Since we start school, we are told to focus on our tests, exams, and grades. But why do standardized tests matter the most? In Texas, this test is called the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness), which is composed of 50 some questions that are meant to test a student's knowledge in core subjects. However, these exams do not measure achievement or accountability at all. Instead they are used to give schools ratings that are often determinants of funding allowed to school districts.
In my experience of taking the STAAR, test questions do not test on comprehension but rather closest correct answers. For example, students will often see phrases like, "Which best matches ..." or, "What was most likely intended ..." especially during the English EOCs and reading tests. These phrases show the test-taker that there might have been more than one accurate answer, but only one was considered the correct one. In many reading passages multiple themes and moods are overlapped, and students are expected to pinpoint that with one answer choice. The STAAR test drives students to look at the surface level of a text and not read too much into the piece, but this technique is not the only way to understand a passage. The test limits students' analysis of a piece and focuses on a unidimensional take of a piece. Additionally, this makes it harder for teachers to cover the curriculum because they are forced to spend time teaching test-taking techniques rather than the content.
Not only is the test confusing, but it also creates a bigger achievement gap between high- and low-income students. Schools that underperform are often high in poverty and low in admissions. Having the STAAR as a determinant to a school's funding is faulty in more ways than one. Schools with more low-income students struggle to get better schoolwide scores; this in return makes the school poorer, even though funding should be given to students who need it most. Moreover, the readability of the tests causes many to think that they may be rigged. A report on this was done at Texas A&M University by Susan Szabo and Becky Sinclair. Their research concluded that it was not enough for students to be at grade level but that most students would be comprehending at least two grade levels higher than their own to receive a good score.
Lastly, the test is a waste of time and money. Texas spends around $90 million to test students every year on things that they already know or probably will never know considering the nonsensical test material. Because the stakes of these exams are so high, teachers are expected to spend around seven weeks reviewing material, even though it benefits nearly no one. The exam outcomes are consistent and rarely change. Spending $90 million on something that is already known is a big waste of money, thus time spent preparing for inevitable outcomes is a big waste of time. There are better ways to measure a student's intelligence. Many schools use the Stanford tests, and Texas should start too if they want accurate results.
Although I still choose to take the test, I have stopped worrying about scores on an exam that respectfully do not matter; and I encourage all of us to do the same.
Aina Marzia is a 15-year-old writer and artist. Her work has been seen in Havik Journal 2021, BElatina News, Brave Books, celebrating art and scholastic art & writing programs. Aina also enjoys art and debate; her work has been exhibited in over 15 galleries. Aina recently was recognized at the national level after writing an essay centered on youth violence, becoming one of 50 national ambassadors for Do the Write Thing.
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