http://thinkprogress.

org/education/2015/02/17/3623683/okl
ahoma-lawmakers-vote-overwhleming-ban-adva
nced-placement-history-class/
http://www.fairtest.org/class-2016-national-meritscholarship-cutoff-score varies by state
http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.ht
ml actual state values
On balance, standardized testing is beneficial to K-12
education in the United States.
Aff We affirm the resolution that standardized testing is beneficial to K-12
education in the United States
Opener: As President George Washington said in his farewell address, promote as
an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.
We define a standardized test as - Any form of exam that requires all test takers to
answer the same questions, and is scored in a consistent manner that allows for
comparison of relative performance of students.
(edglossary.com)

Contention 1- ST holds teachers and schools accountable for the job that they do
and provides a look into the quality of education students receive.
Standardized testing is an objective, reliable measure of
student achievement due to each student being administered the same
questions. The tests are graded by machine which removes teacher bias
and human subjectivity. Even open response questions are graded by the
uniformly trained pool of graders.
Although a student could have straight As and do well in
school or the opposite, teacher evaluation is subjective and produces a
need for an official, unbiased measure of a students comprehension.
Without standardized testing, a students accomplishments are unknown
relative to others at their level.
Holding educators to a standard ensures that quality
education is provided. Maintaining teacher accountability in student
achievement in certain areas is necessary as to prevent damaging or
delayed educational practices from certain teachers. As the National

Education Association has stated, the teaching profession is a

cornerstone of society so it is justly appropriate to assure their
beneficiality for their students.
(http://www.nea.org/grants/46326.htm)
In an NEA study, 75% of teachers reported feeling pressure
to make their students do well on standardized testing. Instead of this
pressure being interpreted negatively on the anxiety of educators, it
should be seen as beneficial. 75% of teachers have a deeper motivation
to give students an equal education and encourage their full potential due
to standardized testing requirements.
(http://neatoday.org/2014/11/02/nea-survey-nearly-half-of-teachers-consider-leaving-profession-due-tostandardized-testing-2/)
Impact: Without ST there is no universal measure of a teachers capabilities and for
one of the most crucial jobs in the US this is unacceptable. Teachers must be held
accountable for what they teach students.

Contention 2- ST allows for schools to recognize areas that need improvement,

allowing them to make changes to curriculums to better educate the students.
Testing assesses where students are proficient as well as lacking. This
allows students to recognize what areas they need to focus on, making their
school time more beneficial to them personally. An ASCD study found in a
sample group of 1,200 teachers, 25% changed their teaching policies to better fit
information in the set curriculum. This fosters more uniform education
experiences for more students, allowing equal comparison between each for
competition in further education. Test scores direct teachers on what areas their
students need help with. Furthermore, seeing student performance enables
teachers to better structure lesson plans and areas of focus, as 25% of teachers
had been proven to do.
(http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb93/vol50/num05/-Standardized-TestingImpedes-Reform.aspx)
Standardized testing has proven beneficial to education in other regions of
the world in a system that could be easily implemented in the US. China has a
long history of standardized testing, tops all other countries frequently in math,
science, and reading. In the nationally administered 2012 exam given by the
Programme for International Student Assessment, (PISA), Shanghai came out on
top with the highest average score in comparison to other countries; Hong Kong
also scored exceptionally well, coming in 3rd.
(https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pisa/pisa2012/pisa2012highlights_1.asp )
Additionally, a Public Agenda survey found that 66% of college professors
agreed with the statement that high schoolers are taught too little. In order to fit

the actual necessary components for success in post-secondary high school, K12 students need to be assessed on a standard that fit what colleges need.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/opinion/the-tests-we-know-we-need.html)

