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Standardized testing is a billion-dollar industry that feeds off of the rampant racism and classism prevalent in the United States. Due to the pandemic, many educational institutions are considering postponing these tests. Instead, they should consider canceling them altogether. 

It is completely understandable that students take assessments, but standardized testing has changed the entire education system in the U.S., compromising students’ mental health in the process. A 2015 study found that “The average student in America’s big-city public schools will take roughly 112 mandatory standardized tests between pre-kindergarten and high school graduation.” 

This has fueled a mentality of “teaching to test” instead of designing assessments to monitor learning or progress, as these tests dictate many important factors for students and teachers alike. These tests can dictate federal funding for schools and admission to future schools for students, consequently causing immense harm to students’ mental health. 

Many parents are taking note of the disposition change and extreme anxiety their children are facing. One coalition of parents, NYC Opt Out, focuses on educating other parents and students on the negative impacts of standardized testing. 

In a presentation to parents in New York City, Johanna Garcia, a mother involved in NYC Opt Out, recounted a heartbreaking story of her son’s debilitating anxiety around high-stakes testing and shared a profound example of the increasing amount of standardized testing in New York City. 

Like many parents of young children, she has a space to collect the artwork her children bring home from school. After collecting their artwork throughout their childhood, her oldest son had a full box, while her youngest son had only a few pieces. Other parents share her observations. All of this sacrifice to take tests that are likely unfair.

In New York City, there are considered to be eight “elite” public high schools that accept students based on a test they take in eighth grade called the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, or SHSAT. In 2014, Stuyvesant High School, a public high school that selected students based on the slimmest test scores, accepted 952 students for the following year. Seven of those 952 were Black students, and 21 were Hispanic. This is outrageous, considering that 70% of students in New York City are Black or Latino. These tests don’t reflect intelligence, they expose privilege. 

This needs to be corrected immediately. Currently, states spend about $1.7 billion a year on standardized tests. That money could be used for much more fulfilling educational opportunities for students. It could be put toward field trips, art supplies and many other things that don’t show up on a test but are pivotal for development. 

These opportunities are also the first to be cut from the curriculum due to a “lack of funding.” Yet schools can spend billions of dollars on testing. We have to change the way we educate. Children should be learning and exploring a range of topics, not simply memorizing how to take a test. 

If educational institutions don’t fix these inequalities, parents should consider opting their child out. Let’s hope the former happens first.

Micaela Warren is a freshman communication and rhetorical studies major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

Published on February 9, 2021 at 11:16 pm