Revolt: A Lesson in Standardized Testing

The last thing a junior in high school wants to be told is that he or she has to wake up at the crack of dawn one day to fill in a relentless amount of bubbles in a book filled with brain-buster questions. The words, "Make sure you have a number two pencil with you!" creep insidiously into the brains of these students along with strategies, vocabulary words, and formulas. High school teachers are coerced into teaching preparation techniques that mold robots out of teenagers through consistent drilling and practice tests. Although the purpose of standardized testing is to predict future academic performance, alternative methods could better serve both colleges and universities as well as individual students. A recently collected survey, an interview with a high school teacher as well as academic journals reveal the bias and inaccuracy of tests such as the ACT and SAT.

In an online survey I distributed to former or current high school students, questions regarding standardized testing were asked. The responses indicated that high schools put little effort into preparing students for the ACT or SAT. 70% of participants chose the response that although they knew about these tests, they had to search for information about them. The survey also revealed that the majority (86%) had to pay in order to take the test. This is unfair for those who do not have the financial stability in order to pay for testing. It also reveals that although testing is a prominent part of the college admissions process, students have to actively search for information about them (Hurt).

In order to gain more perspective from the instructors that deal with standardized testing on a daily basis, I visited Serena Kessler, an English teacher from Romulus High School. She spoke openly about the bias of standardized tests and the pressure on both the faculty as well as students to perform well. When Michigan began mandating the entirety of the public school students to take the ACT, scores in Kessler explained that the state of Michigan required the principal to send out a letter to the parents of the school stating that the scores were low. “The letter basically said, ‘Hey, we as a school aren’t good enough. If you want your child to go to another school, we’ll transport them there.’ It was something so stupid, like two kids had to score two points higher and we would have made this cutoff point,” she said sounding almost outraged at the letter. She also told me that the school had devoted an entire class to ACT preparation in order to raise scores. In the class, teachers of various subjects rotated for a specified amount of weeks to instruct students on how to excel in different aspects of the test. This forced dedication to teaching for the test diminishes what control teachers and faculty have over the curriculum. It also perpetuates a culture in which students learn to recognize answers without innovation or creativity. Rather than crafting new solutions to problems, they are conditioned to memorize definitions and tricks to defeat the almighty test. When discussing whether or not the test was biased, Kessler agreed that children who come from the same socioeconomic or cultural status as those who create the test are likely to get higher scores because when they have to guess, they guess based on what they feel is right and in their case, it will be correct. I asked Kessler if she thought any change would occur in how the state of Michigan approaches standardized testing and she replied, “In Michigan, that change is going to be an increase in reliance on using these tests to define people. We want quick answers of whether or not these kids are good or not. Unless someone poses a revolutionary alternative, that’s the way it’s going to be. I mean, I think this test is bullshit but here I am, teaching kids strategies on how to pass it. I have kids to feed, ya know?”

The bias in standardized testing is evident in a multitude of academic research articles. Although it may be accidental, it is affecting the composition of students at universities and colleges and lowering the overall diversity of those receiving higher education. First, standardized testing is a timed and mostly, if not all, multiple choice. This type of quizzing and answer recognition testing is biased toward the male population. Tests such as the ACT reward test takers for guessing on questions. Men are, according to the authors of Fair Test (a website compiling scholarly research and interviews about testing), more likely to take risks and thus less likely to leave answers blank. Women are also more likely to recheck their answers and read over all of the possible answers more thoroughly requiring more time and resulting in the possibility of not being able to answer every question. Often, test preparation booklets such as those released by the Princeton Review gloat about their ability to raise individual’s test scores. However, books and test coaching outside of school cost money, and these resources are unfairly available to those who are rich rather than those who are deserving regardless of socioeconomic status. In his article,How We Justify and Perpetuate the Wealthy, White, Male Academic Status Quo through the Use of Biased Admissions Requirements, Theodore Micceri shows that the cutoff point for admission based on test scores is often between the majority population’s general scores and the minority population’s general scores allowing colleges to keep a wealthy and Caucasian student body.

Although advocates of standardized testing claim that they are wonderful predictors of college performance, this is not always the case, and many colleges find that other aspects of a student’s life are much better indicators of future academic performance. Such indicators include grade point average. Grade point average is a good indication of a student’s academic ability as well as work ethic whereas standardized test scores can be misleading. A student might score phenomenally on the ACT but be preoccupied with other activities or uninterested in learning in the traditional manner or a student may score lower than what is reflective of his or her ability due to outside factors such as unusually high stress related to test taking. Colleges such as Wayne State University, Ferris State University, and Texas A&M have all reported that after transitioning into test-optional admissions, they have been very pleased with the resulting student body (Fair Test).

