers SAT II which tests a students knowledge on individual subjects. And also AP tests which some universities recognize for any student wanting do more than the average and put the pressure on themselves. While the United States education system has changed, the education system in the rest of the world has remained the same with each change now and then in the questions asked. Today, the United States “students…spend an average of 25.3 hours during the school year taking standardized tests…Testing affects even the youngest students, with the average pre-K class giving 4.1 standardized tests, the report found” (Layton, 1). These numbers are very extreme, compared to other countries which spend less time overall each grade and rank higher than the United States in reading, science, and math.

One of the biggest issues with standardized tests is that they do not take into account different economic factors when making the tests. The test made, would in some ways be biased against students from underprivileged households or even schools that do not have the necessary funding to help their students prepare. And this is a glaring problem not just in the United States but all around the world. According to Broussard, Meredith in the article “Why Poor Schools Can’t Win at Standardized Testing” she talks about how the schools in Philadelphia cannot afford to get the necessary books they need to teach. On page 1 of the article mentioned before it says “Unfortunately, introducing children to classic works of literature won’t raise their abysmal test scores. This is because standardized tests are not based on general knowledge…they are based on specific knowledge contained in…the textbooks created by the test makers”. In addition, the article says “Pearson came under fire last year for using a passage on a standardized test that was taken verbatim from a Pearson textbook.”. These two pieces of evidence really go on to show how much the standardized tests are rigged. If a student or school had the ability to purchase that book, the kids who learned from it would be at a higher advantage compared to their compeers. In addition, it also shows that if any teacher needs to get his/her students to pass any standardized tests they need to buy the books from the publisher that made the test, which could potentially cost a lot of money. So, it is not hard right just get the schools to buy the teachers the book for students. Wrong!, “Last year, Philadelphia schools were allotted $0 per student for textbooks” (Broussard, 1). So, how could teachers prepare their students if they do not have the necessary funding required?. This results in most underfunded schools to use books donated by others, and sometimes these books have nothing to do with the questions asked in the tests. Take for example the “2009 PSSA question” (Broussard, 1) to any logical person both of the answers are valid and correct. However, the student response in Figure 2 only received one point compared to the response in Figure 1 which received 2 points.

(Figure 1)

(Figure 2)

The issue here is not that the student cannot differentiate between odd and even numbers, but finds it difficult to understand what the test maker wants, because the rationale used to grade that test was taken from the “Everyday Math curriculum” (page 1). And this plays a crucial role in the outcome of the results which would be biased and rigged because it is not looking for whether or not the student understood the topic but if they read the book. To all of this, a survey conducted by college board concluded that “Reading and math assessments administered to a representative sample of twelfth-grade students illustrate …disparities among ethnic and racial groups, as well as among groups with different socioeconomic status”(Camara & Schmidt, 6). This demonstrates that even though the college board is aware of the issue with their tests, they seem to not try to change it for the benefit and they keep continuing their old unreliable practices. So, what the issue here really is the economic and social stance of the schools which affects what the students are taught and how they perform on tests resulting in unreliable results that are rigged towards richer and very funded schools or organizations.

