Boswell & Benson 1

Michael Boswell, Kayla Benson

Mrs. Griffin
SLCC English 1010
May 20, 2016

Annotated Bibliography: Standardized Testing

Standardized testing is a topic that is very controversial right now in schools.
These are tests that are given by the government that every student in the country
has to take. These tests take sometimes 6 hours to complete. There are a lot of
pros and cons to this topic and people feel very strongly for or against it. Our
research question is, are these test beneficial to students. Or do they do more bad
than good. We both feel very strongly about standardized testing and we wanted to
know more about it.
Columbia University. Pros and cons of Standardized Testing.
worklife.columbia.edu. N.p., Spring 2013. Web.
This source contains crucial information talking about the pros of
standardized testing. It talks about how standardized testing pressures students and
teachers into doing well, and knowing what they need to know. It also talks about
how standardized testing is good for comparing in your local area and even to a
national level. Standardized testing makes sure teachers teach. Meaning, they have
to know their stuff. Another great thing standardized testing does is it make sure
teachers dont teach unnecessary lessons. Lastly, it teaches students what they
have to know.

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This article came from Columbia University which means they had to do a lot
of research and digging before it could get published. This school is also an ivy
league so to even teach or get into the school they have to be very intelligent. This
paper has a strong use of logos because of all of the facts that are stated. It talks
about how schools are being compared and it says, This means that a student in
Amarillo can be compared to a student in Dallas. Being able to accurately compare
data is invaluable and is a major reason that the Common Core Sate Standards have
been adopted. With that information we could better understand how kids are
taking away from teachers.
This article has pushed my knowledge further with being educated on the
topic. It has definitely brought a better understanding and view point. This article
has some of the information as our last one does. It has very similar points, but in
more detail. Like it talks about how these tests help teachers have a good idea of
where they need to be going It has multiple sources like the other article. I enjoyed
reading this article because its an interesting topic to learn about, and to see all the
different view points. We would use this article if I was to write a research paper on
this topic.

Cook Steven. Labor Voices: The end of standardized testing www.detroitnews.com

N.p., 17 May 2016. Web. 25 May 25, 2016
Labor Voices is an article written by Steven Cook and is about how
standardized testing is suffocating students. He talks about how elementary
students are being tested like they are in college and these kids cant take it. He
also goes into direct quotes from teacher and how frustrated they are with these

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exams. Of course students need to be tested. But they need to be tested at a level
that they understand and an assessment that is applicable to their age. So all in all,
Cook is calling for a new way to conduct these assessments.
When Janey collapses in tears on her computer keyboard from trying to read
text that is beyond her middle school grade level, teachers feel crushed. When
students are denied the use of technology for actual learning, because every
computer and tablet in their district is tied up in testing for weeks, children lose and
lose again. That quote right there will appeal to any parent or teachers emotions
and tug on their heart strings. The intended audience are for parents of elementary
students. Pathos is a very strong in this piece of writing. Since Cook pulled direct
quotes from teachers like, Practice tests, test preparation and the actual tests are
wasting valuable instruction time. Or, Let teachers create their own assessments
and stop selling our kids to big for-profit testing companies. It pulls into his
credibility of his writing.
This article affected my thinking because it made me not only think about
myself as a student but for elementary kids. In some aspects this article has similar
view points. In the aspects of emotions, it is different than all the other articles I
have read. Some of the viewpoints this article has are same as others. This was our
favorite article because it used the most rhetorical appeals. This would be a strong
piece in a research paper which I would use it for ours if we had to write one.

"Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?". Ed. N.p. 3 Apr.
2015. Web. 20 May 2016.
One of the reasons we think that standardized test should not be necessary
is because of how significantly the US rankings went down from 18 th to the 31st in

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math and science. Policymakers and educators do not know how to generate testbased incentives to generate positive effects and achievements. This article also
talks about how these test are unreliable because of the fluctuations. Lastly, it talks
about how these test measure only a small part of educational matters.
This article is credible because they have a lot of references to back them up
and it is updated frequently. The intended audience for this is for anyone who is
against standardized tests and for any students or educators trying to get rid of it.
This site is convincing because of its use of pathos, because with the scores going
down children arent feeling good about themselves. This article also uses a good
amount of ethos. It has a lot of credibility
with how many sources it has to use.
I enjoyed this article or this source because it really brought valid viewpoints
to our conclusion. Before I read this I was still unsure about the big buzz about
standardized tests. I wasnt too informed on the topic but after reading this source I
feel a lot more informed. Our paragraphs are written in 3 rd person and they contain
a lot of facts about the topic. I would definitely use this source if I was to write a
research paper about standardized tests.

