Standardized tests are administered consistently to large groups of students to allow for comparisons across wide geographical areas. They typically consist of multiple choice and true/false questions. While they aim to be objective, standardized tests also have disadvantages. They may not accurately reflect a student's knowledge and can encourage cheating. They also assume all students have similar educational backgrounds.

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Standardized Testing
Presented By
Minhal, Ayesha, Haroon, Jamil, Aimen

2.  A standardized test is a test that is given to students in a
very consistent manner; meaning that the questions on
the test are all the same, the time given to each student is
the same, and the way in which the test is scored is the
same for all students.
 Standardized tests refer to large scale assessments
administered to substantial groups of students. Most
standardized tests consist of multiple choice and true or
false questions. Standardized tests allow educators to
compare class and student progress across a wide
geographical area and are often thought to be the most
fair and objective format of large-scale testing due to the
consistency in questions asked and grading style
What is Standardization?

3.  The SAT is one of the most well-known and
commonly administered standardized tests.
 ISEE: Independent School Entrance
Examination.
 SSAT: Secondary School Admission Test.
 HSPT: High School Placement Test.
 SHSAT: Specialized High School Admissions
Test.

4.  Advantages
 It is a way to teach learning prioritization
 Most standardized tests are created to evaluate the information
individual students have retained in core competency areas of
learning. Although many students tend to find classes like art,
music, and physical education to be the most enjoyable at
school, there is also a need for reading, writing, and arithmetic.
These tests help students understand that some subjects are just
as critical to being successful in life as the subjects that they
enjoy the most. In return, students get a chance to show how
much they have learned.
 It is a way to bring out the best in teachers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
standardized tests

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 Far too many school districts have
based raises and promotions for
teachers based on how their students
perform on standardized tests. That
has led to the bad habit of teachers
simply teaching to the materials that
are expected to be covered by the
test. The best teachers do not focus
on repetition. They focus on making
the learning process fun. By
switching from lecture-based
repetition to real skill usage,
information retention rates for
students can rise by more than 85%
It creates a positive school
environment for students.
 There is no doubt that test-taking
days for students are stressful. The
results that a standardized test
provides will also create a school
environment that is filled with
positive energy. Students who do
their best on a test, regardless of
score, often have more confidence
as well. The test shows students
that their hard work, learning new
core concepts, has paid off.

6.  According to information published by The
Huffington Post, the total cost of standardized
testing in the United States public school
districts is about $1.7 billion. That figure was
determined by the Brown Center on Education
Policy at the Brookings Institution. Although
that figure seems like a lot of money, it
represents just 1% of the overall education
budget for educational systems in the United
States each year.
It is an affordable assessment tool.

7.  Standardized testing does offer an alternate
version of a test to accommodate some
students. That allows students, even if they
have a disability, to have a chance at
experiencing the equality that comes from
everyone taking the same test.
It does offer some alternatives for certain students.

8.  It is not always a true reflection of a student’s
knowledge.
 Some students are incredible learners. When it comes time to
take a test, however, these hardworking students are under-
represented by the results generated by the standardized tests.
There are several reasons for this. Some students could be
dealing with working memory issues. Others may have a slower
processing speed when dealing with specific types of
information. Because accommodations are rare for a
standardized test, some very bright students may be placed into
remedial learning programs because they have poor test-taking
skills.
Disadvantages

9.  Standardized testing works on one core
principle: that all students have received the
same quality of core educational principles
throughout their life. Although it does create a
system of equality that stretches across all
socioeconomic spectrums, it still creates a
system of discrimination as well. Students who
may struggle to understand English, have
undiagnosed hearing or eyesight concerns, or
be unfamiliar with computer technologies may
all have their scores be lower than they should
be.
It assumes all students come from a similar
learning background

10.  Some students can instinctively sense patterns
within the answers of standardized tests.
Although this issue only applies to multiple-
choice answer tests, it can still be a problem.
Those who create tests put in unintended
patterns that some students are able to identify.
If these patterns are not removed, then high test
scores can be achieved with a minimal effort to
learn the materials being covered by the test.
It is a system that can be gamed.

11.  According to The Washington Post, more than
a dozen different school districts throughout
the country have been caught trying to cheat on
test scores. Scandals that have involved several
teachers and administrators, notably in Atlanta,
GA, have tarnished the learning process for
students. It has even caused good teachers to
leave their profession because they want to
teach a subject instead of teaching a test.
It encourages cheating

13.  The goals of a standardized test are similar to the purpose
statement of a research paper in that the determine the scope of the
test.
 By scope, it is meant what the test will and perhaps will not do. This
is important in terms of setting the direction for the rest of the
project.
 For example, the TOEFL purpose is to evaluate English proficiency.
This means that the TOEFL does not deal with science, math, or
other subjects. This seems silly for many but this purpose makes it
clear what the TOEFL is about.

14.  Specifications have to do with the structure of the test. For example,
a test can have multiple-choice, short answer, essay, fill in the
blank, etc.
 The structure of the test needs to be determined in order to decide
what types of items to create.
 Most standardized tests are primarily multiple-choice. This is due to
the scale on which the tests are given. However, some language
tests are including a writing component as well now.

17. 5. Specify scoring procedures or
formats
• A systematic assembly of test items in pre-
selected arrangements and sequences, all of
which are validated to conform to an expected
level of difficulty, should yield a test that can
then be scored accurately and reported back
to test-takers and institutions efficiently.

18. 6. Perform on going construct
validation studies
• No standardized instrument is expected to be
used repeatedly without a rigorous program
of on going construct validation.
• Any standardized test, once developed, must
be accompanied by systematic corroboration
of its effectiveness and by steps towards its
improvement.

20. 
 The language proficiency test is an evaluation of how
well a person can use language to communicate in real
life.
 Test of language proficiency is a comprehensive definition
of the specific competencies that comprise overall
language ability.
Language proficiency

21. 
 Swain (1990) offered multidimensional view of
proficiency assessment. He referred three linguistics traits
for language proficiency.
 Grammar(focus on grammatical accuracy on sentence
level)
 Discourse (focus on textual coherence & cohesion)
 Sociolinguistics(focus on appropriate use of language in
society)
Swain conception of proficiency

22. 
ACTFL conceptualization of proficiency

23. 
Four standardized language proficiency tests

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