Research Paper

The Affects of Standardized Testing on Students with Disabilities

Kasey M. Sliva

December 5, 2005

College of Saint Mary

Introduction

“My first exposure to standardized testing as a teacher came during my student teaching. I came unglued when I saw the pretty pictures that the kids were drawing with the bubbles!! And then, when I sat down and talked to the teachers I really flipped out - if this is how they are going to measure my ability to teach, then there are some big problems. I don't think students understand the results of their playing around, and if they do, I'm even more worried than before!” (Signed ”life experiences”, testimonies and stories, para. 1).

Standardized testing is a very controversial and important issue in today’s schools. No Child Left Behind is the source of standardized testing in today’s school systems. Standardized testing affects a variety of groups. Schools, teachers, and students are all affected by standardized testing. Standardized testing labels all of these groups. These labels raise the risk of students not achieving to their maximum potential and lowers the expectations these students have for themselves. Students who are in special education are the one group that is possibly affected the most by standardized testing and students in special education are also the group whom the least amount of attention is paid to about the issue.

Tests given, usually nationwide, under uniform conditions and scored according to uniform procedures. (Woodfolk, 2005)

Standardized tests are any type of tests that are used across a variety of schools or other situations. Standardize tests must specify a distinct correct answer for every question. Standardized tests include both achievement tests and aptitude tests. Achievement tests are tests that measure knowledge that is already known. Aptitude tests are tests that attempt to predict future performance or potential. (Wikipedia, para. 1)

Standardized tests usually include multiple-choice and true-false questions. These tests can be graded by humans who have a list of the correct answers or by computer. Standardized tests may also include a written portion. These sections are always graded by humans who use rubrics as their standard measure of grading. (Wikipedia, para. 2)

The idea of standardized testing originally grew from the same ideas that fueled Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and inherited characteristics. Scientists believed that characteristics could be passed down from generation to generation. Scientists soon began to believe that intelligence was one of those inherited qualities. In the 1800’s Alfred Binet was one of the first to design a standardized test. Binet designed a test to determine an individual’s level of intelligence. His test was given the name “Intelligence Quotient” or IQ test and his basic test is still used today. (Wikipedia, para. 9)

The first IQ test used on a large scale in the United States was during World War I. The armed services tested the intelligence of over two million soldiers between the years of 1917 and 1919. Then, in 1926 the scientists and educators who worked on the standardized testing during World War I began creating a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). This test was to be used by colleges in determining which applicants were accepted into college program and which were not. (Perrone, 1991)

The original standardized tests were simply a standard test of a person’s academic achievement or knowledge in a specific area. It has since become a test that is used to compare scores to a norm group. This norm group has taken the test and is considered to be representative of the population which takes the test. (Wikipedia, para. 6) The comparison of student’s scores is a part of the controversy of standardized testing today.

Prior to 1965 standardized tests were rarely used in the younger grades. With the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act (first known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) in 2001, major changes have occurred in schools and in the classroom. (Perrone, 1991) NCLB made it mandatory for each state to have a set of standards in place. These standards were set to inspire academic progress for all students. These standards ensure that all students, no matter the student’s income, background, or ethnicity, would have the opportunity to learn. (Sadker & Sadker, 2005)

NCLB made annual testing mandatory. Each student must be assessed in reading and mathematics every year in grades three through eight. Schools needed to report their scores both individually and by groups of students in the school. Schools have to report their scores by race, ethnicity, disability, social class, and English proficiency. Schools who do not perform as well as they were supposed to for two consecutive years get labeled as an “under performing” school. If a school remains “under performing” for three consecutive years the school additional assistance must be given to students and paid for by the school. If the school is labeled as “under performing” for five consecutive years they could be changed into a charter school or closed completely. (Baule, 2004)

NCLB also states academic improvement one of it’s main goals. Academic improvement means that all students must have a basic proficiency in reading and math. The progress, as mentioned above, would be measured annually and school’s progression would be evaluated. The schools would then have “report cards” reported to the public. These report cards would publicly show the school’s progress or lack of progress. (Sadker & Sadker, 2005).

