Do Standardized Test Scores Measure Education Quality?
The purpose of standardized tests in schools is to give educators an objective, unbiased perspective of the effectiveness of their instruction. Although standardized testing was designed to identify the natural aptitudes of individual students, over the years some educators have found additional factors may skew the results. Standardized tests have been a part of U.S. education since the mid-1800s. But their popularity really skyrocketed in 2002 when the No Child Left Behind Act mandated annual testing in all 50 states. Since then, there’s been much debate about whether or not standardized testing can truly measure education quality—and how much weight should be given to standardized test scores. Like most arguments, there are strong opinions and points to be made on both...