SUMMARY - The Standardized Test Dilemma
Standardized tests promise objectivity, comparability, and accountability. When all students take the same test under the same conditions, results seem to provide fair comparison across students, schools, and systems. These tests can identify achievement gaps, hold schools accountable for results, and inform educational improvement. Yet standardized testing also narrows curriculum, creates teaching to tests, disadvantages certain students, and may measure test-taking ability more than actual learning.