Standardized Testing- Helpful or Harmful?

[EquALLity]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9PYJyrFL9w

Tell me if you have another option!

[EmperorPalpatine]

Standardized testing has done nothing for the education of Americans. In fact, we've gotten stupider since No Child Left Behind was instated. However, this could be overlooked if many of the questions that have been leaked to the adult public weren't evidently unfair. The other shitty part about this is Value added analysis, meaning teachers get their pay grade (Which is already too low.) docked by kids scoring quiz questions that are simply impossible to pay attention to.

Pearson is a corporation, they do not represent the bettering of our children, they represent corporate interests.

[Red]

Well how do standarized tests help anyone?

[brimstoneSalad]

Well how do standarized tests help anyone?

The idea is that some schools are not very good, and standardized testing holds them to certain standards.
Unfortunately, the consequence is that the schools teach for the tests, which only cover a very general cross section of information.

It's one of those things that has unintended consequences, and people can't seem to figure out a way around it.

A better method might be to give the teachers tests, which could be both more extensive and logistically simpler since there are fewer teachers than students.

Although I would divert the federal budget in education to producing classroom material that would be free for all schools. And get other countries in on it too, sharing the material and producing better stuff. Like a classroom PBS but better production values, and focused on the edutainment that's relevant to the class.

[miniboes]

Schools are very clearly using the wrong times of motivation, I actually wrote a paper on it in highschool. Intrinsic motivation, mainly mastery (getting better), autonomy and purpose are way more effective than the carrot and stick methods used by schools. Tests are extrinsic motivation; you don't study, you fail the test, bad grade. It is demonstrably worse. Sites like duolingo and codecademy use intrinsic motivation: you do it voluntarily, whenever you want and constantly get clear feedback on your progress. That stimulates learning very effectively.

[Cirion Spellbinder]

^miniboes, would you mind sharing this paper? I'd like to read it if you wouldn't mind. I'm very interested in how to better engage and challenge students as I hope to become an educator someday.

[miniboes]

^miniboes, would you mind sharing this paper? I'd like to read it if you wouldn't mind. I'm very interested in how to better engage and challenge students as I hope to become an educator someday.

I'm afraid I lost the digital version. I still have a paper version somewhere, but don't know where either.

It was largely based on Daniel Pink's book, Drive.
https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation
http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising- ... bc?ie=UTF8

Ironically I lost the file because my school account's Google Drive got blocked.

I was also inspired by a bunch of TED talks, most importantly by Ken Robinson.
http://www.ted.com/speakers/sir_ken_robinson