Contention 3- ST gives students a goal and sense of motivation to succeed to their

fullest potential.
As nationwide standardized testing such as the common core compares all
students in the United States to the same standard, the sense of competition is actually
leveled and a challenge. Students pursuing further education are able to know that the
expectations colleges hold can be equally compared between students due to
standardized testing.
ST motivates students to ask questions, put in their maximum amount of effort,
and truly take advantage of their schooling because they know future universities will
hold them accountable for it. An analysis found in the education scholar Richard P.
Phelps Education Review study The Effect on Achievement: Meta-Analyses and
Research Summary, states that 93% of studies on student examination, including the
use of large-scale and high-stakes standardized tests, found a "positive effect" on
student achievement.
FOR THESE REASONS WE MUST AFFIRM THE RESOLUTION

ST CHANGES THE WAY THAT TEACHERS ARE PROVIDING EDUCATION

Counterclaim:(mob mentality) According to an ASCD study, 79 percent of teachers thought
their colleagues would teach to the test rather than ensure that real learning takes place. On the other
hand, they reported they would not do so themselves. A large majority73 percent
said their teaching is not distorted by testing pressures. Test results are not made
known unto schools until a long time later, and by the time they are known it is likely
there is a new class of students with different strengths and weaknesses, rendering the
scores useless in improving curriculum. ST is ineffective when it comes to improving
curriculum.
(http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Instruction/High-stakes-testing-and-effects-oninstruction-At-a-glance/High-stakes-testing-and-effects-on-instruction-Research-review.html )
ST DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST SPECIAL NEEDS OR OTHER
ETHNICITIES, FAIR METHOD OF TEACHER EVALUATION.
Counterclaim: Chanel M. Quintero, a teacher in NY educates students with Autism,

other developmental disabilities and some lacking the basic motor skills to hold a pencil.
Yet they are forced to take the same test as other students, analyze documents and
write a paragraph. She then fails her teacher assessment and is labeled as a bad
teacher because her students do not meet the testing standard they could never
possibly achieve.
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/10/05/special-education-teacher-why-itsidiotic-to-force-my-students-to-take-standardized-tests/)
TEACHING TO THE TEST IS A GOOD THING- FOCUSES ON ESSENTIAL CONTENT
AND SKILLS, MAKES GOOD USE OF TIME
The curriculum provided by test makers who are the best in their field of education. The
National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT),
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE) were all major contributors to the common core
standardized tests. If the professionals in the education field deem these standards
to be what students need to know, it is clear that the teachers are teaching to the
best standards possible for success.
(http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/frequently-asked-questions/)

ST DOES NOT TAKE AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Eliminates creativity. This does not motivate students to excel in school, will make them
lose interest and the drive to succeed. Higher dropout rates due to graduation examsCA dropout rate increased from 12 percent to 22 over the course of four years
http://www.newgeography.com/content/002522-do-standardized-tests-raise-dropoutrates
Art and music programs have been drastically cut in schools due to focus on math,
reading, science. According to an article by the National Education Association, In Los
Angeles alone, one-third of the 345 arts teachers were laid off or fired between 2008
and 2012 and arts programs for elementary students dwindled to practically zero. In a
2011 national survey, two-thirds of teachers said many academic subjects had been
crowded out by an increased focus on math and language arts. About half said art and
music were being marginalized, while 40 percent said the same for foreign language;
(http://neatoday.org/2014/09/02/the-testing-obsession-and-the-disappearing-curriculum2/)

CHINA HAS ST AND IS THE TOP IN EDUCATION

Counterclaim: Yong Zhaos novel Catching up or Leading the Pack contains a study on
the Chinese education systems that found that 13% of elementary schoolers in China
have considered suicide due to the pressure of school, and 20.4% of high schoolers

had seriously considered suicide. ST puts an atrocious amount of pressure on these

students. To quote the suicide letter of the Chinese student XiuXiu, This is the only
thing I can do. I am a bad student. Tens of thousands of students in China commit
suicide annually attested to the pressure of ST. ST is not worth the destruction of
childrens lives. Is the reduction of students to mere test scores instead of the
bright individuals they are, worth it if they are literally killing themselves to
escape?
ST IS A RELIABLE, OBJECTIVE WAY TO MEASURE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Counterclaim: Subjectivity is present at certain points of the testing process, such as
when standards are set for passing scores and the selection and presentation of
questions. Human judgment determines how many pass or fail, and can make it difficult
for certain people to succeed, such as students with English as a 2nd language.

