Resolved: Standardized Testing should be removed from states' curriculum.

I will be pro for this argument, the argument being Resolved: Standardized Testing should be removed from states' curriculum. I will start by giving a few definitions, them being: A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner. State: A state as being part of the United States. Curriculum: course of study: an integrated course of academic studies Now, my first point will be on the actual definition of Standardized Test. Under many situations, it sounds like a good thing; it gives students equality when taking tests. However, this is not necessarily good. Just as with No Child Left Behind, no matter how good it looks on paper, you don't know how it will actually be once performed in real life. Whereas, many students who perform exceptionally well cannot advance further, and many slow learners may never advance at all. The example I shall use is the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, otherwise known as TCAP. Because of TCAP, teachers have to teach certain things in a certain amount of time. Students have to take in this information, and are limited to what they can learn. What standardized testing sets out to do isn't necessarily bad, in fact, in many cases, it lays out a great curriculum. However, this does not account for those that are bad at taking tests, and those that are simply great testers. It is not under any circumstances at testing what a student has learned. Not only that, but your scores on these tests plans out the rest of a student's middle school and high school career. Low TCAP scores but high grades will still keep you from ever doing any form of Honors class. Currently, there is in fact a project known as the Bartleby Project. It encourages parents to write on their papers, "I will not take a test such as this" in order to rid the USA of standardized testing. However, one of the reasons the Bartleby Project will inevitable fail is the fact that it will cause dismissal of teachers and many parents would want to subject their child to what could easily cause them to fail. In the Shelby County school district, failure to participate or score averages on Standardized testing causes you to retake the grade and upon the second time, it will result in expulsion from the school, or placement in ELL. This example in itself is another reason to rid the United States of Standardized Testing. Teachers being fired and students being expelled or placed in ELL simply is not acceptable. Secondly, Standardized Testing places immense stress on students and teachers. Both know that the outcome of these tests will in fact affect their future. For teachers, the students' outcome will determine if they keep their job. For students, their outcome will determine if they will enter the next grade, and if they will ever be in an honors class. Now, even if this is a short point, it is obviously a valid statement. Example can be shown through analogies. If one's job was on the line, stress levels would be rising. The same is with important classes and a teacher's job if they are lacking the necessary tenure. Stress is even placed on administrators as test scores rate their schools, and low ratings lower funds.