Standardized testing is used for many, many things in our school system. Entrance exams for college, evaluation of student's knowledge, and even educators evaluation for keeping their job have all been results of these tests. However, do students actually learn with this testing method? Using intercept interviews, I set out to see what the public opinion on standardized texting was. Intercept interviews allow you to get the gut reaction of a large public in a short amount of time, which is why I chose this method for my research. I tried to keep the sample as random and pure as possible, asking people I knew, as well as people I did not know to answer the prompt: do you think standardized testing is an effective means of evaluating education? A total of 28 people were interviewed, 27 viewed in the video due to technical difficulties. Staff, faculty, and students were all asked to give their opinions, and I chose a range of backgrounds, from communication studies, public relations, art and design, education, mathematics, biology, and nursing. By speaking with such a wider range, I was able to get a better sense of how standardized testing affected all realms of education.
Based on the interviews I conducted, one viewpoint is clear: standardized testing is not the answer to an effective means of education. However, it does have some uses. Many said that since each person learns at a different pace, it could be unfair to some who have test anxiety to take these exams that are held to such high standards. While they do allow for a good benchmark and give the educator an idea on how far the groups of students as a whole are doing, the pressure and assumption that it is effective for each student seems to be an unfavorable opinion. An individualized grading system seems to be more favorable, but how we come to that standard is still a mystery that was not conducted in my study. It is clear, however, that to succeed in gaining an education, standardized testing should be looking into an overhaul.