Neg We negate the resolution that standardized testing is beneficial to K-12

education in the United States.
Opener: President of the National Education Association stated the high stakes. . . test
and punish has only served to widen the gap between the schools in the wealthiest
districts and. . . the poorest. We must reduce the emphasis on ST that have corrupted
the quality of education children receive
(http://neatoday.org/2015/08/23/poll-americans-want-less-standardized-testing-and-more-school-funding/ )
We define standardized testing as - a test scored in a standard or consistent
manner, which makes it possible to compare the relative performance of individual
students or groups of students.
(edglossary.com)

Contention 1- Standardized testing can adversely affect the future of a student; it

does not prepare them for further education or the work force and the fear of failing
drives some to desperate measures in order to pass.
Curriculums are built around the concepts being tested on,
not on relevant, current information that will actually benefit a students
adult life. The assumption that standardized testing accurately assesses a
students knowledge drives teachers to create curriculums as such. An
ASCD study that polled over 1,200 teachers found that over 25% changed
their teaching policies to fit the tested material, and not what they believed
would be most useful for their students to know.

(http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb93/vol50/num05/-Standardized-TestingImpedes-Reform.aspx)
ST has in fact never been proven to improve student
achievement, which leads to the question if they are really being prepared
for adult life in their years of schooling. Finland has been ranked #1 in
world education year after year, and does not employ standardized testing
in their academics.
(http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-sciencereading)
Evaluation occurs with no assistance from peers, resources,
learning devices, and other help. This is very unlike a current day job
which primarily functions from community based interactions.
According to the University of Michigan's annual "Monitoring
the Future" studies, its 1994 data report indicated that at that time, there
were more U.S. high-school seniors who abused Ritalin than there were
seniors who were legally prescribed the drug. Since then, the number of
Ritalin abusers in high school has only increased. (2.4% high schoolers
reported to abuse ritalin)
(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/drugs/ritalinstats.html)

Impact:Students are unprepared for life with ST, and are pushed so far they are ruining
their lives with drug abuse 2.4% of the time due to the ST system. good kush drug me
up

Contention 2- Standardized testing causes large amounts of stress to the students,

which can therefore lead to further issues with their schooling.
UC Berkeley Neuroscientists have found that chronic stress,
especially when experienced early in life, can lead to anxiety and mood
disorders later in life. Long durations of stress have been proven to
negatively permanently affects memory and learning.
(https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/chronic-stress-can-damage-brainstructure-and-connectivity)
If a student scores well on an exam, they could simply be
good test takers and not have deeper understanding of the concepts. In
the National Demonstration Study conducted by TestEdge, results showed
that 61% of high school students suffer from test anxiety and that 26% are
handicapped by it often or most of the time. Students with high levels of
test anxiety scored, on average, 15 points lower on standardized tests in
both Mathematics and English-Language Arts (ELA) than students with
low anxiety. This implies standardized and high stakes testing is
discriminatory towards these students.
(https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2015/02/tends-report-complete-report.pdf )

 ST only serves to inform administrators of the performance

of a student on a single assessment. A competent teacher can analyze
student capability solely based on homework, quizzes, and performance
on other individualized and various assessments. This deems ST as a
useless stress on developing children, and takes away from useful and
applicable classroom learning.
Any feedback that ST is supposedly providing is fully nullified
because feedback is recieved months later, making it too late for a teacher
to drastically improve the learning of the student or focus in on areas they
struggle under.
Impact: ST have negative mental impacts on students, ST discriminates against 26% of
kids who have test anxiety, and the information gained is really not impactful.

