Standardized Testing: American Public Education System

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Standardized testing has become somewhat of a staple on the American Public Education System. Anywhere in high schools around the United States, you will find students receiving standardized tests year round. Studies have shown that too much standardized testing can lead to multiple anxiety disorders. Students take multiple standardized tests in one school year, sometimes even taking more than one per semester, which causes a lot of stress and can lead to developing anxiety disorders, rather than good testing. Test anxiety is more of a performance anxiety, due to the fear of failing. Every teen experiences it at least once in their life.
According to the book “Anxiety Disorders”,by Brian Kennedy: “Test anxiety occurs
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Studies have shown that high-stakes testing leads to increased retention and dropping out. In an article by Robert Schaeffer over the dangers of high stakes testing he says: "Grade retention has repeatedly been proven to be counterproductive: students who are retained do not improve academically, are emotionally damaged by retention, suffer a loss of interest in school and self-esteem, and are more likely to drop out of school." So therefore Schaffer is stating that putting all this stress on current students is what eventually leads to their …show more content…
If students tell themselves that they are going to do poorly on a test or exam, then they are more than likely going to do that. In the article “What Causes Test Anxiety” by Kendra Cherry she states that: Student expectations are one major mental factor. For example, if a student believes that she will perform poorly on an exam, she is far more likely to become anxious before and during a test." Test anxiety actually gets worse each time a student experiences it. A student may begin to feel trapped or begin to feel hopeless. Cherry then goes on to add: "Test anxiety can also become a vicious cycle. After experiencing anxiety during one exam, students may become so fearful about it happening again that they actually become even more anxious during the next exam. After repeatedly enduring test anxiety, students may begin to feel helpless to change their situation." This is why standardized testing is a problem in the Public education school system within the United

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