While standardized test scores may be correlated with academic performance, there are much better indicators of one’s scholarly abilities. These alternatives can be that of personal interviews, grade point averages, personal statements, extracurricular activities, portfolios as well as many other options. Studies have revealed that standardized testing is in fact biased against certain minorities. If abolished, the diversity of colleges would increase exponentially which is what they claim to strive toward. If universities want to recruit the most academically sound student population, they should transition into test-optional admission processes that allow students to display merit and success in alternate areas. More important than this choice for colleges is the choice of the students in the nation to rebel against standardized testing and opt for new methods of showcasing their abilities. Colleges will never stray from the quick-sort method without a revolution—without the catalyst a student population should strive to become.

Works Cited

Fair Test. The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, Winter 2009. Web. 8 Dec.

2009.

Hurt, Sara. “Standardized Testing.” Survey. www.surveymonkey.com. SurveyMonkey,

29 October 2009. 28 November 2009.

Loewen, J. W., Rosser, P., Katzman, J. Gender bias in SAT items. American

Educational Research Association, 48, 42-48.

Micceri, T. How we justify and perpetuate the wealthy, white, male academic status quo

through the use of biased admissions requirements. Paper Presented at the

Florida Association for Institutional Research Annual Conference, Cocoa Beach,

FL. Feb 25-27, 2009

Survey Response

In the survey I conducted, I asked a series of questions related to standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT. I found that nearly all of the participants had to pay to take these tests. I know from my interview that Michigan is moving away from this, but this seemed striking to me as it unfairly gives those in better socioeconomic status the ability to take part in the test. I also found that most of the participants relied on preparation books to study and assume that this is because the classes are so expensive. If I were to redistribute the survey, I would include this as a question. It would be nice to know what barriers exist because of financial status. Knowing what biases exist validate the proposal to end standardized testing. A test or access to it should not be preventative to exceedingly intelligent people who are underprivileged. My goal with this research was to determine if standardized testing was effective, this survey aided in finding that for students, it is not. Although the statistics of multiple choice surveys are easier to calculate, in the future I would opt for open response in order to gain a better understanding of how students feel about standardized testing.

Reading Response 3

Catherine Orenstein writes in her article, "Dances with Wolves--Little Red Riding Hood's Long Walk in the Woods," of the social messages contained in fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood. She uses examples of how this one particular story has evolved in time and geographic location to illustrate the use of stories as lessons or guides. She explains the symbolism, varying perspectives and different authors to explain how these stories perpetuate or iniate ideas about gender, especially that of women.

In the first written telling of the fairy tale by Charles Perrault, Orenstein explains the color red chosen for Little Red Riding Hood as a symbolic representation for scandal. She asserts that dressing the only heroine in red at this time would have been immediately understood by the audience. Orenstein insists that Perrault used this story as a warning to girls to stay pure. This is reflective of what was important to people at this time. When girls' chastity was a selling point for marriage, it was important to convey this to young women in any way possible.

In another version of this story written by the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the lesson transforms into one about obedience, and the idea that girls need a savior in the form of a man is enforced. From this perspective, a woodsman is added into the end of the story in order to save Little Red Riding Hood and give her another chance. In Victorian Europe, obediance and spiritual clarity were more important components of growth taking priority over or including chastity.

In feminist retellings of this fairy tale, Little Red is often a match for the wolf not needing a man to come save her. These ideas relay to girls that they can be strong and independent. In one story, Little Red Riding Hood actually kills the wolf via a 9mm Beretta. She also describes a few movies that reflect the script of Little Red Riding Hood but give the heroine more power and ability to defend herself negating the former meanings of the tale. This sends a new message to audiences about girls.

Orenstein's explanation of different techniques employed to convey these messages made the metaphors obvious. Orenstein also illustrated effectively that the difference in era can make a difference in what type of message is being sent. Overall, Orenstein does a great job of emphasizing the importance of social messages through common stories.

