Standardized Testing

Assessing special needs students has been an issue plaguing educational policy. For several decades special needs students were not educated or tested with fellow peers. Schools like organizations meaning want to measure the value and progress of students. In the past the educational system felt that there was no value related special need students simply because their failures or successes could not be measures. (Bleiberg & West, 2013). With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) polices changed attitudes towards students with disabilities or considered to have special needs.

There are a few ways to try and minimize the label of disability placed unjustly on students due to diversity. When compiling individual assessments more extensive background information needs to be gathered pertaining to school attendance, family structure, cultural beliefs, household changes and moves, and medical, developmental, and educational histories (Ralabate, & Klotz, 2007). If there is a possible language barrier then a dual language assessment evaluation should be given. Also included in an individualized comprehensive evaluation is how a student responds to scientific evidence-based interventions.

Students with disabilities are increasingly being included in large scale, high-stakes testing programs despite inadequate accommodations. In recent years, the school system has increased pressure on students in regards to testing. In the past, Kentucky has done a poor job of including impaired students in its statewide assessments; mainly in failing to provide the mandated accommodations for disabled students. In order to help these students with their learning skills, test scores, appropriate testing accommodations and the performance of students with disabilities. Results indicate that most Kentucky students have been included in the CATS assessment, but many the scores obtained from disabled students may not be reliable due to

The course objective of this course, as outlined in the syllabus, is to provide historical, political and social context of the test and standards movements and their relation to assessment practices in Special Education. I chose this piece of evidence because I was able to critically analyze the role of standardized and non-standardized assessments within the school context, understanding alternative assessment requirements for students with disabilities and identify the relationship/correlation between testing practices and the disproportionality of students of color in Special Education. This piece of evidence illustrates my progress in this claim because it allowed me to analyze the article(s), support my analysis with evidence, as well as discuss the implications my understandings of the topic as it pertains to my views, roles and responsibilities as a teacher of Special

Once a child is labeled a slow learner because of standardized test results their educational opportunities narrow and become less challenging. A questionably high proportion of children in special education and lower level tracks come from low socioeconomic populations and minority families. In addition to minority biases, gender biases are rampant in standardized testing. In a recent case, Sharif v. New York Education

Modifications such as sitting secluded, time extensions or not being required to fill in the bubble sheet are common modifications but these students are all still taking the same exam as their peers in the same grade level. “A standardized test is one that is given to evaluate the performance of students relative to all other students with the same characteristics, for example, all fourth-grade students or all students taking AP English in high school.” (Issitt, Micah L., and Maureen McMahon). Students with disabilities should not be expected to perform on the same level as children without disabilities; they should be compared apples to apples not apples to

Ironically, the No Child Left Behind Act was meant to help poverty-stricken children the most, but “despite the ideology that schools should be held accountable for unequal academic progress, children who attend inner-city schools with the highest poverty rates must still overcome the second-rate education they receive in overcrowded classrooms in school facilities that are badly in need of repair” (Hollingworth). The No child Left Behind Act fails to take into consideration the real world application of socioeconomic differences in the United States. Students located in high poverty areas are still responsible for attaining the same level of proficiency the NCLB requires despite the differences the children experience. Even though there are students that “have a cognitive disability, speak entry-level English, or have speech delays, everyone takes the same test and the results are posted,” (Hobart) which has the potential to lower the school’s overall scores. The No Child Left Behind Act requires all students, no matter the differences, to take the same test and achieve the same results. All students are not the same and differ in their ability to perform equally as others on the same test. Students with mental disabilities or students in which English is not their first language are expected to achieve the same scores as general education

With forty four states adopting Common Core state standards, standardized tests have adapted to align to these standards. However, the tools teachers must use to prepare students for them have not. Another issue with standardized testing is that curriculum is poorly aligned to the tested standards. When Common Core was adopted, a new generation of standardized tests were developed. The Secretary of Education during this time of adoption, Arne Duncan, stated that this would “help drive the development of a rich curriculum, instruction that is tailored to student’s needs” (Hess & McShane, 2013, p.62). Now several years in, the reality has proven to be much more complicated. Publishers were quick to supply the market with Common Core aligned

Have you ever thought about the negative sides of standardized testing? Being a teacher you have to be able to talk to parents about their child. You also have to be able to make lesson plans for every school day and be able to assess your students too make sure they are learning from you. A big part in being a teacher now a days is to be able to prepare the students for the standardized tests. An average cost in how much teachers make per year would be about $55,000 per year. (“Summary” 1). Tim Walker from the Washington Post said, “Education policymakers and technology providers have joined forces to accelerate a longtime push for ‘test data-driven’ education interventions. Both sectors look to computer-based

For those who are interested in pursuing happiness and success, good character is going to lead you in that direction. Schools that assign standardized test are lacking the important piece of what it means to become happy and successful; the important piece is "character". Standardized test only determines student’s I.Q. It's not teaching students how to overcome a difficult obstacle and learn from it. Character education can help drill those strengths in students, and therefore, character education should be taught in school because it correlates with life satisfaction and happiness.

Standardized tests are assessments that require students to answer all the same questions to provide an accurate measurement of performance and intelligence. These exams have become such a large and intricate part of our educational system that they have escalated into a well-debated and highly controversial

Throughout many generations, standardized tests have been used to brand a number on students in order to dictate their success in life. Can a three hour exam determine your overall intelligence? According to Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence there are three main types of intelligence: creative, analytical, and practical. Standardized tests can only measure a person’s analytical ability; it does not exercise their creative or practical ability, creating zombie-like individuals who are only prepared to write tests rather than applying it to the real world. This creates a barrier between individuals who are more creative and practical because they are able to apply concepts to the real world but don’t have the chance to do so

Responsibilities of Users of Standardized Test (RUST), is a way to ensure fairness and accuracy of assessments. RUST was created to ensure testing assessments are implemented properly. Test selection is a section in RUST; I believe to have the utmost importance. Test selection involves selecting the proper test for a specific purpose. It is essential to match the tests characteristics to the test takers characteristics. The purpose of test selection includes a tests description, accountability, prediction, and program evaluation. The tests conclude its appropriateness to the test taker by examining characteristics of test taker, accuracy of scoring, norming procedures, modifications, and fairness (RUST, 2003a).

A standardized test is a type of test that is given to students and compares the common performance of individual students or a group of students. A standardized test, as stated by Liberty Concepts article is "any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way." Standardized tests are often referred to as assessments. Assessments which when are "standardized" will be set equal based on the group of students taking the test. Standardized tests are perceived as being fair, because it permits more reliable comparison of outcomes across all test takers. There are many types of standardized test, which vary from being taken on a piece of paper and

It’s that time of the year again; the time for unnecessary stress, anxiety attacks, and disappointment. Students K-12 are taking all of the material they have learned and prepared and are putting them to the test – literally. It is time for standardized testing. A standardized test is defined by most, but specifically by the Glossary of Education Reform, as “Any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions in the same way and that is scored in a consistent manner.” What this means is that all students who take this test are graded and evaluated in the same way. This sounds fair, right? Wrong. Students with learning disabilities are judged the same way as “normal” students who are able to learn and prepare effectively.