Measurements
What Is It Measuring?
Standardized tests must not be used to determine a
student's educational future. Everything about a person cannot be determined in
a sole test. Standardized tests such as the ACT (American College Test) and the
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) are called aptitude tests. “Aptitude tests
predict your child's ability to learn by measuring his mastery of
school-success skills, such as reasoning or problem-solving” (Standardized Tests |
Prepare and Interpret Results 1). Even though standardized tests are measuring
a few things, they are not measuring a person as a human being. “Tests can
measure only a portion of the goals of education, which are necessarily broader
and more inclusive than the tests could possibly be” (Strauss 1). It is
admitted that standardized tests only measure a fraction of education.
What Should it Measure?
There are many things that standardized tests do not measure. “They do not measure the ability to think deeply or creatively in any field” (What's Wrong With Standardized Tests 1). Creativity among many other things is important when looking for a job, but is not measured in a standardized test. “We generally don’t even try to use standardized tests to measure: creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, reliability, enthusiasm, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, honesty, and integrity” (Strauss 1). When a standardized test is used to determine someone’s educational future, including college admissions and scholarships, but the test does not determine one’s actual ability to think and act, should it really be used to make decisions in these high stakes circumstances? A single test must not be a factor in determining someone’s educational future. Standardized testing must be eradicated because the test does not provide adequate information about students.