Reading Response 2

In his essay, People Like Us, David Brooks defends his claim that the United States is not composed of those seeking a culturally diverse environment, but rather those segregating into pods of similar people. Although contrary to a commonly perceived goal of Americans, Brooks reveals how abundant this attitude is in American culture. He uses detailed statistics, broad generalizations, and at-home examples that closely capture individual Americans to prove his point. Overall, Brooks transitioned my view of a "diverse" nation into a skeptical one.
Brooks discusses the composition of University faculties such as Brown to illustrate the lack of diversity in America. He uses Universities because they are supposed to be a haven for the culturally diverse. He shows that the body of instructors is not reflective of the actual population--that a majority of Brown professors are Democratic rather than Republican and if it were diverse, it would be closer to half. While this composition of professors was not surprising to me as a college student, it did support Brooks's idea of people finding niches and reinforcing them.
Brooks also explains a marketing firm's 62 categories for people. While this seems narrow, the categories fairly accurately group all of America into tiny boxes based on their income and likes. While I found this to be scary, it shows that we as people are predictable in our interests and that we are not as unique and accepting of diversity as we would like to be.
Brooks's position of an anti-melting pot society is clearly defended by the research he has done. His use of a variety of characteristics of different groups in America has a way of bringing an individual into the article. The way Brooks describes neighborhoods and how they begin to develop personalities can be identified by anyone in the U.S.. Overall, Brooks's literary devices really aided in his attempt to display the human tendency to avoid diversity.

Interview

Ms. Kessler's classroom.


Ms. Kessler's classroom.


Ms. Kessler in her daily environment.

Article Summaries

Topic: Standardized Testing

Doug A. Archbald and Fred M. Newman assert in their academic article Assessing Authentic Academic Achievement in the Secondary School that standardized tests may not accurately measure authentic knowledge. The researchers supported this thesis by stating that these tests to not focus on “real” life obstacles, developing alternatives to the tests, and stating that admissions counselors should focus on more than one score. The researchers hope to convince schools that there are alternative methods to the standardized test. The intended audience is a scholarly one that understands the importance or weight of the tests administered, although the language used does not exclude any particular group.

Theodore Micceri states in his article, The name assigned to the document by the author. This field may also contain sub-titles, series names, and report numbers.How We Justify and Perpetuate the Wealthy, White, Male Academic Status Quo through the Use of Biased Admissions Requirements, that universities are actively collecting a more Caucasian, rich student body. He supports this by conducting a study of college applicants and their admission based on stringent test scores. The researcher hopes to definitively answer whether or not GPA and standardized test scores are similar in their disparity among differing races and genders. The researcher’s audience seems to be that of a scholarly, academic one in that he uses many previous studies to support his ideas as well as a language that is more on par with that of a college graduate.

In his article, The name assigned to the document by the author. This field may also contain sub-titles, series names, and report numbers.Preparation for College Admission Exams, Derek C. Briggs writes that test preparation methods for standardized tests are successful. He supported this claim by gathering information about different techniques and their effectiveness. He intends to convince guidance counselors and educators to implement specific training programs in order to aid in the success of their students. The audience is clearly the guidance counselors and educators in that the language excludes anyone unfamiliar with standardized testing and caters to those who are in the position to implement said programs.

Shop Write Response

In Amanda Hesser's "Shop Write," the author reveals the inner workings of a website dedicated to grocery lists. She describes the content to be submissions of discarded shopping lists that have the ability to showcase one's life. She gives an account of the creator's life and other projects such as a photograph of himself every day of his 31st year in life. Her goal of exposing the website and eliciting interest is achieved through her great description but hindered by poor organization.

In her essay, Hesser introduces the topic of grocery lists in a well developed paragraph that captures the reader's attention and gives a subtle hint of what she plans to write about. She then finishes her essay in sporadic fashion leaping from topic to topic. First, the content of the website, then how it was created, then she returns to content and recipes, then returns to the creator as well as another person, then back to recipes. This limits the clarity of the piece and appears to be rather schizophrenic.

Amidst the confusing organization are tidbits of description that are filled with creativity. In one line, Hesser refers to the act of writing a grocery list as, "lines of ink and pencil jutting and looping across crinkled and torn pieces of paper." This alternative to simply stating that someone is writing a grocery list is filled with imagery that could captivate an audience with ease.

Regardless of her poor organization which often leads to a lack of cohesiveness, Hesser saves her essay with astounding description and depth. Overall, she is able to efficiently display her addiction to the seemingly simple website as well as elicit a similar fascination in her audience.

Amanda Hesser. "Shop Write." New York City: NY Times, 2004. 2.