I think I messed something up.

So I've been staring at my essay for an hour now, and I don't know how I could fix it. I think I started off good, but then lost sight of what I was doing. If any one wants to give me advice I'll try to take it but I do't think I have enough time to finish it.

"The Testing Standard

In my time as a high school student I didn't bother to question why we took test. It seemed like a given that we would have to take them. In my experience with standardized test they would start off with roughly 40~70 multiple choice questions. Followed by an essay question. Now while I didn't question why we took these standardized tests in high school, whilst I'm in college I've started to wonder.

Standardized tests are a poor means of measuring student progress, and shouldn't be used as such because they can not measure a persons potential, or ascertain how resourceful a student can be, or tell if a student can apply their knowledge to real world problems. They can however establish a national standard, which could allow schools to be compared to one another. This means that educates could show students what subjects they need to improve on.

Whilst I was researching the subject of standardized testing I discovered a couple of things. First I learned that standardized tests are universally shunned by educators. Second I learned that educational policy makers are relying heavily on standardized testing to make decision that could potentially cost teachers their jobs, cut a school's funding, or even get schools shut down.

To talk more about that first part I'll give a little more background as to where these test come from. Back in 2001 Gorge W. Bush passed the “No Child Left Behind” act of 2001. What NCLB did was create a system were schools do poorly if student don't make “acquitted progress” in proficient levels.

That second part has me concerned. It seems a bit backwards. Instead of providing financial support to schools with low test scores, the policy makers would cut the funding leaving the school to rot. It's like they think this is a game of poker and schools with low scores are bad hands to be folded. This attitude towards the test gives them very high-stakes.

A major affect of the high-stakes these tests hold, is having teachers being forced to teach a certain way. It is my understanding, that they are “given a strict teaching scheduled by the board of education”. A scheduled that prevents them from adapting their teaching to help student. Educator don't have the time to help students if they want to get through the curriculum they are given. Teachers who take time to help the student fall behind in the teaching schedule, and enviable rush the later parts of it. This means that students who can't keep up with the pace of the curriculum are unprepared for the test at the end of the semester. (John McCabes memories unspecified time and place)

I better attitude to use with these test would be to provide schools that have low scores financial support they need to improve the scores. This would make it so that teaches don't have to stress over their jobs."

That's all I have so far. I'm problable gonna hand it in as is since it's better then handing in nothing.