Another problem with that standardized tests is that they do not measure critical thinking. As stated earlier the tests, in general, they only measure the students memorizing skills as per what they read in specific books. In addition, standardized tests being used to test educational effectiveness does not result in an accurate index. This statement is very much summarized by “Employing standardized achievement tests to ascertain educational quality is like measuring temperature with a tablespoon” (Popham, 1). This comparison is very much accurate because the purpose of the tablespoon is to measure quantity not the temperature of one’s surrounding. And this is the same point regarding standardized tests, the objective of these tests is not to see who is smarter, but who is better well equipped with the material asked. In addition, “test developers are obliged to create a series of one-size-fits-all assessments..the designers of these tests do the best job they can in selecting test items that are likely to measure all of a content area knowledge… But the test developers can’t really pull it off ”. For this reason, the tests become rigged and eventually test students on things they never heard of which is very bad because it not only destroys their confidence but scars them forever. For example, in Superman and Me, the author Alexie Sherman talks about growing up in a reservation camp and self-teaching how to read and write. And during, his journey to the top, there was always a central assumption that the Indian kids were not smart by the non-Indians. So they were taught basic things compared to the advanced things learned by the non-Indians. The non-Indians, in this case, made a central assumption that the kids are incapable of learning more advanced things. This is the same case with standardized tests, test manufacturers assume a general standard for all the students and shape the test in that general direction. Which always, not just sometimes results in exceptions in the case of Alexie Sherman he was this exception, he did not conform to the beliefs held by both the Indians and the non-Indians. According to the “Why, Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality” a study conducted by Michigan State University “concluded that 50 and 80 percent of what was measured on the test was not suitably addressed in the textbooks (Popham, 1). This is very important because if the tests are not measuring one’s knowledge then what exactly are they doing. The students who had to take the test required to know information outside of what was administered in class, which is alright but later using these tests for comparing students to each other is unfair and not right. Therefore, these research studies and evidence shows that students are not being tested on critical thinking instead they are tested on what the education system is teaching them. This is grounds for what improvement could be made to help improve the education system and not grounds for comparing students to one another and lower their morale and belief in themselves.

In conclusion, this topic is very important mainly because of immigration since most people come to new lands to succeed. But they always have to take tests to get into the good schools which provide students with the best opportunities. And, this is important because most immigrants who arrive are poor or just under the middle-class line and cannot afford preparation for these tests so even if they are smart they will not get into good colleges due to this disadvantage. So when standardized tests assume a general standard for the test-taking demographic, it affects people from different backgrounds and learning styles who no less intelligent may fail. The problem with standardized tests is that these tests when made do not take into account certain social and economic factors which could affect the end result and on top of that they do not exactly test a student’s intelligence even though the purpose of it is to do that. As numerous studies and research have concluded: “you cannot measure the temperature with a spoon”. So, next time when you get mad at yourself or get angry at your children for doing poorly on standardized test remember these are just providing you with the bare minimum of information about your or your child’s intelligence. Do not let one block determine your future.

Annotated bibliography

Broussard, Meredith. “Why Poor Schools Can’t Win at Standardized Testing.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 15 July 2014.

CAMARA, WAYNE J, and AMY ELIZABETH SCHMIDT. Group Differences in Standardized Testing and Social … College Entrance Examination Board, 1999.

Layton, Lyndsey. “Study Says Standardized Testing Is Overwhelming Nation’s Public Schools.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 24 Oct. 2015.

Alexie, Sherman. “Superman and Me.” Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 1998.

Popham, William James. “Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality.” Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality – Educational Leadership, Mar. 1999.

Nishanth Prajith
Professor Aisha Sidibe-Leyva
English 11000
30 April 2019

The Untold Truth Regarding Standardized Tests

(Research Paper Final)

From, the time of the Han Dynasty in China 2000 years ago tests have been used as a way of measuring one's intelligence. These test along with other requirements according to job specification helped determine who would be a great candidate for a specific job which ranged from advisor to the king, military general, head of the intelligence, head of food and health, etc. But the tests were never given sole importance of choosing one candidate instead they were just used to understand the person a little bit more. However, today in the modern world, the story is different. Every job requires the candidate to take a test, which will, in turn, determine whether they will get the job. In addition, every student is required to take a test to determine what college or high school they will attend. People in the 21st century instead of understanding the person, knowing their abstract features are just comparing one another based on tests scores which sometimes are not created fairly. Some argue that standardized tests are fair and that they serve as useful criteria for measuring student’s intelligence against others, however, this has not really been the case because the test does not test any form of critical thinking and most importantly they are biased towards students from underprivileged households with different economic status. Students who come from different cultures and different parts of the nation see and understand things differently. And these differences might be the result of better education or even better resources available for the students. Therefore, these tests when administered are not taking such factors into account which results in unreliable validity and later influences the student’s future.

