Parents can use formative assessment results as a tool to expose gaps and utilize results to develop necessary adjustments to the curriculum. It is also a numerical and statistical indicator that aids school’s admission to impartially compare candidates.
Identifies gaps and assesses how much students learned
Standardized tests are a highly controversial subject in the school system. Since the No Child Left Behind Act passed, which was meant to hold schools liable for students’ academic progress, assessment tests became more questionable.
Schools report test results, so that states can raise proficiency to a higher level.Principals are under a lot of pressure because it they miss their target, schools could lose part of the Title I money or even shut down.
One benefit of this program is that if schools do not meet performance requirements, students can transfer to a better school or have free tutoring. However, students are not taking advantage of these benefits because most of them are unaware of their rights. These tests should be used to improve their curriculum; instead, teachers and principals receive monetary incentive if they boost students’ test scores causing them to “teach to the test” most of the school year. Placement tests are also used to categorize students into different skill levels.
Although standardized tests have their flaws, they do identify students’ strengths and weaknesses.
