Logical Fallacies

Logical Fallacies: Standardized Testing 

Imagine, if standardized testing would no longer be enforced? Standardized tests are reliable and objective measures of student achievement. If standardized testing would no longer be enforced then policymakers would have to rely on tests scored by individual schools and teachers who have a vested interest in producing favorable results. Multiple-choice tests, in particular, are graded by machines and therefore are not subject to human subjectivity or bias. Some may argue that standardized tests are narrowing the curriculum, by cutting out social studies and art, and replacing it with math and English. No, rather than narrowing the curriculum, they are focusing it on important basic skills that all students need to master. The US Department of Education states, “Although testing may be stressful for some students, testing is a normal and expected way of assessing what students have learned.” It is unlogical to say that standardized testing is unfair. We can either continue to utilize Standardized tests or the issues concerning unfair testing will arise. 

People who believe standardized testing to be discriminatory are prejudice towards other ethnicities. Standardized testing was designed to give each student an equal opportunity to showcase their academic potential. Each person’s creativity, critical thinking, or motivation is also not tested and that supports the overall standardized theory of the test. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) bill passed in 2002, and it was mainly designed to help black, Hispanic, and poor children. Before we had standardized tests, some might have been able to intuitively sense which students were falling behind, but they didn’t have much in the way of hard evidence to back it up. Without evidence, it’s hard to justify the sometimes uncomfortable changes needed to help students. Mark Dynarski, Ph.D., and President of Pemberton Research wrote a piece titled “When Done Right, Standardized Tests Really Do Reflect What a Student Knowns,”, and if a highly educated professional believes it, then so should we. In addition, George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States stated, “You don’t know unless you measure….. If you don’t have a test, you have a system that just shuffles the kids through, and that’s unacceptable.” Again, one of the most prominent leaders we as a nation ever had urges the need for standardized testing, so we should too! 

Despite the substantial amount of development effort required, a well-designed standardized test offers a relatively affordable and efficient way of measuring the achievement of a large number of students. High-stakes tests, such as the ACT or SAT, must be used to make decisions that affect the future of a single student or an entire school district. Today, almost every student that wishes to attend a higher education institution, must take either the SAT or ACT.  Standardized tests, which are proven to be reliable, valid, and fair offer the best option for measuring levels of student achievement. The debate over college admissions rises when the ethicality of standardized testing is presented. Should someone not be admitted to college because of their low test score? If a student received a low SAT score, then she shouldn’t be admitted into a prestigious college. The test is designed to filter and help higher education institutions decided which students will fit best at their university. Standardized tests are necessary to gain a clearer understanding of a student’s academic mastery and capability. In a utopian world, one could wish away standardized tests. All schools would be great, and every student would be meeting their potential. But we live in reality. Some students excel and others need more assistance. Standardized tests are vital to ensure that all students are assessed in an objective, accountable, and comparable manner.