The earliest form of standardized testing came from China, and it started with people filling out examinations testing their knowledge in their field, poetry and other subject areas to get a government job. However, this was not the case for the Western world, which considered writing essays to be a form of testing until the Industrial Revolution. And during this period in the early 18th century, people were taken out of farms and put in factories and behind desks. However, there was one small issue, the factory owners and other government officials were not able to determine who was fit for what job and they also did not want to spend a lot of money. So, standardized tests came into existence and emerged as a way to test a large demographic quickly, which later the education system adapted to test one's students intellect against others. And by WWI, standardized tests became a routine procedure for any potential candidate that wants to join the Army or any U.S service job in particular during the times of need.

Today the SAT and ACT are the most well known standardized tests in existence. These two tests went through a lot of iteration and by the end of World War II, these tests were accepted by a majority of the universities in the country that it became a guideline for seniors going into high school. In addition, today alongside SAT and ACT, college board also offers SAT II which tests a students knowledge on individual subjects. And also AP tests which some universities recognize for any student wanting do more than the average and put the pressure on themselves. While the United States education system has changed, the education system in the rest of the world has remained the same with each change now and then in the questions asked. Today, the United States “students…spend an average of 25.3 hours during the school year taking standardized tests…Testing affects even the youngest students, with the average pre-K class giving 4.1 standardized tests” (Layton, 1). These numbers are very extreme, compared to other countries which spend less time overall each grade and rank higher than the United States in reading, science, and math.

One of the biggest issues with standardized tests is that they do not take into account different economic factors when making the tests. The test made, would in some ways be biased against students from underprivileged households or even schools that do not have the necessary funding to help their students prepare. And this is a glaring problem not just in the United States but all around the world. According to Broussard, Meredith in the article “ Why Poor Schools Can’t Win at Standardized Testing” she talks about how the schools in Philadelphia cannot afford to get the necessary books they need to teach. On page 1 of the article mentioned before it says “ Unfortunately, introducing children to classic works of literature won’t raise their abysmal test scores. This is because standardized tests are not based on general knowledge…they are based on specific knowledge contained in…the textbooks created by the test makers”. In addition, the article says “ Pearson came under fire last year for using a passage on a standardized test that was taken verbatim from a Pearson textbook.”. These two pieces of evidence really go on to show how much the standardized tests are rigged. If a student or school had the ability to purchase that book, the kids who learned from it would be at a higher advantage compared to their compeers. In addition, it also shows that if any teacher needs to get his/her students to pass any standardized tests they need to buy the books from the publisher that made the test, which could potentially cost a lot of money. So, it is not hard right just get the schools to buy the teachers the book for students. Wrong!, “ Last year, Philadelphia schools were allotted $0 per student for textbooks” (Broussard, 1). So, how could teachers prepare their students if they do not have the necessary funding required?. This results in most underfunded schools to use books donated by others, and sometimes these books have nothing to do with the questions asked in the tests. Take for example the “2009 PSSA question” (Broussard, 1) to any logical person both of the answers are valid and correct. However, the student response in Figure 2 only received one point compared to the response in Figure 1 which received 2 points.

(Figure 1)

(Figure 2)

The issue here is not that the student cannot differentiate between odd and even numbers, but finds it difficult to understand what the test maker wants, because the rationale used to grade that test was taken from the “Everyday Math curriculum” (page 1). And this plays a crucial role in the outcome of the results which would be biased and rigged because it is not looking for whether or not the student understood the topic but if they read the book. To all of this, a survey conducted by college board concluded that “ Reading and math assessments administered to a representative sample of twelfth-grade students illustrate …disparities among ethnic and racial groups, as well as among groups with different socioeconomic status”(Camara & Schmidt, 6). This demonstrates that even though the college board is aware of the issue with their tests, they seem to not try to change it for the benefit and they keep continuing their old unreliable practices. So, what the issue here really is the economic and social stance of the schools which affects what the students are taught and how they perform on tests resulting in unreliable results that are rigged towards richer and very funded schools or organizations.

