Many students know what it’s like to be haunted by a test score. One can secure a 4.0 GPA in high school, but then when it comes to taking the ACT things can go wrong. Tragic events similar to these can leave a student in a sticky situation. Scholarships, grants and even admission hang in the balance. There should be ways to determine success other than by how well one can do on a standardized test.
Are standardized tests really all that fair, or is there something that can be done instead to solve the problem?
“Progress portfolios are being used in Pennsylvania and transcripts are still being used to determine overall success,” according to about.com.
So, if people in Pennsylvania are doing that, then why can’t Wyoming? A student with a low ACT score may have to take out student loans to pay for a college degree.
According to npr.org, “Standardized tests are not reliable because they only use a small portion of acquired knowledge.”
This is a valid point. How do you cram 12 years worth of knowledge into just four to six hours? This test can haunt students and may make their dreams difficult to strive for. I, for one, know what it is like to be told that, “You must retake the exam if you expect Hathaway money,” but don’t worry it is only your future that lies in front of you.
According to about.com, “Students are more likely to feel pressure and anxiety, which makes them more likely to do poorly.
With their entire futures at stake, why should these students have to endure all that unnecessary pressure?
When reviewing for the ACT it can be argued that one is only practicing how to take the test. Well, is learning the test really going to show your intelligence?
According to npr.org, “Standardized tests are not very objective at all, since students just drill for the tests.”
Students are not going to learn anything if all they are doing is practicing how to take the exam. Their scores will be higher after learning the format of the test, but does that mean that they will succeed in college? Or does this mean that there could be people roaming all over campus, living off of student loans due to insufficient ACT scores?
We need to fix this and allow everyone the chance to succeed. College and life are going to be hard, but persevere and above all don’t chase your dreams. Run them down.
