Farooq Iqbal presented on the disadvantages of standardized testing. Standardized testing has not improved student learning and has correlated with declines in US education rankings globally. It can also be predictable, assuming all students start from the same level of understanding and only measures raw comprehension data rather than other skills. Additionally, tying teacher evaluations to standardized test results has incentivized "teaching to the test" rather than comprehensive learning and has narrowed curriculums. More time is also spent on test preparation rather than actual learning. While standardized testing can be a useful evaluation tool, it needs to be implemented carefully to avoid potential issues.

1. INTRODUCTION
Name : Farooq Iqbal
Roll No: 18964
Class: M.phill edu.
Semester: 2nd

2. WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF
STANDARDIZED TESTING?
1. It has not had a positive impact on student education.
Since 2002, when the United States added more emphasis to standardized testing, it
has dropped in global education rankings. From 2002-2009, the US went from being
ranked 18th in the world in mathematic to being ranked 31st in the world. The
rankings in science also dropped in a similar way, while reading comprehension
remained largely unchanged. According to the National Research Council, even
incentive programs tied to standardized testing results are not working to improve
student comprehension, understanding, and knowledge.

3. 2. STANDARDIZED TESTING CAN BE
PREDICTABLE.
Students who are aware of patterns can determine what the answers to a
standardized test could be by only knowing a handful of answers with certainty. This
predictability reflects the natural human bias that occurs in every action or reaction
we have in any endeavor. It also means test scores can be high without reflecting
student understanding. Brookings found that up to 80% of test score improvements
in test scores can have nothing to do with long-term learning changes.

4. 3. THEY ASSUME THAT ALL STUDENTS
START FROM THE SAME POINT OF
UNDERSTANDING.
Standardized tests may allow for a direct comparison of data, but they do not account for
differences in the students who are taking the tests. In the US, standardized tests could
be considered discriminatory in some regions because they assume that the student is a
first-language English speaker. Students who have special needs, learning disabilities, or
have other challenges which are addressed by an Individualized Education Plan may also
be at a disadvantage when taking a standardized test compared to those who do not
have those concerns.

5. 4. STANDARDIZED TESTS ONLY LOOK AT RAW
COMPREHENSION DATA.
Students learn in a variety of ways. People have many different strengths that
may not be reflected in the context of a standardized test. Traits like creativity,
enthusiasm, empathy, curiosity, or resourcefulness cannot be tracked by these
tests, even though they are highly desirable traits in modern careers. A
standardized test could determine the knowledge a student has about musical
theory, but it cannot judge the quality of a composition that a student might
create.

6. 5. TEACHER EVALUATIONS HAVE BEEN TIED TO
STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS.
MANY TEACHERS are being evaluated on the work that their students do on a
standardized test. Based on the classroom grades achieved, a teacher might
receive a raise or be fired from their job. This creates a host of learning problems.
For starters, only the students who are performing poorly on testing simulations
receive a majority of the attention from the teacher, leaving good students to
fend for themselves. Teachers then begin to “teach to the test” instead of
teaching subject materials to obtain needed results. This creates a reduction of
higher-order thinking, reduces complex assignments, and prevents cognitive
understanding.

7. 6. STANDARDIZED TESTS NARROW THE CURRICULUM.
According to the Center on Education Policy, from 2001-2007, school
districts in the United States reduced the amount of time spent on social
studies, creative subjects, and science by over 40%. This results in the
average student losing more than 2 hours of instruction time in these
areas so that they can focus on subjects that are on standardized tests,
such as reading and math.

8. 7. MORE TIME IS SPENT ON TEST PREPARATION INSTEAD OF ACTUAL
LEARNING.
Many school districts, especially those with lower test scores, spend more classroom time
on test preparation than learning the curriculum. In 2010, New York City took the
extraordinary measure of including 2.5-hour test preparation sessions on scheduled
school vacation days.
The advantages and disadvantages of standardized testing show that it can be a useful
tool for student evaluation, but only when it is used correctly. Like any system, it can be
abused by those who are looking for shortcuts. That is why each key point must be
carefully considered before implementing or making changes to a plan of standardized
testing.

9. PRESENTED BY : FAROOQ IQBAL
ROLL NO : 18964
SEMESTER: 2ND
The
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