Contention 3- Standardized testing does not assess each student on an actually

standardized level.
Tests are created simply to assess a students knowledge
base, and does not recognise their total academic ability. Standardized
testing has no account for how divergent thinking fosters creativity or
alternative answers, which again is contrary to the reality of the work force
and further education.
ST is very expensive, which can draw funds away from more
crucial areas for public schooling. In Andrew Ujifasas article on
edweek.org, he informs that ST costs US states 1.7 billion overall. This is
1.7 billion dollars not going to directly benefit the education system but
rather burden it.
(http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/11/29/13testcosts.h32.html)
But this does not only affect the school as a whole, but an
individualized students success can be adversely affected by their socioeconomic status. Even online SAT help at a professional tutoring company
is at its cheapest $749 from Kaplan. For a test that is so high stakes for
students going into higher education, those that are wealthier have an
advantage on those that are not.
(http://www.kaptest.com/sat/enroll?zip=98052&tab=options)
Impact: ST is discriminatory towards those with no economic advantage and therefore
perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
FOR THESE REASONS WE MUST NEGATE THE RESOLUTION

STANDARDIZED TESTING HAS NOT IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Counterclaim: according to report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and

Development (OECD), which has tested high-school students since 2000. Shanghai
students were followed by Korea (#2), Finland (#3), Hong Kong (#4), and Canada (#5).
U.S. students ranked #24. How do you suggest to improve test scores if students
arent even taking tests?
[ The Economist online An International Report Card Dec. 7, 2010, OECD PISA 2009]
STANDARDIZED TESTING PUTS STUDENTS UNDER MORE PRESSURE THAN
THEY CAN HANDLE; TEST ANXIETY HAS A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON SCORES
Counterclaim: If students are feeling that level of test anxiety to the point where their
scores are suffering, it is the teachers/ schools fault for over-hyping the test. When
teachers constantly mention the test and how it is crucial students do well, of course it is
going to worry them. ST tests basic knowledge and common sense skills, and all
students have the capability of doing well. The anxiety does not come from the testing
itself, it comes from the teachers. The ACT allows students to retake the exam if they
are not satisfied with their scores. If teachers were to stress that a mediocre score does
not equal the end of a students academic progression, they would feel significantly less
stressed out.
ST DOES NO GOOD FOR THE FUTURE LIFE OF A STUDENT AND DOES NOT
PREPARE THEM FOR THE REAL WORLD.
Counterclaim: The SAT and ACT are standardized tests. These tests are required for
college admission, and without the practice that other tests provide such as common
core, students may not score as well on those critical exams and limit their post-high
school education options. 160 colleges absolutely require both scores, and at hundreds
and hundreds of others, getting in is nearly impossible without scores. How exactly is
ST not beneficial if it is preparing students for college placement?
(https://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-subject/about/institution)
ST IS NOT REQUIRED FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
According to the College Board, over 160 colleges in the US will immediately remove an
applicant from the admission process without any SAT scores. Although it is not set in
stone for other colleges, students are limited in their options if they arent prepared for
ST.
(https://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-subject/about/institution)
TEACHING TO THE TEST ELIMINATES THE TEACHING OF ESSENTIAL SKILLS
Counterclaim: If a teacher feels like curriculum is lacking because they are teaching to
the test, then isnt it the teachers job to fix the test and not condemn testing in its
entirety? The curriculum is provided by test makers who are the best in their field of
education, so their claims are unwarranted in comparison to the professional opinions of

the creators. The National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of