Jackey, Ben. Fewer standardized tests: Education commissioner talks major

changes www.wlky.com N.p., May 19, 2016. Web. May 21, 2016
This article is an interview with Stephen Pruitt, a Commissioner of Education
in Kentucky. Pruitt doesnt like standardized testing and wants to limit the number of
tests that are given. He went around to eleven different cities just to hear what

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these communities had to say about them. He also wants to reduce the weight that
these tests have on schools. Pruitt then goes on to talk about how we need to be
raising good students and not just good test-takers. That these students need to be
more rounded as individuals then just how well they are on the spot. Lastly, he
talked about how we need good teachers that can actually teach them so they can
use it, not just because its on the tests.
This information is coming from a member of the board of education in
Kentucky. That alone adds credibility to not just him, but the article as well. After
searching him on google, he has an extensive background in education at local,
state, and national levels. With that being said, he knows what he is talking about.
Like stated in the summary, he went around to communities just to hear what they
had to say about this arguable subject. So, appealing to his audiences pathos, or
emotions, his readers will feel like he cares. Mainly talking to parents in this article
he got that emotion across very nicely.
This article has affected my thinking about the topic because it has provided
information for a different side. We really liked the part where it says we need good
students not good test takers. That really got our attention because we can relate to
it. Pruitt also says that the best test prep is just good teaching. Meaning, that we
dont need all these tests to prepare us for certain life encounters. This article had
different points than our other articles. With that it brought into light other
questions about standardized tests, and other viewpoints. This would be beneficial
source to use if we did this paper

Kemmerling, Colette. The Pros of Standardized Testing. astro.temple.edu.

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N.p., 2005. Web. 25 May 2016
This source contained information that our other sources havent. For
example, it had information about why colleges prefer standardized testing than not
having it. If we were to get rid of standardized tests colleges would have to raise
their GPA to unrealistic standards for students. It also had very good view points
from teachers, and students as to why it has benefited them. The source also
talked about how it motivates students and teachers. With this new information it
can really push for the side that standardized tests are a good thing, and why we
shouldnt get rid of them.
This particular source had a good use of logos by adding a study that was
performed. It said, A University of California study found that if the University did
not require SAT scores from prospective students, they would have to raise their
standard high school GPA to unrealistic expectations just to balance out the
admissions process. Their intended audience would start at the age when kids
start having their own opinion and up. So, this appeals to their own logic because it
gives them facts. That is not just appealing to logic, but also the ethos of the paper.
With information backing it up, you are more likely to trust this piece. Kemmerling
talked about how there is evidence that suggests that these facts are correct. But,
does not actually state where she got that from.
This article really made me more knowledgeable on this topic. I enjoyed reading this
article the most out of all our other articles. Since this article had new information
from past ones it made me think about our research question a lot more. It had
some similar points as our other articles but it added more viewpoints. These new

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viewpoints really made it seem way more important as to why standardized tests
are important, not only for teachers, and students,

but for colleges as well. I would definitely use this article if I was to write a research
paper about this article.
Margie. Standardized Testing: Good Points and Bad. brighthubeducation.com
N.p., 18 June 2015. Web. 25 May 2016
This article talks about how Standardized testing gives teachers
guidance. Another thing it states is that it makes teachers accountable.
Meaning its their job to teach what the students need to know. Also gives
teachers a good viewpoint to see where students strengths and weaknesses
are. It also gives parents a good idea of how their children are doing.
Standardized tests allow students progress to be tracked over the years to
see how their progress is. Lastly, standardized tests provide an accurate
comparison across groups.
In this article Margies intended audience is for parents wanting more
information on standardized testing. It has strong points, but it doesnt have
direct evidence to back it up. So, the ethics of this piece is missing. There
was a little bit of logic in the way that she gave some solid facts. For
example, she said, [Standardized Testing] gives parents a good idea of how
their children are doing as compared to students across the country and
locally. This can also indicate how your local area is doing compared against
the national landscape. So this is applying to your logic and reasoning

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This article had a lot of similar points as some of our other ones. It
affected my thinking about our issue by bringing across very clear
viewpoints. It talks about how when students take a yearly test it is easy to
see if a student is improving, losing ground academically, or staying about
the same. Even though this article had some similar points it added more
evidence to our research question. We would not use this if we had to do a
paper because it didnt give us enough background.

