Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing by. Derrick Meador

http://teaching.about.com/od/assess/a/Standardized-Testing.htm


1.The general argument made by Derrick Meador in his article, Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing, is not directly stated, but instead implied: that since there are an equal amount of pros and cons for standardized testing, it is difficult for one to determine whether students should take standardized tests since there are an equal amount of claims for both. Specifically, he explains one pro is that standardized testing allows schools, districts, and states across the nation to be compared, and without standardized tests this would be much more difficult and nearly impossible to do. He then explains a con, that standardized testing "evaluates a student’s performance on one particular day" and does not "take into account external factors", for there are many people who simply do not perform well on tests. In these passages, Meador is suggesting that there are good and bad things about standardized testing, with both positive and negative effects, so it is not easily determined whether or not they should be given.

2. In his article listing the pros and cons for standardized testing, Meador lists 5 cons and 5 pros, turning the attention to the balance in the argument that brings a challenge as to whether or not standardized testing should take place, since there are equal arguments for both. Using examples like, standardized testing leads teachers to stick to "teaching the test," which can "hinder the students' overall learning potential." He then counters with the pro that standardized tests are usually paired with a set of established guides to the standards and framework that should be taught throughout the year and that "without this structure a third grade teacher could be teaching the same content. " These two points counter each other, making the decision of whether to have standardized tests or not, more difficult.