Teachers (AFT), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and National
Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) were all major contributors to the common
core standardized tests. With the questions coming from this level of expertise,
how can one assume the knowledge being tested is not essential?
Furthermore, some tests cannot really be taught. Students are asked to synthesize
multiple sources, write analytical essays, and solve multi-step logic problems. In
order to do that, they must have solid understanding and confidence in reading and
writing. Are reading and writing not essential skills?
(http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/frequently-asked-questions/)
STANDARDIZED TESTS CAUSE TEACHERS TO CHEAT AND INFLATE TEST
SCORES AS THEIR JOBS MAY DEPEND ON IT
If teachers are cheating, the tests arent at fault. It is the teachers moral fiber. As
Thomas J. Kane, director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard
University, noted this spring, such a reaction would be equivalent to saying O.K.,
because there are some players that cheated in Major League Baseball, we should stop
keeping score, because that only encourages people to take steroids. You cannot blame
the practice for initiating corruption. Tests are simply a set of questions on paper.
Inanimate objects cannot physically cause teachers to alter test scores and be
dishonest, can they?
(http://eagnews.org/expert-picks-apart-union-arguments-against-standardized-testing/)
ST IS EXPENSIVE AF
Counterclaim: When ST is localized, it becomes very cheap- averaging 7 dollars per
student. The problem of expense could be solved by bringing ST down from a national
level to a district level. Furthermore the 1.7 billion spent annually on testing is only a
quarter of 1 percent of total K-12 spending in the United States. This is money going to
the furthering and improvement of education, not funding prisons. Some critics against
ST also target AP exams, in which a score of 3 or higher can equate to college credits;
this allows for a more flexible schedule. In the long run, 80 dollars is nothing compared
to the 2000+ dollars one would pay for classes.
(http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/11/29/13testcosts.h32.html)
ST DOES NOT HOLD TEACHERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR JOB
A teacher in Houston, Texas, was signed up to teach an intro to chemistry course but
had been teaching advanced chemistry the entire year. The college staff and students
had no idea, the students just being completely lost and confused the entire year. The
truth was only brought to light due to the standardized final exam. Without ST, it is
impossible to know that teachers are actually doing their job correctly and teaching

correct information. Without ST, how do you know if a classroom met expectation
and expanded the knowledge of the student? ST is essential because some
teachers may be teaching incorrect or even disturbing things to their students. In
September of this year, one teacher, instead of teaching her students essential
concepts like reading and writing, was instead brainwashing her students to write fond
letters to specific members of ISIS, labeling them as brothers and diamonds. Many
teachers teach bad things to their students, and ST is a way to uncover that. Teacher
evaluation is subjective and therefore not a valid measurement.
(http://www.khou.com/story/news/investigations/2014/07/25/12413938/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3231908/British-teacher-brainwashes-primaryschool-children-writing-letters-support-Syrian-jihadis-calling-diamonds.html )
ST ONLY PROMOTES MEMORIZATION OF CONCEPTS, NOT TRUE
UNDERSTANDING
This is false, because standardized tests often include essay writing and analysis of
passages. One cannot memorize the theme or authors purpose in a book, or every
single word they will type for an essay question they have never seen. But these
students do understand, as they can draw into cognitive skills and figure out the answer
to the question. Even if ST was based on memorization, would it really be a bad
thing? If anything it would prepare students for college courses where they must
memorize formulas for a final, or in a future occupation. In top paying jobs like computer
programming and doctor-esque occupations- the people must have certain things under
their belt. Computer coders have to have lots of concepts memorized, like how to
declare and initialize variables. Doctors must memorize what symptoms correspond to
what diseases.
TEACHERS DO NOT NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, IF THEY GOT THE JOB
THEY HAVE ALREADY PROVED THEMSELVES RESPONSIBLE FOR STUDENTS.
Just because a teacher is admitted to being a teaching, does not mean their style is
beneficial to student learning. Personal opinion and bias can influence the words that
come out of their mouths. In Oklahoma, the AP US History exam was banned by
lawmakers because it only teaches students what is bad about America. How is it right
to prevent students from learning the history of their country, whether it is ugly or not?
The lawmakers are pushing to ban all AP courses from school as well. You claim that
ST diminishes creativity and does not teach students essential concepts. To list a few
AP courses, there is studio art, music theory, and language and culture classes for
multiple languages. Banning these courses, which also ban the standardized exams
that come along with them, is the true reason for diminished student potential.

QUESTION LIST FOR THE AFF:

Would you agree that students suffer from test anxiety? Studies show that
students who suffer from this, tend to score lower on exams and therefore ST is
not an accurate measure of intelligence, and a waste of time.
QUESTION LIST FOR THE NEG:
Without standardized testing, how will teachers know what concepts they
need to teach better?
Would you agree that AP exams are standardized tests? These courses
include studio art, music theory, Chinese Language and Culture, Latin, Biology,
Computer Science. Then how does ST limit art, music, language, and science
programs?