Definition of a Standardized Testing and What you Need Know
– Definition of a Standardized Testing and What you Need to Know –
If you are searching for “Definition of a Standardized Testing” this page is all you need. This page will provide a working definition of Standardized Testing and other information relevant to the subject matter. Kindly read on.
Seeing the impact that standardization tests have had in education systems internationally, we can proudly say that a handful of students have benefited from this test. Frequently, students’ lives are becoming influenced by standardized testing, as a social push for educational liability has led to an immense rise when using these assessments all across districts and nations (Guskey& Jung, 2013).
Student worth is much discussed by educators, academics, and politicians, but what is obvious is that their use seems to be rising rather than decreasing. Undergoing standardized tests as students can offer a useful viewpoint, however, it is crucial that faculty and students have an overall understanding of the history of standardized or high-stakes testing, as well as a basic general idea of how these assessments are done. This article will reveal the important things about standardization test
Definition of a Standardization Test
A standardized test is any system of test that needs all test takers to answer the same questions, or an assortment of questions from a well-known bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a “standard” or reliable manner, which makes it possible to liken the relative performance of individual students or groups of students.
While different sorts of tests and evaluations may be “standardized” in this way, the term is majorly affiliated with large-scale tests administered to large populations of students, such as a multiple-choice test given to all the eighth-grade public-school students in a particular state, for example.
The intention in standardized testing is to have big numbers of students write a single test, then to link any single score against all others to see how an individual’s score compares to the large sample. The results are then posted on a bell curve that indicates where a score sits within descriptive statistical standards. Standardized tests are given to large groups numbering at least in the thousands, sometimes millions.
Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing
The main conundrums in standardized testing of accomplishment lie in the validity and applicability of the test results. Legitimacy relates to how accurately the test results actually reveal the students’ knowledge about the subject. Standardized tests use a minimum number of questions and getting even one or two wrong due to environmental cause, it will affect the individual student’s results. The factors that affect a student getting a question right or wrong may be immeasurable and could be organized into (a) situational/environmental confounding factors, (b) personal/emotional factors, and (c) grade-spread requirement in standardized testing.
Situational/Environmental Factors
Even though standardized testing seeks to minimize confusing variables by requiring students to write in the same situations, it may be that some students are writing in situations that are significantly different from other students, for instance, it might be too bright or too dark or even too cold or too hot. The testing conditions may cause students to perform too low such as when students might miss knowing the questions not because they do not know the material but for something as simple as the testing. Some center had poor lighting that caused headaches in students, or because the testing room was too cold and did not allow certain students to focus.
Personal/Emotional Factors
Students who are poor test-takers because of nerves related to tests may not be able to show what they can achieve in the high-stakes atmosphere of standardized testing. Their anxiety becomes the decisive factor of how well they do the test, not whether they know the material. Even students who are usually good test takers can have a slanted result; for instance, a student who had an emotional moment just before the test might not be able to pay attention and receives a result that is not reflective of his or her capabilities.
Grade-Spread Requirements
Maybe the main concern with achievement standardized testing is that testing should be centered on curricular results that are mandated by the provincial or state governing bodies. Standardized tests have to make a one-size-fits-all test that will not fit all because as Popham (1999) says, “… standardized attainment tests will invariably cover a number of items that are not aligned with what’s accentuated in a particular setting” (p. 331). A 1983 study of alignment between textbook content and the standardized test found that “In no case was even 50 percent of a test’s content suitably addressed in any textbook” (Popham, p. 331). That is, there was a low correlation among what was in the test and in the textbooks that were a major resource to prepare students for the test.
If you’ve found any of the information in this article handy, please subscribe to your email below, to receive regular updates like this one, and also share with your friends through the various platforms seen above.
CSN Team.