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Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing

Pros
Standardized testing holds teachers and schools accountable. Probably the greatest
benefit of standardized testing is that teachers and schools are responsible for
teaching students what they are required to know for these standardized tests. This
is primarily because these scores become public record and teachers and schools
who dont perform up to par can come under intense scrutiny. This scrutiny can lead
to the loss of job and in some cases a school can be closed or taken over by the
state.
Standardized testing gives teachers guidance to help them determine what to teach
students and when to teach it. The net result is less wasted instructional time and a
simplified way of timeline management.
Standardized testing gives parents a good idea of how their children are doing as
compared to students across the country and locally. This can also indicate how
your local area is doing compared against the national landscape.
Standardized testing allows students located in various schools, districts, and even
states to be compared. Without standardized testing this comparison would not be
possible. Public school students in the state of Texas are all required to take the
same state standardized tests. This means that a student in Amarillo can be
compared to a student in Dallas. Being able to accurately compare data is
invaluable and is a major reason that the Common Core State Standards have been
adopted. These will allow for a more accurate comparison between states.
Standardized testing is typically accompanied by a set of established standards or
instructional framework which provide teachers with guidance for what and when
something needs to be taught. Without this structure a third grade teacher and a
sixth grade teacher could be teaching the same content. Having this guidance also
keeps students who move from one school district to another from being behind or
ahead their new school.
Standardized tests are objective in nature. Classroom grades given by a teacher are
at the very least minimally subjective in nature. Standardized tests are often scored
by computers or at the very least scored by people who do not directly know the
student. They are also developed by experts and each question undergoes an
intense process to remove bias.
Standardized tests provide accurate comparisons between sub-groups. These subgroups can include data on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, special needs, etc. This
provides schools with data to develop programs and services directed at improving
scores in these sub-groups.

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Labor Voices: The end of

standardized testing
When Johnny comes home exhausted from taking a six-hour test in elementary school,
parents arent happy. When Janey collapses in tears on her computer keyboard from
trying to read text that is beyond her middle school grade level, teachers feel crushed.
When students are denied the use of technology for actual learning, because every
computer and tablet in their district is tied up in testing for weeks, children lose and lose
again.
Now change is in the air. The love affair that legislators and state education officials had
with standardized testing seems to be fading. Is it possible that decision-makers have
heard the chorus of objections to our societys over valuing of standardized testing?
That chorus has been led by members of the Michigan Education Association,
educators who are the real experts on the front lines in classrooms across the state. For
years these experts have exposed problems with standardized testing and their cries
have gotten louder as the number and length of these tests have grown exponentially. A
few weeks ago, we solicited feedback from our members on the Michigan Student Test
of Educational Progress (M-STEP), and the larger issue of standardized testing in
general. Since then, we have had hundreds of responses revealing the depth of
professional educators concerns. Heres a sampling:
We now test over one third of the school year. It monopolizes our schools technology.
It interrupts instruction. Its developmentally inappropriate. Put that money into lower
class size. Testing is not the answer.
Practice tests, test preparation and the actual tests are wasting valuable instruction
time.
Let teachers create their own assessments and stop selling our kids to big for-profit
testing companies.
We are testing third graders like they are college students. The test took from 9:20 am
until 3:30 pm when the last student finished. There is no value in the results of a test
that caused tremendous anxiety in my students and took an entire day to complete.
The frustration is evident, as is the deep concern these teachers express for their
students.
Educators identified a myriad of problems associated with the M-STEP, including the
length of the test, the lack of student motivation to engage, the tying up of technology
for weeks, and the difficulty students had in navigating the technology to complete the
test.
Legislators appear to have heard the criticisms. In the recent House education budget,
funding for M-STEP was eliminated. Credit should also go to the new state

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superintendent of public instruction, Brian Whiston. Immediately upon taking office, he

moved to reduce the amount of hours of standardized testing for students in grades 3,
8, and 11. Those are positive steps, but they are incremental.
A comprehensive solution is needed, one that takes a completely new approach to
assessment. The recently passed federal education law known as ESSA (Every Student
Succeeds Act) encourages states and/or districts to develop higher quality, authentic
assessments such as portfolios, projects and performance-based tasks that better
support high-quality teaching and learning. This type of innovative approach would
combine learning and assessment so that we could do both at the same time and not be
trapped in the teaching versus testing dilemma we now find ourselves in.
Think of the hundreds of millions of dollars we now spend on standardized testing that
could be spent on technology, updated textbooks and better professional development
for teachers. Think of the multiple days of instruction time given back to teachers and
students and the effect that would have on student achievement.
Finally, imagine the parents who, when asking their child what they learned in school
today, no longer have to hear the response, Nothing. We just took another test.

Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education

in America?
standardized testing has not improved student achievement. After No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with
National Research Council report found no evidence test-based incentive programs
are working: "Despite using them for several decades, policymakers and educators
do not yet know how to use test-based incentives to consistently generate positive
effects on achievement and to improve education." [154]
Standardized tests are an unreliable measure of student performance. A 2001 study
published by the Brookings Institution found that 50-80% of year-over-year test
score improvements were temporary and "caused by fluctuations that had nothing to
do with long-term changes in learning..." [107]
Standardized tests are unfair and discriminatory against non English speakers and
students with special needs. [106] English language learners take tests in English
before they have mastered the language. [101] Special education students take the
same tests as other children, receiving few of the accommodations usually provided
to them as part of their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). [102]
Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education
meaningful. According to late education researcher Gerald W. Bracey, PhD, qualities
that standardized tests cannot measure include "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, integrity."
[147]

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Fewer standardized
tests: Education
commissioner talks
major changes
Fewer standardized tests for your kids and less importance placed on
them: These are two of the big changes the Kentucky education
commissioner hopes to bring schools across the commonwealth in the next
year.
Stephen Pruitt sat down with WLKYs Ben Jackey to talk about the major
changes ahead for students, teachers and parents.
Pruitt traveled to 11 cities to hear what communities had to say about
Kentucky's accountability model, the measure of whether a school is
successful or failing.
Pruitt wants to revamp the model to reduce the weight of testing on a
school's label.
Some question if that would water-down the system.
People are frustrated with tests just dominating the whole conversation,
Pruitt said.
Pruitt inherited a state-accountability model almost entirely composed of
standardized test results.
By the 2017-18 school year, that will change. Pruitt awaits input from
across the commonwealth, but plans a major shift to include things like
advanced classes opportunities, art options and school environment -- all to
help determine whether a school is succeeding or failing.
It can't be just about the test. If it is, I think we're losing out on the focus of
ensuring that we have good citizens when they graduate and not just good
test-takers, Pruitt said.
Pruitt also wants to move away from percentile ranking system. Which
means a district like Jefferson County Public Schools may not be classified
as performing in the lowest quarter of the state in comparison to other

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districts as it is now.
When asked if this would weaken the accountability model, Pruitt said he
felt it would make it stronger by measuring a variety of factors that affect
good and bad test results.
Pruitt plans to talk with districts about the number of standardized tests
they implement in order to get a better predictor of how students are faring
before the state K-prep test.
Pruitt said it is on him and his team to help teachers with the state teaching
standards so they know where their student is, without more tests.
And then you get into the whole issue of test prep. We need to figure out
that the best test prep in the world is just good teaching, Pruitt said.
Pruitt delayed the roll-out of the next generation standard testing when he
arrived in October.
It was supposed to happen this year, but will instead go into effect in
2017-18 along with the new accountability model, which right now has
no definitive timetable for completion.

The Pros of Standardized Testing

Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT have been shown to be effective
in predicting a student's future performance in higher education, in the
military, and in the work force. Almost two-thirds of U.S. colleges take SAT
scores into account for their applicants. The standardized SAT or ACT create
a common national measure that college admissions counselors rate as "a
more reliable measure than high school grade point average, extracurricular
activities, recommendations, essays, etc." If SAT tests were not effective in
predicting the future performance of students, why would the majority of
colleges in this country require them?
Eliminating the SATs would result in unintended, negative consequences. A
University of California study found that if the University did not require SAT
scores from prospective students, they would have to raise their standard
high school GPA to unrealistic expectations just to balance out the
admissions process.
Some critics also target AP (Advanced Placement) Exams. At most high
schools, students have the option to take one or more of these specialized
tests after spending a year or two in an intensive class about the material.
Topics range from American History to Biology to Art. Many colleges award
credits to a student with a score of a 3 (out of 5) or better. The credits
may count toward a core requirement, which allows the student to have a
more flexible schedule and take a class they may not have been able to fit
otherwise. A high score on an AP exam may also save money: an $80
exam compared to a $2000+ college course.

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Positive Aspects of Standardized Testing

Standardized testing gives teachers guidance to help them
determine what to teach students and when to teach it. The
net result is less wasted instructional time and a simplified
way of timeline management. Gives parents a good idea of
how their children are doing as compared to students across
the country and locally. This can also indicate how your local
area is doing compared against the national landscape.
Allows students progress to be tracked over the years.
When students take the same type of test yearly (adjusted
for grade level) it is easy to see if a student is improving,
losing ground academically, or staying about the same. (For
example, if a child is taking a norm-referenced test and
scores in the 75th percentile in the sixth grade and the 80th
percentile in the seventh grade, you can see that the child is
gaining ground in school.) This helps determine how a child
is doing academically.Since all students in a school are
taking the same test (with respect to grade level)
standardized tests provide an accurate comparison across
groups. (For example, this makes it easy to see how boys are
performing as compared to girls in a particular school or
district.) Over the years great improvements have been
made with regards to test bias, which has led to more
accurate assessments and comparisons.