Response to Question #1: The Ever-Popular Topic of Standardized Testing

The concept of standardized testing is now the norm within the realm of education. Its a practice that increases the pressure that already exsist on the body and adding to the stress in the mind. Rather then teaching children that mistakes are apart of
the learning process and that understanding the lesson is key with standardized testing instead they are taught that mistakes will create failure and they will get nowhere that somewhere being as far as the next grade level to the graduate level in
college.It is known and can be acknowledged that pressure actually stops rather than inhibits the learnining process forward. It ceases the level of comprehension and rather replaces it with memorization; which is a key point in Friere's Banking Concept.
With that forementioned t can be said that if Friere was here today to witness the attempts to "help" raise and furthur education, he would most likely disagree with their choices in active methods.The goal has changed from being foused on the
children and their lea
rning but to, according the governor of michigan and many other higher ups, to being closing the achievement gap and seeing that the SCHOOLS not the kids reach their academic goal. "Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiques and makes
deposits which the students patiently recieve, memorize, and repeat" (Friere 319). The students are told of the consquences that could happen if the work told to them is not REMEMBERED come testing time. Consquences that to them can range from being
sent to another school or being witheld a grade level until they pass the test. For example there is a standardized test that takes place in Connecticut where I am from known as the CAPT test, it is taking sophmore year where you are tested in your
skills in math science and reading. You must get a score of a 3 or higher in all sections the highest being a 5. If you fail one subject you will repeatedly take that part of the test for the remaining years of highschool until you pass if you fail to do
so in your senior y
ear, the student will be kept back until they make the grade. This doesn't not help the student but slowly diminishes their will to learn and twists that into merely accepting. As if that isn't n enough theirs also the idea of only preparing the students
for what is on the test rather than teaching them an entire lesson they only give them what is felt to be necessary a point which Friere points out in his essay, "the teacher chooses the program content and the students...adapt to it".
Therefore it isn't surprising that in return the report cards of students take a turn for the worse for they aren't learning and being prepared for education on a daily bases but only covering what is on the test. "For the overall EducationYES!
school report card grades, fewer...elementary and middle schools made As and Bs this year, compared to the last year; with more schools falling into the C category" (press release defending standardized testing). I strongly believe that Friere and
many others would agree that standarize
d testing needs to actually be put to an end rather than increase and spreadif it is expected for the children to actually succeed inlife.