Another problem with that standardized tests is that they do not measure critical thinking. As stated earlier the tests, in general, they only measure the students memorizing skills as per what they read in specific books. In addition, standardized tests being used to test educational effectiveness does not result in an accurate index. This statement is very much summarized by “ Employing standardized achievement tests to ascertain educational quality is like measuring temperature with a tablespoon” (Popham, 1). This comparison is very much accurate because the purpose of the tablespoon is to measure the quantity, not the temperature of one’s surrounding. And this is the same point regarding standardized tests, the objective of these tests is not to see who is smarter, but who is better well equipped with the material asked. In addition, “ test developers are obliged to create a series of one-size-fits-all assessments..the designers of these tests do the best job they can in selecting test items that are likely to measure all of a content area knowledge… But the test developers can't really pull it off ”. For this reason, the tests become rigged and eventually test students on things they never heard of which is very bad because it not only destroys their confidence but scars them forever.

In Superman and Me, the author Alexie Sherman talks about growing up in a reservation camp and self-teaching how to read and write. And during, his journey to the top, there was always a central assumption that the Indian kids were not smart by the non-Indians. So they were taught basic things compared to the advanced things learned by the non-Indians. The non-Indians, in this case, made a central assumption that the kids are incapable of learning more advanced things. This is the same case with standardized tests, test manufacturers assume a general standard for all the students and shape the test in that general direction. Which always, not just sometimes results in exceptions in the case of Alexie Sherman he was this exception, he did not conform to the beliefs held by both the Indians and the non-Indians. According to the “ Why, Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality” a study conducted by Michigan State University “ concluded that 50 and 80 percent of what was measured on the test was not suitably addressed in the textbooks (Popham, 1). This is very important because if the tests are not measuring one’s knowledge then what exactly are they doing. The students who had to take the test required to know information outside of what was administered in class, which is alright but later using these tests for comparing students to each other is unfair and not right. Therefore, these research studies and evidence shows that students are not being tested on critical thinking instead they are tested on what the education system is teaching them. This is grounds for what improvement could be made to help improve the education system and not grounds for comparing students to one another and lower their morale and belief in themselves.

In conclusion, this topic is very important mainly because of immigration since most people come to new lands to succeed. But they always have to take tests to get into the good schools which provide students with the best opportunities. And, this is important because most immigrants who arrive are poor or just under the middle-class line and cannot afford preparation for these tests so even if they are smart they will not get into good colleges due to this disadvantage. So when standardized tests assume a general standard for the test-taking demographic, it affects people from different backgrounds and learning styles who no less intelligent may fail. The problem with standardized tests is that these tests when made do not take into account certain social and economic factors which could affect the end result and on top of that they do not exactly test a student’s intelligence even though the purpose of it is to do that. As numerous studies and research have concluded: “ you cannot measure the temperature with a spoon”. So, next time when you get mad at yourself or get angry at your children for doing poorly on standardized test remember these are just providing you with the bare minimum of information about your or your child's intelligence. Do not let one block determine your future.

Annotated bibliography

Broussard, Meredith. “Why Poor Schools Can’t Win at Standardized Testing.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 15 July 2014.

CAMARA, WAYNE J, and AMY ELIZABETH SCHMIDT. Group Differences in Standardized Testing and Social … College Entrance Examination Board, 1999.

Layton, Lyndsey. “Study Says Standardized Testing Is Overwhelming Nation’s Public Schools.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 24 Oct. 2015.

Alexie, Sherman. “Superman and Me.” Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 1998.

Popham, William James. “Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality.” Why Standardized Tests Don’t Measure Educational Quality – Educational Leadership, Mar. 1999.