Standardized tests are administered and scored in a standard matter (Educational Leadership) meaning that these tests help determine the effectiveness of the school education system as well as the readiness of students. Standardized tests are administered because of policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Common Core State Standards Initiative (Concordia Online).  The standardized tests initiated various improvements and changes to school systems including different adaptive ways of teaching and a strong emphasis on test-taking strategies.  Examples of different types of teaching are having more creative projects, hands-on activities, and group work.

Although standardized tests help administrators determine if every student is on the right track, they do not show the full potential of the student. These tests show how the student is able to take a test, use process of elimination, or other strategies. Although the tests show do show a student’s ability to memorize new material, they do not show the artistic and imaginative side of them. In a way, these tests force students to focus more on academics rather than creativity. I do believe that standardized tests help show the abilities of the students, but the idea that these tests measure the full potential of students is absurd.

For instance, most students do not preform best under pressure, and testing causes some anxiety. Students may have excellent grades and know the information, but they struggle while taking the tests. In this case, standardized tests will not accurately measure students’ readiness. Essentially, standardized tests measure the ability of students to take a test, but they definitely do not fully portray what the student is capable of accomplishing.