Charger Opinion
No more #2 pencilsEmilee Chaffin, Associate Editor You must use a #2 pencil. Fill in the circle you choose completely
and make your marks heavy and dark. How many times in our educational
careers have we heard this? Entirely too many! Now, thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act proposed by President
Bush and passed by Congress, testing will increase drastically.
In Tennessee, we have always taken the English and math tests during
high school, but soon students all across the country will be required
to take these tests, plus exams in science. In some states in the U.S., the graduating class of 2003 will be required to take an exit exam to graduate. Most states will soon be requiring standardized testing as a requirement
for graduation. Testing is a big part of the No Child Left Behind Act and promises
even more emphasis on it. Tests should not solely determine whether or not students progress
to the next grade or even graduate. Fueling the test movement is a concern that high school graduates
are not prepared for the “real world.” It’s not just struggling students who have trouble taking
tests. The whole process can be a nightmare for both average and
high-achieving students who just aren’t good test-takers. Not
everyone tests well. I am not a good test-taker. The thought that these dreadful standardized
tests will decide what college I get into, as opposed to how well
I did in my classes, bothers me. Many teenagers oppose the increased amount of standardized testing in their schools, and with good reason. All their hard work and grades won’t mean as much now. Why should I work so hard in my classes and do so well on papers
and projects to have an excellent grade in an honors class? Will colleges now look at these state standardized tests scores
that I made, which probably aren’t so good? They should not be the sole criterion for graduation, but they are in nineteen states across the U.S. now, and that number is growing.
~Article prepared for web by Steven Linger and Joy Wheeler~ |