Where Did the problem Begin and what does it look like now?
Standardized testing is now implemented under the legislation of the No Child Left Behind Act
signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002. The use of standardize
testing in American education saw a historic increase since the implementation
the No Child Left Behind Act. According to Procon (2012) “… the use
skyrocketed after 2002's No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing
in all 50 states.”
“The pressure teachers were feeling to 'teach to the test'" since NCLB
lead to "declines in teaching higher-order thinking, in the amount of
time spent on complex assignments, and in the actual amount of high cognitive
content in the curriculum." Procon (2012).
signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002. The use of standardize
testing in American education saw a historic increase since the implementation
the No Child Left Behind Act. According to Procon (2012) “… the use
skyrocketed after 2002's No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing
in all 50 states.”
“The pressure teachers were feeling to 'teach to the test'" since NCLB
lead to "declines in teaching higher-order thinking, in the amount of
time spent on complex assignments, and in the actual amount of high cognitive
content in the curriculum." Procon (2012).
Whats wrong with standardized testing?
The neglect of creativity and critical analysis in classroom
instruction should be addressed and corrected immediately. According
to Yeh "Negative classroom effects produced by high-stakes testing are,
narrowing the curriculum by excluding from it subject matter not tested,
eliminating topics either not tested or not likely to appear on the test even
within tested subjects, and reducing learning to the memorization of facts
easily recalled for multiple-choice testing at the expense of in-depth learning
and critical thinking". (2005)
instruction should be addressed and corrected immediately. According
to Yeh "Negative classroom effects produced by high-stakes testing are,
narrowing the curriculum by excluding from it subject matter not tested,
eliminating topics either not tested or not likely to appear on the test even
within tested subjects, and reducing learning to the memorization of facts
easily recalled for multiple-choice testing at the expense of in-depth learning
and critical thinking". (2005)
Whose Affected and why?
Standardized testing affects children of all ethnicities, backgrounds and socieoeconomic status. However,African Americans experience bias in most academic areas. Of these standardized testing continues to be the most prevalent. "African American children are targeted by a negative stereotype of intellectual inferiority in all academic areas. This is made salient in a
standardized testing situation, thereby impeding performance and causing African
American students to perform more poorly than they would in a neutral context"
(Wasserberg, n.d.)
Standardized Testing Scores of 8th grade American Studens in Reading
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Standardized Testing Scores of 8th grade American Studens in Math
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Fixing the problems
Mending the loss of creativity and critical analysis in the
classroom because of standardized testing
should be of upmost concern. One way that people have gone about
rectifying this problem is making the classroom environment conducive to
creative growth and stimulation. According to Burke (2007) “one certain thing is
that it is possible to create the conditions in which creativity is more likely
to thrive and the material and built environment is a key factor.”
"If creativity is enhanced by structures, spaces and situations
that support students to approach their whole curriculum in a way that makes
connections across it, it enhances their ability to apply knowledge in flexible
ways…” By changing the space a child is educated in can foster creativity
and ultimately increase their approach and understanding of course material and
innovate connections that would exist solely because of an enhanced capacity to be creative.
classroom because of standardized testing
should be of upmost concern. One way that people have gone about
rectifying this problem is making the classroom environment conducive to
creative growth and stimulation. According to Burke (2007) “one certain thing is
that it is possible to create the conditions in which creativity is more likely
to thrive and the material and built environment is a key factor.”
"If creativity is enhanced by structures, spaces and situations
that support students to approach their whole curriculum in a way that makes
connections across it, it enhances their ability to apply knowledge in flexible
ways…” By changing the space a child is educated in can foster creativity
and ultimately increase their approach and understanding of course material and
innovate connections that would exist solely because of an enhanced capacity to be creative.
A larger approach that many are taking to mend the problems
caused by standardized testing is calling for a reform of the No Child Left
Behind Act.
According to Strauss “The resolution of high stakes testing calls on
Congress and the Obama administration to rewrite the No Child Left Behind, in a
way that reduces the mandate for standardized tests…and does not mandate that
student test scores be used to evaluate educators”(2012)
The National Resolution of High Stakes Testing has already amassed 537
organizations that have publically signed their support of the resolution to see
No Child Left Behind change for the better.
caused by standardized testing is calling for a reform of the No Child Left
Behind Act.
According to Strauss “The resolution of high stakes testing calls on
Congress and the Obama administration to rewrite the No Child Left Behind, in a
way that reduces the mandate for standardized tests…and does not mandate that
student test scores be used to evaluate educators”(2012)
The National Resolution of High Stakes Testing has already amassed 537
organizations that have publically signed their support of the resolution to see
No Child Left Behind change for the better.
Who am i?
My name is Ryan McKinney and I am a senior member of the graduating class 6253, Kemet V. I attend Imhotep Institute Charter High School and here we are mandated to complete a project in which we conduct research the entire year and present a culminating project at the end of the research process. Part of the process requires us to venture out into the world and intern at instituions centered around our topic of study. I interned at Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter Elementary School in the Frankford area of Philadelphia, P.A. Another component of our research process is to create an awareness campaign called SBA to Heka, which is Deep Thought to Righteous Action. This website is apart of my SBA to Heka, in order to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of children in education.