One of the last goals NCLB mandated is faculty qualification. Under NCLB faulty members have to be much more qualified in their specific area than was necessary previously. Faculty must be highly qualified with a degree in the field they are teaching in. Therefore, a special education teacher must have a degree in special education, not just in elementary education. Para-professionals have also felt the affects of NCLB and must now have at least two years of college or pass a demanding test to assess their knowledge and skills.(Sadker & Sadker, 2005)

The goals of NCLB are credible. NCLB’s goal is to create the best educational opportunities for our children and to ensure they have every opportunity to succeed. NCLB has done so by establishing laudable goals - high standards for students and teachers, accountability for all, and the belief that all children can learn, regardless of their background or ability. The mission of NCLB is respectable in theory , but the act is wrongly used. NCLB has been a major source of controversy in schools. (Gewertz, 2005) Many groups feel strongly both for and against NCLB and the use of standardized testing it brings.

Supporters of No Child Left Behind give many reasons for their support of the act. New teachers support NCLB because they take comfort in the consistency of the standards and the standardized testing it brings. NCLB helps to assure new teachers that they are teaching their students the correct content. NCLB also gives a sense of accountability. Every student is on an even level because the same tests are used to measure achievement of all students. (Williams) Another topic individuals who support NCLB use to back up their view is that NCLB and standardized tests helps to eliminate the “fluff” from the classroom. With the need to do well on test, teachers work hard to get the basics taught to the class and help them succeed. (Heller)

Individuals who oppose No Child Left Behind feel strongly in their arguments for opposing the law. Individuals who oppose NCLB believe that NCLB and standardized testing puts too much pressure on schools as whole. Administrators feel overwhelmed and pressured by the need to raise scores in their schools and their districts.(Baule, 2004) Teachers feel pressured to teach their students only the facts and not how to apply the facts in life, in order to bring up the scores in their classroom and secure their jobs.(Pahl, 2003) Students feel pressured to please their parents and their teachers and excel on their standardized tests. (Ickes-Dunbar, 2005) Besides the feeling of pressure that comes into the school systems as a result of NCLB and standardized testing, there are many more negatives that NCLB brings.

NCLB has negative affects on the school as a whole. Standardized testing takes up an excessive amount of teaching and planning time from the school day. Standardized testing not only takes the time to administer the test on the test day, but also takes hours upon hours of test preparation in the weeks before the test. (Williams) Standardized testing is also extremely costly. The cost comes not only from the administration of the test, but also from the materials needed to prepare for the test. (Williams) The largest downfalls, however, of NCLB and standardized testing come not to the school districts but to the students.

Standardized testing can make students become passive learners(Ickes-Dunbar, 2005). Limited complexity of the, normally, multiple-choice questions limits the students higher level thinking skills.(Posner, 2004) Students no longer need to learn how to apply their knowledge, they only need to learn to regurgitate it long enough to answer the multiple-choice question regarding it on the test. (Ickes-Dunbar, 2005)

One last point many have in opposition to NCLB and standardized testing is how the results of the tests are used. Most individuals lack the experience and knowledge of how to intelligently interpret the results of standardized tests. The results are also not always used effectively. The results are often skewed and are beginning to be used as more of a political tool than a measure to better the learning of children.(Ickes-Dunbar, 2005)

NCLB and standardized testing has had a huge affect on the school systems. Schools are now forced to spend billions on standardized testing and other issues brought on by NCLB. The National Education Association has filed lawsuits on behalf of nine school districts and ten NEA affiliates. The lawsuit filed said that Congress had paid for $27 billion less than the law called for. That caused these school districts to pay $27 billion dollars out of their own pockets. Issues similar to this have caused school districts to cut back on other essential areas in schools. (Toppo, 2005)

With the federal mandating of standardized testing a large amount of pressure has been put on the school districts. Many parents and outsiders of the school district put pressure on the school district to succeed on standardized testing. These people do not realize that mandating standardized testing is only one step toward improving student performance. Outsiders put too much emphasis on the standardized testing itself and not enough on the changes the standardized testing makes in the education of children. (Baule, 2004)

Standardized testing puts a great amount of pressure on school districts to do well and succeed on their scores. The pressure in school districts is felt throughout the schools. Teachers as well as students are feeling the affects of standardized testing.

