Standardized test scores are given incredible weight. The scores a school produces affect curriculum development, teacher salaries, school funding and other important aspects of a school. Under pressure to create a class full of students that score high on standardized testing, a teacher may shift focus mostly or entirely towards a particular test. Teaching to a test eliminates other valuable class-time activities, including hands-on learning, field trips and student projects. Putting this type of pressure on a teacher may stifle creativity in the classroom and push the teacher to focus only on the material tested in a particular exam.
Each student in a classroom has learning differences. Some may be good at language arts, some at math, some at visual art and some at social studies. Students learn by listening to lectures, watching movies, seeing visuals, taking notes or playing games, among other strategies. The issue with standardized testing is that it tests only one type of knowledge -- memorization. On standard written exams, students restate memorized information in short answers, multiple choice, true or false questions and other formats. Students who learn differently, such as hands-on learners, have a harder time proving their skill set with this limited type of exam.
Standardized testing has an emotional impact on students, teachers and upper management school staff. Each member of a school is aware of the importance of standardized testing and what it could mean for the future of the students and the school. Fear and anxiety on testing day can have a significant impact on a student's performance. Some students may be so emotionally intimidated by a standardized test that they freeze on the spot or give up before they begin.
The data produced from a standardized test shows students as numbers. These numbers don't take into account student differences, including lifestyle, socioeconomic status, gender, learning styles and other factors that may or may not affect a student's score. Those who do well on standardized tests will be recognized by the system; those who don't will be seen as incompetent rather than different. The school curriculum and funding will be further geared toward improving the first group's school experience, while those who have a hard time with standardized testing are forgotten. As those who learn and test well in a traditional manner move on to advance placement and honors classes, those who learn and test differently are set up for a less successful academic future.