Standardize Testing

    It is currently uncommon to see young students opting out of taking standardize test. It is no wonder that these children choose to do so; test taking takes both a physical and emotional toll on those who are scored. In addition to illness such as anxiety induced vomiting and nausea, test takers are also left questioning their intelligence. This is due to the idea that an individual's worth is tied to a test score. These assessments should be a reflection of achievement. Originally created to increase our national academic rank, standardize testing has become more of a battle than a reflection of basic knowledge and comprehension skills. President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" campaign tripled the amount of test taking in the United States. In order to fix this problem, we must all either come to agree on the disadvantages standardize tests have provided our schools with, nationwide, or choose to ignore the damages. With so many red flags, such as test scorers found on Craigslist or quotas given to grade these exams, we must take a stand. While some may argue that standardize test taking is proven to increase our adaptability and provide classrooms with a "healthy sense of competition", our scores have shown a significant decrease from when this "test taking boom" began in the 90's. More and more students are taking stand against standardize testing. As a student myself, I believe it is the responsibility of other educators and political leaders to follow suit in order to maintain a sense of national academic dignity and pride.