I remember my ACT testings all too well. I remember waking up early on a Saturday morning to take a test, which determines whether or not I'd end up in the college of my choice. I remember sitting silently in wait for the exam proctor to pass out booklets, which are to be filled out as quickly and as correctly as possible. I remember the anxiety of waiting several weeks to find out how well I did but always being told by adults, "They only count the questions you answered correctly."
Although it was never an issue for me to get the necessary scores needed for college, what ends do these tests accomplish?
Yes, we are able to utilize our number to get scholarships and admission into the collegiate world of learning, but what about the students who aren't such good test takers and adults who haven't been to school in years? I believe that standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT, are valuable tools for assessing someone's intellectual ability. However, to say that they are strictly the only way to gauge intellect and preparedness for college is by no means true.
Not everyone's' mind works in the same way, and for many people, multiple choice questions in a limited amount of time is not the most accurate way to determine if they will succeed in college. Although multiple choice questions graded by a machine limits bias, they also limit accurately reflecting the intelligence of the test-taker. In a 2011 study on standardized test scores, the Brookings Institution found that, "50-80 percent of year-over-year test score improvements were temporary and 'caused by fluctuations that had nothing to do with long-term changes in learning...'" According to Gerald Bracey, PhD, standardized testing does not accurately measure what makes up a student's intelligence. The test cannot measure "creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic-mindedness, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, integrity." To have a number that will make or break your opportunities in your future college career is simply an unfair system.
We harp and preach that no child is to be left behind academically, yet it seems that educators and politicians are content with getting students to graduation but care very little about what comes next. The world that we are living in today is not like the world twenty years ago. Back then a Bachelor's Degree was all you needed to make a comfortable living for yourself, but now many jobs are looking for those with a Masters. There is a constant need for individuals with a college degree in almost every career field, yet there is a line drawn when college is made difficult and costly for someone who lacks a 'good enough test score' to pursue a degree.
There may not currently be a more effective method to gauge intelligence, but I believe the conversation should be happening more and a solution reached. Schools stopped administering IQ tests for concern of discouraging young children, but what would possibly make a different standardized test any less stressful or limiting?