Teachers are one group in school systems that are greatly affected by NCLB and standardized testing. NCLB and standardized testing have both positive and negative affects on teachers, but the negative affects outweigh the positive affects for almost all types of teachers. One positive affect NCLB and standardized testing has on teachers is the reassurance it gives teachers in their teaching. The standards that are in place because of NCLB clarify for teachers what they should be teaching in their classroom. Standardized tests, on the other hand, help to not only assess that students are learning but help to assess that teachers are teaching the correct material. (Gallagher, 2003)

Standardized testing also takes some of the work off of teacher's shoulders. Standardized testing can be used by teachers to help group learners for other teaching purposes. Standardized testing also helps teachers understand the student's knowledge and lets them know what they need to focus on more in the future. (Gallagher, 2003)

Knowing what areas students need to focus on in order to succeed on standardized testing is what brings some of the biggest challenges teachers have with standardized testing. In order to have success in his/her classrooms teachers narrow the amount of information students will learn and focus on only what will be assessed. Teaching to the test is one of the biggest issues teachers come across as a result of standardized testing.(Posner, 2004)

Teaching to the test gives less opportunity for teachers to be creative with their teaching in the classroom. All of the time spent learning in the classroom is spent only on subjects and topics that will be on tests. Much of the fun and hands on experimentation of learning is taken out and the focus is put on the memorization of facts an statistics. (Baule, 2004)

Teachers also have difficulty with time management in their classrooms. Teachers often feel pressure to hurry through material because of the time limitations NCLB and standardized testing puts upon them. There is much lost in both the preparation for standardized testing and in the time standardized tests are taken. (Pahl, 2003). This time restriction has forced teachers to decrease instructional time in areas that are not specifically addressed on the tests. Areas such as social studies, civics, and geography have been put on the back burner in most elementary schools due to the stress put on other areas that are present on standardized tests. (Hinde, 2005) The difficulty comes for teachers in knowing how to stress the areas they are held most accountable for without sacrificing other important areas of the curriculum.(Hinde, 2005)

Another reason teaching to the test has become more prevalent in classrooms is because of the pressure that is put on teachers for their students to do well on standardized tests. Publicized test scores are one reason for this pressure. Under the NCLB act, all standardized test scores must be able to be viewed by the public. The publicity of the tests scores makes it easy for a group of people to blame solely the teacher for the problems of a school or for the problems of their children.(Gallagher, 2003). When schools get labeled as inadequate or low performing the blame does not go to the students for their inadequate knowledge. The blame goes to the teachers for not teaching the correct material to their students. (Ickes-Dunbar, 2005)

Teaching to the test is only one illicit issue related to standardized testing that is taking place in the classroom. Teachers notice many discrepancies in standardized tests. Biased or misleading questions are a couple of examples of discrepancies found in standardized testing. Teachers also often see inequities in the administration of the test. Teachers feel the need to lead their students in the direction of the correct answer or hint at the one that is most appropriate in order to make themselves look more successful. Teachers feeling the pressure to be successful will take many measures to do their best. The pressure teachers feel is often passed off in their classrooms to their students. (Gallagher, 2003)

Standardized testing affects students in many ways. As stated above, standardized testing puts an enormous amount of pressure on all students to do well and succeed not only for themselves, but for their parents and teachers.( Ickes-Dunbar, 2005 ) Standardized testing, however, can put even more pressure on students who differ from the norm. At-Risk students, minority students, and English as Second Language Learners are a few of the groups of students who are greatly affected by NCLB.

One problem at risk students have with NCLB and standardized testing is the amount of time needed to prepare them for testing. At-risk students often need extra preparation time when test taking. With NCLB there is not enough time to prepare and take the test in normal school days. (Plitt, 2004). Another problem at risk students have with NCLB and standardized testing is the gap between the scores of students. This gap between the scores is due to the lack of supplementary education tutoring, after-school and weekend programs, test-prep course, etcetera in poorly funded schools. This gap in scores can cause sorting between students and student’s social relationships can suffer. (Steele, 2004)

