Standardized Tests Scores Make False Conclusions

In an age where standardized tests are consuming the educational system and students competence is based on an A, B, C, or D answer, it is fair to question the purpose of these tests.  What are they measuring?  Are they providing students with a unique educational experience? Are standardized tests teaching students information that they can apply to the future?  These are all questions that are highly debated amongst several education scholars.

In a recent article published in “The Seattle Times,” author Kent Hickory offers his stance on standardized testing.  In the article he suggests that standardized tests are preventing students from thinking about information on a critical level.  He goes on to suggest that,

 “We are ignoring the miracle of learning deep reading, thoughtful writing, analysis and reflection, and focusing our attention only on its trappings.”

Based on a national study, results indicate that while students are scoring high in critical thinking areas, standardized test questions are not structured in a way that promote critical thinking.

Along with this argument that standardized tests hinder higher level thinking, Hickey goes on to suggest that standardized tests are an inaccurate measument of a student’s abilities.  He believes that it is impossible to measure a students’ quality of education from a simple standardized test.  In fact, Hickey proposes that,

“What these tests really measure, therefore, is how well students are primed for a test, not how well they think.”

As I was reading through this article I became very intrigued by Hickey’s claims.  I too believe that standardized tests are not an accurate measurement of a student’s intellectual ability.  I also agree with Hickey in the fact that these same tests do not challenge students to think at a critical level.

To suggest that a simple test is an accurate measurement of a child’s ability to think, reason, and draw conclusions is absurd and unrealistic.  While some conclusions can be made by looking at a student’s test scores, intellectual ability is not one of them.  There are so many factors that constitute a child’s education such as writing abilities, ability to think through a problem and draw conclusions, as well as a child’s ability to read material and analyze it on a critical level.  While some standardized test focus on these abilities, a timed 3 hr test cannot even begin to measure what a child truly understands.  It takes one-on-one interactions between students and teachers as well as constant exposure to a student’s journey through learning to fully understand a student’s level of thinking.  When a child is being measured based on these factors then realistic conclusion can be drawn.

With that said, I will confidently say that standardized tests are a false measurement of intellectual abilities.  A test is not capable of measuring student knowledge in an accurate way.  Standardized tests are simply an easy way to place labels on children without putting the effort into understand their thinking processes.         

Education? What sort of thing is that?

By:  Kent Hickey

16 September 2008

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