Have tests in school gone out of control?

[Rolling Cloud]

After hearing a story in history class about students stealing tests, I began to wonder this. Have school tests finally become too much for kids to handle? Making kids freak out over tests, the SAT, MCAS, PSAT putting more pressure to get into schools that kids want to get into?

It seems that there's no satisfaction in taking tests anymore, that every test is just used to judge a student for College once they reach high school. What's the point of learning stuff for a test if it's just gonna hang over your head for the rest of your school year? Are tests just a way to get kids ready for future schools (such as college) and not a way for kids to show how much they've learned?

What do you guys think?

[BCVM22]

I'm not sure I understand the statement/question. High school tests are used by instructors to gauge what students have learned in the class, which then factors into the grade for the class, which is then looked at by prospective colleges. The SAT and other state-issued standardized tests are ways for both state education departments to determine what the state's students have learned and for colleges to get a better idea of the student's academic prowess. How is that "too much" and/or how does a story of a couple of bad egg students stealing tests make that "too much"?

[Rolling Cloud]

how does a story of a couple of bad egg students stealing tests make that "too much"?

It's not them stealing the tests, that's "too much", it's the pressure that was placed on them that forced them to do it. My statement/question was asking if too much pressure has been placed on students nowadays involving tests!?

Are the standards involving tests higher than they should be and are kids being too pressured into getting into good colleges?

[Harvey Two Face]

If students cannot handle the test then it is the teachers fault for not teaching properly or the students fault for not listening in class or studying hard enough. Tests are designed to do what their name says, TEST, if previous generations have been able to handle it so should they, but, schools and education departments are always bringing out new tests every so often, so yes students will have to adapt to that but it all comes down to diligence, determination and hard work, as boring and tedious as it sounds.

Oh, and if quizs are quizzicle, then tests are?

you tell me

[Lazerboy5000]

yes, there has been a lot of test around, but, believe it or not, I don't mind at all.
I always test really well.
ex: I was forced to take the ACT in 8th grade, and I got a 21 (not bad... if fact, pretty good for an 8th grader)
when I took the ACT last year, I got a 29 (just 1 pt short of 30:crying: )

I know, many people fell the pressure of these kind of tests, but it doesn't bother me. :p

[Captain Zechs]

If anything, I think the tests are too easy. They are constantly going out of their way to make tests easier, and it is pathetic, they need to make them harder. The tests we have right now aren't gonna prepare us for college, those of us in HS, where sometimes you simply have a midterm and a final exam, those certainly are not easy, and yet we keep dumbing down are tests just so nobody fails.

[Captain Highwind]

Maybe they should teach some standard study techniques and time management in school, instead of just a quick run-down like they usually do, both in high school and college. (i.e. fifteen minutes of 'study tips' that no one listens to; we need a course/training on it.) That's where the problem lies, really. All-nighters just don't cut it.

[purplehairedwonder]

Maybe they should teach some standard study techniques and time management in school, instead of just a quick run-down like they usually do, both in high school and college. (i.e. fifteen minutes of 'study tips' that no one listens to; we need a course/training on it.) That's where the problem lies, really. All-nighters just don't cut it.I know at both the colleges I've attended they have classes designed to teach you how to study. Not to mention First Year Seminar classes that most colleges require of freshman do the same thing as well as teaching time management, where to get study help on campus, etc.

[GWOtaku]

Degree of difficulty is not the issue for me. Standard tests, by their very format, are utterly incapable of demonstrating what a student really knows. This is doubly true for tests such as the SAT. If it's multiple-choice, it sucks. I would exempt only AP tests, and that's about it.

Any test that lacks essays and demands no cognitive thinking is not doing its job. In college I went out of my way to take classes that focused on writing as much as possible, as opposed to simply teaching a massive horde of facts. This is probably why I've never, ever enjoyed a science course.

[.bg]

Standardised tests, except for the big one that gets you into uni, should be abolished, in my opinion. They are pointless, and what if you haven't learned stuff that's included on the test?

They're totally unfair and need to go.

[Master Toon]

You know what I say to test? Come what may!

[XOMiss_Samantha]

Maybe I'm just weird, but those standardized tests everyone always gives never really bothered me. I remember taking those state wide exams (CMTs, CAPT, etc.) since I was little, and I guess I've just gotten used to how the school district runs. The only big things I'll ever really get myself stressed over are AP tests and the SATs that I'll be taking in the spring. Alot of them don't even count for anything other than to see how the school is doing over all and how well the teachers can teach their students

[Romanesque]

This is the sort of issue that's obviously going to vary from school to school, state to state, and country to country. For the record, my view is biased by living in Massachusetts. (The OP did mention MCAS...)

