Running head: STANDARDIZED TESTS

Standardized Test Scores: Usage in Measuring an Institutions Educational Quality

Jamie P. Spychalla
Antigo High School

Standardized Test Scores: Usage in Measuring an Institutions Educational Quality

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The renowned mathematician Albert Einstein once said, Everyone is a genius. But if you
judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
Einsteins quote discusses the interpretation of standardized test scores. The usage of these test
scores can serve as tool to determine if a student has strong or weak points in certain subject
areas (Walberg, 2012). However Einsteins quote illuminates that an issue arises when too much
emphasis is placed on the standardized test scores to evaluate student achievement and the
overall quality of education provided. The aspects of standardized tests, the definition of student
achievement, and the major factors impacting test scores are all elements that need to be
examined when coming to this conclusion.
Standardized tests usually fall under two categories, aptitude tests and achievement tests.
The aim of an aptitude test is to determine how likely a student will succeed in a specific
educational setting. The most popular type of aptitude tests are the SAT and the ACT. Both of
these tests attempt to predict how prepared or ready a student is for college. Whereas
standardized achievement tests compare a students relative knowledge to a sample of students
who are at the same grade level (Popham, 1999). Standardized achievement tests cannot measure
everything a student knows. Instead tests evaluate the amount of information a student knows in
a particular spectrum of a certain topic (Hout, Elliott, & Freuh, 2012).

Supporters of student

achievement tests argue that when students are evaluated on the basis of their scores, students are
becoming mentally prepared for careers in certain fields where an extensive licensing process is
required, such as law or medicine (Walberg, 2012). However careers in these fields are not every
students calling. Furthermore, students who decide to pursue these careers need to able to do
more than simply pass tests. Students will have to develop skills that allow them to think quick

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on their feet and effectively communicate. These students will have to achieve a level of
proficiency in these skills as well as other skills.
Student achievement is at times viewed synonymous with standardized achievement test
scores, however student achievement encompasses more aspects than a simple, numerical value.
Student achievement is an abstract idea that is rather complex (Harris, Harris, & Smith, 2012).
Due to its intricacy, the word student achievement has different meanings to different
individuals. For instance to All Saints Catholic School principal Paul Galuska, student
achievement is when a student demonstrates personal growth. Since each student is different, the
degree of personal growth will vary from student to student (Galuska, 2014). However a high
school student may view student achievement as the progress he or she has made in a certain
subject or specific skills he or she has developed (e.g. being able to give a speech in front of his
or her peers). Whereas an educator may view student achievement as the break-through moment
when a student grasps a new idea or concept. The goal of an education is to provide students with
skills that will enable them to succeed (Gawthrop, 2014). Since the goal of an education is to
equip students with necessary skills, student achievement could also be viewed as proficiency in
skills that they will have to apply in the workplace. Some of these skills include, but are not
limited to, creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance,
reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic mindedness,
courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, and integrity
(Harris, Harris, & Smith, 2012). The preceding list of attributes are essential to a students
development and achievement. However it is incredibly difficult, if not impossible to get a
decent image of these characteristics on a multiple choice test. A great emphasis should not be
placed on standardized tests to evaluate student achievement, because everyones idea of student

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achievement is slightly different, and certain elements of achievement cannot be measured

quantitatively.
There are several elements that contribute to a students score such as the students
attitude toward the test, test taking strategies, previous experiences with tests, and a students
overall health on the day of the test (does he or she have a cold or a headache) (Galuska, 2014).
However there are three major factors that impact a students test scores. These elements include
learning that takes place in school, natural intellectual capability, and learning that takes place
outside of school. Educational institutions can only impact one out of these three factors (what is
learned in school). A sample question on a standardized achievement test that assess what a
student is taught in school might be, Sally had 14 pears. Then she gave away 6. Which of the
number sentences below can you use to find out how many pears Sally has left? (Popham,
1999). This question is straight forward, and no gray areas exist. A student is most likely to
know the answer to such a question based on what he or she learned in school, although what is
taught in schools varies from region to region based on curriculum. A students natural
intellectual capability determines how well a student is able to understand certain concepts. For
instance some students may find math easier than others, whereas others students may be better
with words. The third factor is what a student learns outside of school. For instance a question
on a test may ask, A plants fruit always contains seeds. Which of the items below is not a
fruit? (Popham, 1999). Through personal experience, a student may realize that a pumpkin
would be considered a plants fruit since the student may have carved a pumpkin at Halloween
and yanked out seeds and pulp from the pumpkins interior. The same hypothetical student may
also realize that celery would not be considered a plants fruit, because celery does not contain
seeds. A question like this can demonstrate how socioeconomic status can impact a students test

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score. In essence, in order for a student to know which of the foods is not fruit, the student would
have had to have come in contact with the types of produce that are listed as possible answers. If
a student lives in area that is deemed a food desert or comes from a family that cant afford fresh
fruits and vegetables, he or she may not have the knowledge based on personal experience to
interpret and answer this question correctly. Standardized test writers focus on writing questions
that require a students outside knowledge in order to get a wide range of scores (Popham, 1999).
Since standardized achievement tests include questions that evaluate more than simply what is
taught in schools, it seems illogical to solely evaluate the quality of education based on these test
scores.
Standardized tests only provide a snapshot of a students academic ability and the
education provided by the school (Galuska, 2014). By solely using standardized achievement
tests to evaluate students and schools, the bigger picture is lost. Quizzes, tests, homework,
journaling, and informal assessments (observing an individual) can aide in evaluating a students
personal growth. Hiring qualified teachers, observing teachers strategies and techniques, giving
students and parents climate surveys, and having schools undergo an accreditation process are
ways to make sure that a quality education is provided (Galuska, 2014). By using a combination
of evaluation methods, the students referred to as fish in Einsteins quote will perhaps not be
discouraged that they cant climb a tree, and come to the realization that their calling in life is to
swim.

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References
Galuska, P. (2014, November 20). Standardized Test Scores Personal Interview. (J. Spychalla,
Interviewer)
Gawthrop, J. (2014, April 29). Retrieved from Measuring Student Achievement: A Study of
Standardized Testing & Its Effect On Student Learning.
Harris, P., Harris, J., & Smith, B. M. (2012). Standardized Tests Do Not Effectively Measure
Student Achievement. (D. Bryfonski, Ed.) Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Retrieved October
22, 2014
Hout, M., Elliott, S., & Freuh, S. (2012). Do high-stakes tests improve learning? Issues in
Science and Technology. Retrieved October 22, 2014
Popham, W. J. (1999, March). Why Standardized Tests Don't Measure Educational Quality.
Retrieved October 31, 2014, from Educational Leadership.
Walberg, H. J. (2012). Standardized Tests Effectively Measure Student Achievement. (D.
Bryfonski, Ed.) Detriot: Greenhaven Press. Retrieved October 22, 2014

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October 22, 2014

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