Is State Testing Really Worth It?

State testing has been a very controversial topic: Is it good? Is it bad? What is the point of state testing and is it worth it?

State testing is more for the teachers than for the students. The importance of state testing depends on how the school uses it. For example, if the administration never shows the teachers the results, the test was not necessary because the teachers do not know how to help improve the students’ knowledge. But if the administration shows teachers the results, the teachers can then use those results to help guide their plans for future lessons.

Most people think that state testing is not worth the stress or time, but most testing is only for one week. It can really help the teachers know what the students need to improve on. A state test assesses the students’ knowledge from the beginning of the year to where they are now. This way students remember everything they learn and they don’t lose the material that is taught to them.

The results from the testing are also given to the students so they know where they stand compared to other students. It also helps them so they know what they need to improve on.

Ava M. states, “State testing is okay. It gives the feeling that school is almost out.” When students take the tests it’s like a milestone marking how much they have accomplished this year.

State testing is also a way to see which schools get more funding. Schools that do better compared to others will most likely get more funding. If we did not do state testing then the government would not know which schools to give funding to and which schools deserve the funding.

All in all state testing is not completely horrible. Yes, it is a lot of sitting and work, but it has lots of good reasoning behind it.