{"id":6683,"date":"2021-01-01T08:49:26","date_gmt":"2021-01-01T15:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ltsarizona.org\/phoenix-charter-school\/?p=6683"},"modified":"2021-01-11T08:49:35","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T15:49:35","slug":"whats-the-point-of-standardized-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ltsarizona.org\/phoenix-charter-school\/whats-the-point-of-standardized-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Point of Standardized Tests?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Standardized tests have been around for a long time; they started before the Civil War and went mainstream around 1875. Of course they have evolved over time, but the purpose of the tests hasn\u2019t changed much.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What Are Standardized Tests?<\/b><\/p>\n

The most common standardized tests are <\/span>achievement tests<\/span><\/a>, which measure a student\u2019s skills and proficiency in different subjects. There are two types of achievement tests. One is a <\/span>criterion-referenced<\/span><\/a> test, which simply measures a student\u2019s knowledge on a given subject and doesn\u2019t compare the results to other students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second type, known as a <\/span>norm-referenced<\/span><\/a> test, measures a student\u2019s knowledge compared to other students who are the same age and in the same grade across the city, state, or country: \u201cHow does my 3<\/span>rd<\/span> grader compare to every other 3<\/span>rd<\/span> grader in America?\u201d The tests can also determine if the student has the required knowledge to be promoted: \u201cDoes my 3<\/span>rd<\/span> grader have the necessary skills to be a successful 4<\/span>th<\/span> grader?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also standardized <\/span>aptitude tests<\/span><\/a>, which predict a student\u2019s future potential based on interest and abilities, but aptitude tests are far more rare than achievement tests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Standardized <\/span>tests don\u2019t end<\/span><\/a> after elementary school. To get into college, there are college entrance tests like the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Test).\u00a0 After college, if one plans on getting an advanced degree, one may need to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>The Glossary of Education Reform<\/span><\/a>, there are two things that make the tests standardized:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. They require all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions, from a common bank of questions, in the same way.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. They are scored in a \u201cstandard\u201d or consistent manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Those familiar with any standardized tests know that the questions are almost exclusively multiple choice or true\/false, which can be scored by computer, removing any subjectivity, favoritism, or bias from the scoring process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Tests Your Child May Take<\/b><\/p>\n

    And, yes, students do have to take a number of standardized tests throughout the academic year, but each one measures something different. Here are some of the standardized tests your student may possibly take during the school year:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n