If students cannot handle the test then it is the teachers fault for not teaching properly or the students fault for not listening in class or studying hard enough. Tests are designed to do what their name says, TEST.Standardized tests tend to be designed by committee and are meant to be applied to an extremely broad range of students. Tests can be badly designed, and test results can be used inappropriately. If students can't handle a test, there other possibilities than you acknowledge. Tests are normally a good thing, but that's not the question being raised.

If anything, I think the tests are too easy. They are constantly going out of their way to make tests easier, and it is pathetic, they need to make them harder. The tests we have right now aren't gonna prepare us for college.Those tests were never meant to prepare anyone for anything. Misunderstanding the nature of a test is the first step toward misuse. "Teaching to the test" robs students of a full education. At very best, a standardized test is going tell if you possess a certain base level of knowledge, nothing more. From the results, maybe they can make a few basic, short-term (one year) predictions about your educational future, with varying degrees of accuracy which will never take anything about you as an individual into account.

Every test is a tool with a specific use, nothing more.

Degree of difficulty is not the issue for me. Standard tests, by their very format, are utterly incapable of demonstrating what a student really knows.That, I couldn't have said better.

Any test that lacks essays and demands no cognitive thinking is not doing its job. In college I went out of my way to take classes that focused on writing as much as possible, as opposed to simply teaching a massive horde of facts. This is probably why I've never, ever enjoyed a science course.That, however, isn't a fair assessment of science courses. In any field, even writing, there's a basic level of knowledge you must possess before you can be expected to do any serious cognitive gymnastics. Whether you're aware of it or not, your brain probably had a "thing" for writing, thus the basic knowledge was probably never an issue for you.

If you never enjoyed a science class for those reasons, you must not have gotten very far. That's not meant to be a judgment or anything; I know people who couldn't sit through a writing class because they hated learning basic, seemingly arbitrary rules of writing.

I think standardized writing tests are worse than normal standardized tests. Judging someone's writing is absurdly subjective. Your test grade can wildly vary if the grader happens to like or dislike your style. They may not even "get" those brilliant ideas you've put down, no matter how well written. Computerized grading is just as bad, as someone's bias has to be used as a metric for the algorithms involved. Sarcasm? Irony? Intentional use of sentence forms that would be considered ungrammatical in a first year writing class, but happen all the time in literature? All will be lost on the computer.

At least in a college class you can get to know your professor, work with them, and ultimately give them what they want. :sweat:

--Romey

[Draft]

My school recomends Freshmen take PSATs, which are normally done for Juniors.., i tihnk my school is out of control though. They make me read a book that is recommended 11th grade reading and write a 3 page report bout it, and then i get to translate 30 pages of The Tempest in originally 2(But now 5) days..

[Meson]

Tests have goone out of control. They have become too easy.

[Rocketboy]

^
That's the truth.

[Squall]

If students cannot handle the test then it is the teachers fault for not teaching properly or the students fault for not listening in class or studying hard enough.

Tests are designed to do what their name says, TEST, if previous generations have been able to handle it so should they, but, schools and education departments are always bringing out new tests every so often, so yes students will have to adapt to that but it all comes down to diligence, determination and hard work, as boring and tedious as it sounds.

Agreed. Though at the high school level, it's much more often the student's fault than the teacher's fault. At least, in Regular classes, where the less studious, less curious about the world they live in, etc. students end up. Not so much the case in Honors/AP/IB classes, where the students are studious and eager to learn; in those classes, if the students aren't learning, then the teacher's just not trying.

I don't think there's anything wrong with standardized tests. For colleges, the SAT and ACT are the only true measuring sticks they have to decide as fairly as possible who deserves to get into college and who doesn't. Without it, college admissions would truly be a crap shoot. For example, with grade inflation (which teachers are usually pressured into by parents and administrators) and greatly varying curriculum (for example, your typical Algebra II class in high school is supposed to cover introductory logarithms & exponential functions; but how many Algebra II classes even get around to that by the end of the year these days?) colleges have no guarantee that class A at school #1 = class A at school #2 in either content covered or class difficulty.

Similarly, I also don't see anything wrong with a standardized test in the four basic subjects - Math, Science, Social Studies, and English - to determine who graduates from high school and who doesn't. (In Texas, it's called the TAKS test; but each of the 50 States has their own acronym for this test. Same idea, no matter the name, though.) These standardized "you must pass this test to earn your high school diploma" tests became common after high school diplomas became little more than certificates of attendance, due to the problems above, and other issues, too.

