Standardized Tests in Education, also known as Standardized Test of English or Standardized Test of Math for those in America, are useful for determining the academic levels of incoming students entering a higher learning institution. Standardized tests provide feedback to teachers and parents about the skills of students and also serve as important indicators of individual strengths and weaknesses. A Standardized Test of English, for instance, is a test that is given to prospective international students who wish to attain a high school diploma in order to apply for American universities.
A Standardized Test of Math, also called the SAT or ACT, is a standardized test that is given to high school juniors and seniors who are preparing for the SAT exam. Although the concept of g being significant in education is very old, recent empirical evidence that suggests that colleges and universities throughout the United States differ significantly in the average mathematical ability of their graduating students, which strongly correlates with various other aspects of college success (such as test preparation strategies, class size and racial/ethnic diversity).
Standardized Tests in Education
Teachers across the country are beginning to use standardized tests to determine the academic level of students who enter the classroom. Most teachers, parents and administrators believe that standardized tests can be used to track achievement and demonstrate the “makers-up” of students to themselves or fellow teachers. By tracking and measuring performance on standardized tests, teachers can more effectively (and legitimately) teach their students how to succeed academically. Research into the use of standardized tests in education has yielded some interesting results.
Most research studies have indicated that students learn best from tests which have many different choices among several choices. A Standardized Test of Math, for example, may test subjects knowledge of multiplication tables and addition, or computation, or even subtraction. All these choices may be used in order to determine an individual’s likely ability to multiply, addition, or subtraction. But while students learn most efficiently by being presented with multiple choices, teachers and educational researchers have found that Standardized Tests in Education fail to provide this type of options.
In a Standardized Test in Education, on the other hand, the subject matter is typically fixed and pre-determined.
Students are not allowed to develop any understanding of the concepts behind the questions, and are asked only to identify the answer choices given to them. Most teachers rely on student performance on Standardized Tests in Education to determine whether or not a student understands a concept. In reality, student performance on standardized tests is highly correlated with real-world situations. The concept of Standardized Tests in Education essentially assumes that the only way to assess the level of student performance is to calculate the expected student performance on a closed, controlled test.
Most Standardized Tests in Education require prior knowledge of the test material and the testing format.
Although most Standardized Tests in Education are not prepared specifically for the students taking them, most teachers prepare Standardized Tests in Education by preparing the tests themselves. Many Standardized Assessments in Education are very long, comprising hundreds of questions. These long Standardized Tests in Education (or lengthy multiple-choice examinations) provide teachers with a large sample size from which to make educated guesses about what students are likely to do on the test. The teacher then uses his or her guesswork to gauge how the test could affect him or her in his or her daily life.
While Standardized Tests in Education are a necessary evil in the classroom, they can also be effective if they are used effectively to supplement traditional teaching methods and to provide a benchmark of student achievement. The goal of Standardized Tests in Education should never be to provide evidence that a child has reached a predetermined level of academic achievement. Rather, the goal of Standardized Tests in Education should be to provide a continuous, quantitative way to track a child’s educational performance over time so that parents and other teachers can assess how a child is progressing academically.
Standardized Tests in Education should not be used as an alternative to teaching, but rather as a tool that can be used to supplement or even replace traditional teaching methods. Standardized Tests in Education should not be given at the same pace as other students in a similar age group or subject area, but rather should provide a benchmark against which other students’ performance can be compared.
A variety of academic supports and academic planning strategies may be used to supplement Standardized Tests in Education.
Academic supports may include one-on-one instruction from a teacher who understands the nature and importance of tests and prepares appropriately. Other resources may be found within the course of your high school or college. Many colleges and high schools offer resource centers and counseling services for students preparing for Standardized Tests in Education. Resources and counseling for parents may also be available from local school districts and other organizations.
The results from Standardized Tests in Education are valuable because they allow individuals to make sense of what they already know and compare their performance with others in their peer group. But Standardized Tests in Education should not be used as a diagnostic tool to determine what is taught in the classroom or what a student should learn.
Students who perform well on Standardized Assessments may also do well in other areas or be academically gifted. Just because they take the exams does not mean that they understand what they are testing and how to answer. Understanding why students perform well on a Standardized Test in Education and understanding how to evaluate their performance accurately and in an appropriate manner will be the best ways to ensure students understand and learn the material properly.