Sorting of students happens among many groups in schools. Minority and students with English as a Second Language (ESL) are other groups that stand out in this situation. There is a gap between the scores of Caucasian students and students who are in the minority. There has been conscious effort to eliminate this gap but, due to the unique experiences of each group’s cultures, it has been nearly impossible to eliminate. (Steele, 2004)

There are also problems that occur in standardized testing with children who are English Language Learners (ELL). There are unequal resources available for English Language Learners. Students are expected to have a basic proficiency in the English language before beginning school. Students who do not have this level of expertise are not given a large amount of extra help and are required to take the standardized tests from the level they are currently at. Students who are English Language Learners are also inconsistently classified as Limited English Proficient (LEP). Students may be classified as LEP in first grade and not in second. This makes it difficult to classify the scores of students into categories of learners. (Neill, 2005)

The last group of students who are affected by standardized testing are students who take longer to understand things and fall behind in their school work. Well meaning teachers often pass along these students who do not meet all of the standards that are set for the year. Because of these teacher’s actions, these students standardized test scores suffer and yet another gap is formed between student’s standardized test scores. (Heller)

Students of all kinds are affected by NCLB and standardized testing. Standardized testing sorts students and further divides them into groups. Standardized testing puts pressure on students, teachers, and schools to succeed.

Students in special education are the one group that is possibly affected the most by NCLB and standardized testing. Students in special education also the group that the smallest amount of attention is paid to in regards to standardized testing will impact them. (Disability Rights Advocates) The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that student’s with disabilities be included in general standardized testing. IDEA also says appropriate accommodations must be implemented as necessary as decided by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. (Sadker & Sadker, 2005).

The inclusion of special education students in general standardized testing brings up many points in opposition to how standardized testing affects special education students and students with disabilities. Standardized testing affects special education students by putting labels on them. The scores students receive on standardized testing often labels them into specific groups of students. Students who score very high on standardized tests are sometimes labeled as “gifted” while students who score low on standardized tests are labeled as “learning disabled”.(Gallagher, 2005) The labels given to special education students often carry with them a bias to the way they are taught or tested. Students labeled as “learning disabled” often have lower expectations for themselves than they did before they received the label. This label gives the students an excuse not to learn or not want to learn because they believe they are already “dumber” than everyone else. The labels given to students can also take students from their regular education classes and change them to other special classes. These classes emphasized the method of drill and practice to catch up students who are behind. This is a problem in itself considering some students who are in special education are behind because the inability to learn by the drill and practice method is what got them behind in the first place. (Martin-Kniep, 2005)

In attempt to advance the education of students NCLB made it mandatory for all students regardless of race, disability, ethnicity, etc. to take standardized tests. One problem to this is that it is also now mandatory for all students to take tests at their grade level. This makes it difficult for a disabled eighth grader who is only capable working at a fifth grade level and must still take the test that is at the eight grade level. (Dyslexia.com)

Another problem with NCLB making it mandatory for special education students to take general standardized tests is that students with disabilities cannot always process words like other students. This makes it difficult for the students to comprehend and tests the students with the wrong information. Students are basically being tested over their ability to read the test. Students struggle with reading the test and do not get as far as attempting to correctly answer the questions. (Disability Rights Advocates)

In several states standardized testing has changed to include handwritten answers. Thirty-four states now have short answer questions on their standardized tests. Eighteen states now have essay questions on their standardized test. This change in questioning brings about new problems associated with standardized testing. Many students with disabilities do not have the fine motor skills to suitably answer questions that require handwritten responses. Students struggle too much with the process of getting from question to response and lose their concentration to accurately document their answer, thus making the process of standardized testing even more difficult for students with disabilities. (Sadker & Sadker, 2005)

Standardized testing is an extremely controversial issue in American society right now. With No Child Left Behind, special education students are one group that should be being reaping the most benefits and making the greatest gains. In reality, special education students are being hurt by No Child Left Behind and by standardized testing.

Much research has been done on the affects standardized testing has had on students. More research need to be done on the affects standardized testing has on special education students. More specifically, more research need to be done on the affects standardized testing has on the expectations special education students have for themselves and on how standardized testing affects special education student’s self esteem. Future research could be done on what level of testing would be appropriate for special education students in comparison to regular education students.

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