Position Paper
Should Public Schools do away with Standardized Tests?
Most people in the board of education believe that the standardized tests given in public schools are a way to test what a student has learned. Other people believe that standardized tests are insufficient and that the public school system should do away with them. I want to show the people that the public schools should do away with standardized tests. I feel that public schools should do away with standardized tests because they do not really show what a student has learned, they are not preparing students for higher education, and they are causing the teachers to lose their jobs.
Most people in the board of education believe that the standardized tests given in public schools are a way to test what a student has learned. Other people believe that standardized tests are insufficient and that the public school system should do away with them. I want to show the people that the public schools should do away with standardized tests. I feel that public schools should do away with standardized tests because they do not really show what a student has learned, they are not preparing students for higher education, and they are causing the teachers to lose their jobs.
First of all, public schools should do away with standardized tests because they do not really show what a student has learned. In the article titled Why it’s time to get rid of standardized tests by Noliwe Rooks (2012), the U.S. Department of Education discusses the statistics that show the percentage of students who take standardized tests and their performances on the tests. The data shows that the average score for Asian students on a standardized test is 82%. The average score for White students on a standardized test is 65%. The rest of students each perform at a nearly 45% and some others are lucky enough to test in the 16th percentile. This information proves to be a fact that standardized tests are only benefiting a small portion of students. It is to this extent that I say public schools should do away with standardized tests.
Secondly, public schools should do away with standardized tests because they do not help prepare student for a higher level of education. According to the article Measures for Measure: What do Standardized Tests really tell us about Students and Schools by Daniel Koretz (2009), students and instructors from the Harvard Graduate School of Education question whether or not standardized tests really help prepare students for a higher level of education. Whether it is a four-year, two-year, community, tech, or trade school, the students and instructors argue that the curriculum covered in these tests are irrelevant to what information is covered in a college/university. This article supports my argument for the end of standardized tests because it shows that the school systems are giving students the wrong curriculum needed for a higher level of education. This will lead to confusion and a poor performance when the student gets to college. Thus, poor preparation for a higher level of education is another reason why the school system should do away with standardized tests.
Finally, public schools should do away because the teachers are being affected by a student’s low performance on these tests. In the articles The High Stakes of Standardized Tests by Steve Kastebaum (2012), and Why Standardized don’t Measure Educational Equality by W. James Popham (1999), local reporters as well as the community argue for the right of the teachers. The school system believes that standardized tests should help determine whether or not the educator is considered a “good teacher.” The community and local reporters then argue back in favor of the teachers stating that the teachers are not the ones taking the test. They also state that some students do not take test as well as others and that it should not have more weight than their performance in the class. Therefore, the affect standardized tests have on teachers should persuade public schools to do away with them.
In closing, I feel that the public school systems should do away with
standardized tests. The students do not perform well on these tests which cause them to fail the class and hurt the graduation rate for that particular school. They also do not prepare the students for a higher level of education because the curriculum the test is based on is different from what the students should expect in college. The curriculum on the tests also does not measure what the student has learned because the information taught by the teachers is different from the curriculum the test is based off of. This will put the teacher’s jobs in jeopardy. Overall, I feel that in order to improve the educational system, public schools should do away with standardized tests.
standardized tests. The students do not perform well on these tests which cause them to fail the class and hurt the graduation rate for that particular school. They also do not prepare the students for a higher level of education because the curriculum the test is based on is different from what the students should expect in college. The curriculum on the tests also does not measure what the student has learned because the information taught by the teachers is different from the curriculum the test is based off of. This will put the teacher’s jobs in jeopardy. Overall, I feel that in order to improve the educational system, public schools should do away with standardized tests.
Reflective Paragraphs
The position paper assignment was an assignment that required me to write a five paragraph essay on a topic of my choice and what my opinion of the topic was. The topic had to have a debatable argument and I was required to choose a side of the argument and then elaborate on that argument. The argument I chose for my position paper was "Should Public Schools do away with Standardized Tests." I felt that public schools should do away with standardized tests and I supported my arguments in the paper above. This paper can also be viewed on the link to my blog page in the previous tab.
The challenges I faced in this assignment were me trying to find points to help prove my argument that public schools should do away with standardized tests. I overcame my challenges by using a planning sheet giving to me in class to help me plan out the overall structure of this paper. This assignment helped to be able to choose an interesting topic to argue on and points to help support it. I can use my knowledge of position papers in the future if I were ever given a position paper in another class.
The challenges I faced in this assignment were me trying to find points to help prove my argument that public schools should do away with standardized tests. I overcame my challenges by using a planning sheet giving to me in class to help me plan out the overall structure of this paper. This assignment helped to be able to choose an interesting topic to argue on and points to help support it. I can use my knowledge of position papers in the future if I were ever given a position paper in another class.