Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

Does Standardized Testing Help More Than It Harms?

October 17, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Last November, while laying out his education plan in a speech at a New Hampshire high school, Sen. Barack Obama said, “Don’t tell us that the only way to teach a child is to spend most of the year preparing him to fill in a few bubbles on a standardized test.”

Since the 1960s, a select group of educators has sought to dispose of standardized tests in favor of more “user friendly” projects and portfolios. While alternative assessments can be useful in displaying student effort or growth over time, they are woefully inadequate when it comes to demonstrating what children actually have retained. Despite educators’ efforts to evaluate students through other means, standardized tests remain the best way to assure parents and teachers that a child has mastered a given body of information.

Through standardized tests, teachers can gauge the effectiveness of their work and use the results to improve education in their classrooms, instead of languishing in the same bad teaching practices. Standardized testing brings accountability into America’s schools. Good teachers should have no qualms with accountability, because they already are accomplishing their jobs successfully. Standardized testing compels all teachers to raise their standard of learning.

Anti-testing educators argue that students may do poorly on standardized tests because they have test anxiety, come from bad homes, or are of a certain gender, placing the blame for bad test scores on factors outside a student’s control. Unfortunately, saying that tests are “unfair” for these children only teaches them that failure is inevitable because they are a member of a certain group, not because of what they know.

Anti-testing educators may assume that they are sheltering children from possible disappointment by eliminating standardized tests; they argue that if no children take the test, no children will fail. But in truth, these educators are conveying to children that success is not guaranteed, so students should not give effort, which is a far more damaging lesson.

Sen. Obama should think twice about the consequences of removing accountability from classrooms and undermining the abilities of American children.

Heidi Ring

Grove City, Pa.

A version of this article appeared in the October 22, 2008 edition of Education Week as Does Standardized Testing Help More Than It Harms?

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: February 5, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz News Quiz: Jan. 30, 2025: Interim Ed. Dept. Leader | Navigating Immigration Policies | Teacher Evaluations | And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP
Education Briefly Stated: January 29, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Jan. 23, 2025
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP