How do standardized tests discriminate?

For example, test scores correlate with family income, which means the higher one’s family income, the higher one’s test score. Meanwhile, high school GPAs have no correlation to family income. SAT and ACT scores show large and growing demographic disparities by race, gender, and family incomes.

Why standardized testing is bad for minorities?

Decades of Racial Bias According to Fair Test, on average, students of color score lower on college admissions tests, thus many capable youth are denied entrance or access to so-called “merit” scholarships, contributing to the huge racial gap in college enrollments and completion.

Why are standardized tests culturally biased?

There have been arguments that standardized tests are culturally biased because they were written with non-minority children in mind. Cultural bias can be found in test items or test questions and minority children are less likely to be successful when encountering them.

What is the purpose of standardized testing?

Standardized testing allows for comparisons to be made among schools in regards to student achievement, ensures accountability for teachers, and has the ability to inform instruction for educators. These important reasons show why standardized testing is one of the hottest topics in education.

Why do we do standardized testing?

In order to narrow these vast disparities we need standardized assessments. They provide a clear way to measure how well our school systems serve kids most at risk. The information we get from those tests gives states and school districts the data they need to create more equitable systems.

Why should students take standardized tests?

In addition to comparing students against one another or identifying problematic schools or districts, standardized tests can also illustrate student progress over time. Taking the same or similar tests over the years can allow students to indicate measurable improvement.

How does standardized testing hurt students?

Standardized test scores are often tied to important outcomes, such as graduation and school funding. Such high-stakes testing can place undue stress on students and affect their performance. Standardized tests fail to account for students who learn and demonstrate academic proficiency in different ways.

How does standardized testing affect low income students?

Students in low-income communities historically score lower on the standardized tests than those of middle and higher-income communities, and the outdated testing method does not work for every student.

Why standardized tests are not accurate?

There are many factors that can impact a student’s test score negatively: stress, lack of language skills, test anxiety and lack of motivation. Additionally, standardized tests do not test every field of education or a field a student is best at, which makes the test inaccurate.