Ralph Tyler is considered the father of assessment and standardize testing in classrooms. Throughout my what seems like never-ending years in school, I have completed many standardized tests in the class to prove what I have learned. These tests where completed so the teacher could understand what we had learned and what areas we have struggled in as a class. The problem with this method is if the majority of the class was succeeding in an area we would move on.
Some of the disadvantages of a standardize test is that some students have trouble with this kind of test. Personally, I struggle because of anxiety. Another issue is that questions maybe worded different than a student has learned or the student may need to talk about the question out loud to understand. These problems can cause confusion to the student causing them a disadvantage.
Standardize testing also has many potential benefits. Results of these tests can give the teacher information about where the students are at with certain subjects. This means that the teacher then knows what needs to be improved and what was successful in the classroom. Tests can save a teacher a lot of time as they can be easy to mark and gives a future direction. Lastly, standardize testing shows the progress of a student and what strategies work best with certain students.
Emma Knight 
You have some really great points in this post. I agree that standardized tests give many kids anxiety…even to this day I get anxious before exams. Standardized tests are easier and more efficient for teachers, yet I completely agree that they can be a huge disadvantage for children. Your comment about test questions being worded different than what children may be used to is also true as well.
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I was also a student who struggled standardized testing, and even testing in general; also the cause of anxiety. I agree that testing saves teachers a lot of time, but is a student’s learning and true comprehension worth that extra time? I really enjoy the photo you posted at the bottom of your post as it makes me think of how fellow students and I spent more time trying to memorize the material needed in order to past the test, rather than taking time to make sure we understood what we were being tested on. I feel this is also due to the importance teachers place upon tests in the eyes of the students; at times a pass or fail on a test means a pass or fail in the class.
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I enjoyed reading your blog post and discovering what you thought the pros and cons of Tyler’s rational were. Specifically, I liked your point on how standardized testing is difficult for students with anxiety or for students who need to read the question out loud in order to understand it. I also liked your point on how standardized testing can be a good thing as it allows the teacher to see where students are at. Finally, I liked how you included a picture into your blog post.
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That picture leaves a big statement, because us as teachers is that really what we want our students to go home and tell their parents, or would we rather have our students go home and tell their parents about the experiences they have gained and what they learn from those experiences?
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I totally agree with your post here. Your point saying if the majority of kids understood the topic and tested well, the class would move on to another topic. This leaves the other children in the dust and most likely they will continue to do poorly. Their self-esteem will drop and they will not want to work hard because it doesn’t seem to be paying off for them in academics. I also agree with some of the benefits, but for the most part I see the negativity involved in assessment of this kind.
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A lot of people have bashed standardized testing. But I agree agree with your last paragraph there are a lot of benefits. Seeing that you have progressed is a huge confidence booster. Like your picture though, many students try to find ways to pass the test rather than learn about the subject. Their main goal is to just get the test done and over with rather than taking something from what they were just tested on.
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I agree with you that tests can cause extreme anxiety, which in turn can then effect the score or grade even if the student knows more then what they have proven on the test. I can also agree that sometimes questions are worded differently then the way they were originally learnt or asked. Which in turn can cause more confusion then needed. But yes I believe that we can all agree the strong benefit is that as a teacher you can then see what is working in the class and what is not. Great post!
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