They will also take more standardized tests than the exams required to become a police officer, teacher, or school superintendent (“Standardized Testing is not Teaching”). Center for American Progress found that “students take as many as 20 standardized assessments annually and an average of 10 tests in grades three to eight” (Hefling, Kimberly), whereas a maximum of 3 exams are required in order to become a teacher (“7 Steps to Become a Teacher in California”), 1 exam to be eligible to be a school superintendent (“How Do I Become A School Superintendent?”), and 1 exam to be qualified as a police officer (“How To Become A Police Officer”). Research by the Council of the Great City Schools found that “students take an average of 113 standardized tests between pre-K and 12th grade” (Hefling, Kimberly). It also suggested that the testing period for 11th graders was as high as 27 days or 15% of the school year “in one district and that does not include Advanced Placement, career and technical education course and college entrance exams” (Hefling, …show more content…
A new study from the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research shows “79% of teachers feel more stress and anxiety about their performance reviews” (Vevea, Becky). Standardized tests results do not rank teachers in accordance with their ability to help cultivate children who will reach their potential; it’s “turning us into individuals who devote our lives to achieving a rank” (Chomsky, Noam). Nearly 85% of the school day and year in elementary school is spent teaching and preparing students for standardized tests (Lombardo, Crystal). In alternative of actually teaching the kids beneficial knowledge, they “teach to the test” (“Standardized Testing is not Teaching”) because they know that if the kids perform poorly, their career will be at stake. Instead of teaching students more important things like creativity, critical thinking, inquiry, problem solving, and a lot of other skills necessary to be able to compete in the 21st century, the teachers are being forced to cover more of what the test preparations instruct them to (“Standardized Testing is not Teaching”). This year, the EQAO was cancelled and the teachers were greatly relieved because instead of preparing children for the tests, they actually have the chance to teach in a less