What's the big issue, then? Well, for one thing, there are too many standarized tests. I think that high school students could handle three of them -- the "earn your high school diploma" test, and the SAT and ACT. But then you start adding the exams in from international competitions, those benchmark tests the U.S. Department of Education sends random schools to give all the time, AP and IB exams, etc. and soon you've got standardized test overflow. We should bear in mind, though, that the AP and IB standardized tests are voluntary (since you get college credit if you pass them) -- but it shouldn't be the end of the world if you don't pass the AP and IB exams. A "Oh well, I guess I have to take that class next year in college after all!" would be a healthier response.

Which brings me to the other major issue. The culture in the U.S. is really twisted when it comes to education, especially at the high school level. Classic cultural problems like the "It's not cool to be smart and know about the world around you" mentality still persist, and added to that, ironically, is an unhealthy academic environment where people of all ages, especially high school students, are told that they must, at all costs, get into that big #1 flagship university or Ivy League college, and then get a job working at Big Company A or Government Agency B, or else their life will just be "one big disappointment". So, you're a pariah if you study and learn a lot, but you're also a pariah if you don't get into that big university, which will require a lot of studying and learning a lot to get into? That's a lose-lose situation in the eyes of many high schoolers today.

Well, anyway, one could write a thesis paper on this subject (and some people have!), but I'll leave you with a few links to a few interesting education articles and blogs I've found, on all sides of the issue:

http://www.joannejacobs.com/

http://capmag.com/category.asp?action=cat&catID=4

http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/

I'm interested to see others' takes on the issue, especially after some ToonZone members have checked out those three websites. :sweat:

[Master Toon]

Tests have goone out of control. They have become too easy.

^
That's the truth.

What kind of students complain about easy tests?

[purplehairedwonder]

What kind of students complain about easy tests?If you're not getting challenged by a test, then it's a complete waste of your time. That's when you complain.

[GWOtaku]

Here's one clear case of testing expectations gone way out of control. Right in my hometown, no less: http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=3629333&page=1


posted by unromey:

That, however, isn't a fair assessment of science courses. In any field, even writing, there's a basic level of knowledge you must possess before you can be expected to do any serious cognitive gymnastics. Whether you're aware of it or not, your brain probably had a "thing" for writing, thus the basic knowledge was probably never an issue for you.

If you never enjoyed a science class for those reasons, you must not have gotten very far. That's not meant to be a judgment or anything; I know people who couldn't sit through a writing class because they hated learning basic, seemingly arbitrary rules of writing.

Yeah, that's fair enough. I really should have noted that I only took intro science for general requirements, which of course isn't representative.

[Rolling Cloud]

Here's one clear case of testing expectations gone way out of control. Right in my hometown, no less: http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=3629333&page=1


O.o..that's the same story I referenced in my opneing post.

Freaky.

[BrendaBat]

Tests are getting way out of control. I live in California and the standardized test scores determine how much funding the school gets. A lot of elementary schools have even eliminated recess and shortened lunch so the kids have more time for test preparation!

When I was in high school, the week before testing began the principal would actually remind students and teachers every morning (via the PA system) that funding for various programs depended on our school's test scores beating out the other schools. In my senior year, the "test week" PA announcements basically told us that the school lost out on new computers and various extra-curricular programs because our school did poorly on the SAT-9 tests the year before and that we needed to step up and do better this year! Needless to say, that extra pressure didn't help. :shrug:

[Chad Bonin]

I wish I had as many tests in college as I did in high school.

At this point, I have classes that are...

Midterm Exam- 30%
Final Exam- 30%
Project- 20%
Participation/Attendance- 20%

[Pilmedium]

Tests are getting way out of control. I live in California and the standardized test scores determine how much funding the school gets.
That does put pressure on people, but it is fair. Relative scores on standaridized tests tell how well the schools are doing, which should determine where the funds go.

A lot of elementary schools have even eliminated recess and shortened lunch so the kids have more time for test preparation!
What is needed is a method of adjusting test scores based on what is taught and the amount of external and mandatory preparation. Current systems discriminate against students in schools with poor teaching or preparation.

When I was in high school, the week before testing began the principal would actually remind students and teachers every morning (via the PA system) that funding for various programs depended on our school's test scores beating out the other schools.
The problem with such announcements is that they provide a source of anxiety or motivation that is not objectively related to the test itself. Students should not know about that until after the test is given.



I wish I had as many tests in college as I did in high school.

At this point, I have classes that are...

Midterm Exam- 30%
Final Exam- 30%
Project- 20%
Participation/Attendance- 20%
There is something wrong with that. More non-standardized tests are needed to encourage learning.

[Squall]

There is something wrong with that. More non-standardized tests are needed to encourage learning.

I'll agree with that (it also makes it easier to keep your grade up in a class) but in college, isn't a lot of the learning you do self-motivated? Unlike K-12th Grade, where most students are there involuntarily, people choose to go to college, because they want to.