Standardized Tests

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 Standardized Tests


Why Do We Do It?

Testing in schools is designed to measure what students know in order to inform instruction in the classroom. Standardized testing came about with the advent of the No Child Left Behind Act which required that states measure where students and schools fall in regard to the national or state averages. These tests are usually conducted for the core subjects of mathematics and literacy. States also have formal tests for science and social studies, but these occur less frequently than the math and literacy tests. Students and schools that are that are identified as being below average are provided assistance and interventions in order to help boost their achievement. 

Three Types of Testing

According to Zucker (2003), there are three main types of standardized testing frameworks:
  1. Norm-referenced testing: The test is based on information that students in that grade or age group are expected to know or should be able to do. A students' score is compared to others in the same grade (i.e. the "norm" for that age group). Students are sorted into percentiles, so a student who is placed in the 85th percentile scored higher than 85% of other students.
  2. Criterion-referenced testing: Instead of basing a score on other students, criterion-referenced tests measure how much a student has mastered according to predetermined criteria.
  3. Standards-based testing: Combines both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced testing. Standards-based tests have students' scores compared to others, but the test is designed to measure mastery of a set of predetermined standards.

Impact of High Stakes Testing

There are many impacts of standardized testing, some are positive, but there are still areas for improvement to ensure equity among students. In support of standardized tests, Zucker (2003) mentions that they are an affordable, reliant, and efficient way of measuring the achievement of a large number of students. Roderick et al. (2002) also states that after high stakes testing was introduced, test scores increased, especially those in previously low-achieving schools. 

On the other hand, Khamidova (2024) discusses how the importance of standardized tests results in teachers "teaching to the test" rather than fostering students' critical thinking skills and creativity. They also mention that the impacts of high stakes testing can negatively impact marginalized students more than their peers. For example, if a White, financially stable, male student gets a low score on his SAT or ACT, his odds of getting accepted into and being able to pay for college without a scholarship are significantly higher than his marginalized peers. This bias can widen the already existing achievement and wealth gaps by limiting educational access to minorities (Khamidova, 2024).

How to Improve Test Scores

While standardized tests aren't perfect and rely on quality teachers and curriculum, they aren't going away anytime soon. It is important for parents to know that there are many ways they can support their student at home:
  1. Attendance is everything! Students can't learn if they are not present, so it is important for students to be at school as many days out of the year as possible. Students who show up regularly tend to have better performance on tests (Fadelemoula, 2018).
  2. Books, books, and more books! Just by having books in the house, students are encouraged to read them which builds their vocabulary from an early age. This also points to increased academic achievement and test scores (Heppt et al., 2022).
  3. Take the phones away! Sleep is incredibly important to the development and health of young brains. As someone who was once young, I know that students are very willing to sacrifice their sleep to stay up on their phones. By taking their phone at a set time (8:00-9:00 P.M.), students are encouraged to sleep on a regular schedule which will improve their alertness while in school. This helps them absorb information easier, improving test scores.

References

Fadelelmoula, T. (2018). The impact of class attendance on student performance. International Research Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 6(2), 47-49. \\

Heppt, B., Olczyk, M., & Volodina, A. (2022). Number of books at home as an indicator of socioeconomic status: Examining its extensions and their incremental validity for academic achievement. Social Psychology of Education, 25(4), 903-928.

Khamidova, Y. K. (2024). The Impact of Standardized Testing on Education. Bulletin news in New Science Society International Scientific Journal, 1(6), 167-171.

Roderick, M., Jacob, B. A., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). The Impact of High-Stakes Testing in Chicago on Student Achievement in Promotional Gate Grades. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 24(4), 333–357.

Zucker, S. (2003). Fundamentals of Standardized Testing. Pearson Education. https://lesn.appstate.edu/olson/RES5080/Components/Articles_used_in_5080/Zucker,%20S%20%282003%29%20%5BFundamentals%20of%20Standardized%20Testing%5D.pdf 

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