One example of these tests is the PARCC test. Much like the term "Standardized Test", the name is not only unpleasant, but also a trick! The test does not deserve to be named the PARCC, as it reminds many of a park, a place of fun and relaxation, adventure and activity. The test is in reality, the stark opposite.
Besides the nasty feeling you get saying it, there's also the annoying reality of taking it. You answer page after page of misleading questions, forcing you to abandon what YOU thought was the right answer, for what the PARCC thinks is the right answer. It confuses and frustrates you, because you have no idea on how to tackle the test! Each strategy you come up with is shot down by another bad question or another haphazard passage.
The most important thing that I think is wrong about not only the PARCC, but most standardized tests is that they are used as a definitive measure of you intelligence and capability to learn. They are a one time representation of not only 1 year, but many years of knowledge and experience. The test can make you stressed, which can impact your performance.
Other events that can be going on at the same time can also impact your performance. The placement of the PARCC at a time like the end of a school year, the YEAR BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL is a recipe for stress, distraction, and frustration. There's high school issues, end of the year issues, sports issues, and it all just doesn't make sense.
The PARCC is a bad, poorly executed test, but what REALLY bugs me are tests like the ACT AND SAT. They are of a MUCH, MUCH higher stake than the PARCC, being the mostly deciding factor for your college and life. They're the gateway to Ivy League colleges, and the obstacles to them at the same time. One thing about them that is cool is that you can retake them, but even then you have so many chances.
Overall, I believe that standardized tests are a bad way of measuring the intelligence of students, and a worse way to deciding their future.
No comments:
Post a Comment