Kate Reinert Source 4

The question I am asking for this journal entry is: Does increased standardized testing have harmful effects on the personal and family life of students?

Source Cited: Kamenetz, Anya. Test : Why Our Schools are Obsessed with Standardized Testing–But You Don't Have to Be. New York, NY, USA: PublicAffairs, 2015. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 7 October 2015.

      The Test: Why Our Schools Are Obsessed with Standardized Testing- But You Don't Have To Be takes a closer look at how standardized testing can effect various aspects of a students life, from stress and anxiety, to loss of valuable free time necessary for development, to family life, and much more. The Test also discusses the efficiency of standardized tests brought about by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and whether or not they actually measure a student's intellectual capabilities. The Test includes many stories and opinions from teachers and parents alike, as well as a few words from students as well. While it is often argued that standardized testing provides an accurate assessment of students' skills, author Anya Kamenetz argues that this is not true, as a lot of the test scores used to compare students is often skewed or inaccurate, such as with tests that do not track the same students each year, or the tests are not the same. Kamenetz also argues that standardized testing has vastly changed the learning environment and the way Americans see learning as far as what is valuable and what can be omitted from the curriculum. The way students are taught is now often geared towards the high-stakes tests, Kamenetz says, and this increases anxiety for not only teachers and parents, but for the students, which can often cause students to do worse on tests, lose faith in themselves as intelligent human beings, or to avoid school altogether. Kamenetz expresses her concerns about the future of standardized testing and, consequently, the future of America.
          This source didn't necessarily change my thinking, but rather reaffirmed it. While it did introduce me to some new ideas, I feel that when I began reading this book, I agreed with the points made that I had considered previously. One aspect however that I feel much more informed on now, however, is the effect of standardized testing on family life, specifically the relationship between parent and child, and how increased standardized testing often leads to more homework and more time dedicated to tutoring, which can take away from valuable extracurricular time needed for development, especially in younger children. Many parents express concerns about their young children sitting for hours on end in the same seat being tested, being so "burnt" by the end of the day that they are given more time to play. While I agree with those who favor standardized testing that free time afterwards is much needed, I think the testing itself is unnecessary. Students spend weeks out of the school year being assessed to the point that class cannot resume because students are so worn out. If there was a smaller emphasis on testing, couldn't much more be accomplished during the school day? Parents also express concerns that often their children would come home from school and say they hate it, or that they aren't smart, or that they feel like they failed. Parents feel they have to dedicate a large amount of time to helping their children trudge through homework in preparation for tests rather than using that time to bond with their child. Many students even experienced illness, whether feigned or real, that prevented them from stressful test-taking. Many parents also expressed that they believed standardized testing was ruining their children's passion for learning. All of these points I have previously mentioned I believe answer my question for this journal. When I started I believed that standardized testing had effects on students' home lives, but I did not realize the extent of its effects.
        I believe I can put this source into conversation with Students Under Stress because it discusses how standardized testing effects students and teachers' stress levels as well. While The Test focuses mainly on the anxiety of students, Students Under Stress, contrary to the title, focused more on the teacher's perspective and how their test anxiety can cause them to change answers on standardized tests. The Test also touches on the falsification of test results, and also makes the point that many teachers will "coach" students or tell them flat out the right answer on the test. Both sources discuss how "teaching to the test" is a major problem, and teachers are more concerned about teaching the kids how to play guessing games on exams rather than actually learn the course material. Just as the teachers want to please their administrators, students want to impress their parents. When testing makes this difficult for students, especially young children, The Test argues that they often feel like they've failed. They lose faith in themselves, and their anxiety can cause them to do much worse on the tests or give up completely.
        When I started reading this source, I had my question in mind, but I wasn't sure how much insight this source would provide. Is the impact on family life really that severe? Is it truly negative, or does it help parents and children form stronger relationships through parents helping their children study? And most importantly, how does standardized testing effect children's life with family, friends, and hobbies? When these things are neglected due to testing, what is the impact on their development? One mother of an autistic young boy said she was furious that he was being tested on his math and language skills, skills he would never be proficient in, rather than enhancing his social skills, skills that he could and needed to improve. I think for my argumentative paper, I will need to do more research in order to prove my point, but I believe young children need much more free time to play and bond with their parents and friends doing things they enjoy. Is standardized testing taking away from that? When I started, I believed the answer to be a hesitant yes, but now this source has strengthened that opinion.