In order for a high school student to graduate in Pennsylvania, they must either take Keystone exams in Algebra, Biology, and Literature or complete a different “Pathway to Graduation,” as outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Standardized testing is used to determine a student’s growth and aptitude, but the results are often skewed. According to the National Library of Medicine, between 10 and 40% of students experience test anxiety, depending on several factors, including race, socioeconomic status, and gender. Testing anxiety can lead to severe mental health issues as well as lower testing scores.
Standardized testing can be incredibly biased against students from marginalized communities. An article by Young Whan Choi, a teacher at UC Berkeley, writing for Next Generation Learning described how students who come from backgrounds other than the “average’ -white and middle class- may be confused by some questions since they have no reference point for the content. If a student has never heard of the topic of the question, they are already disadvantaged in their ability to score well on the test.
According to a study conducted by students at Northwestern University measuring cortisol levels in students taking standardized tests, students from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods had the highest cortisol spikes. By taking the backgrounds of all students taking the test into account, standardized tests would be less biased, and every student would have an equal opportunity to do well.
Testing anxiety can have numerous negative effects on students, including panic attacks which can lead to harmful physical and mental damage for students. By requiring students to take standardized tests in order to graduate high school, students are put in a position where their health may be put in jeopardy by their need to graduate. Portfolio assessments, where educators review a student’s work over a while, may be more accurate and aid in stress reduction are an option according to Kaipod Learning, a for-profit online school.
Results may be more accurate by providing multiple examples of a student’s knowledge instead of a single snapshot. Due to factors such as home life and testing environments, standardized tests can be an inaccurate representation of a student’s intelligence and knowledge. In contrast, multiple different examples can show a larger sample of progress and achievements.
To make changes in the requirements to graduate from high school, as outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, you can fill out their form. You can also call the department at 717-783-6788.
