Excessive Testing Can Affect a Student’s Learning Capability

Education and testing among students are regarded as significant since both are strongly correlated with enhancing students' learning capacity. Education has been shown to influence students' talents and abilities, while assessment is always used to measure students' ability to determine what they have mastered. This is often achieved by a series of evaluation assessments, beginning with the continuous appraisal tests and progressing to the main test (Horn, 2003). Despite the fact that assessment is considered essential, recent research indicates that it has a negative effect on students. Learning by students is deemed to emphasize on both of the applied learning and the thinking skills, but not the declarative necessary expertise and knowledge. This is enhanced through the application of constructivist philosophy, instructions and assessments that must be put into careful consideration. Also, there must be congruence between the learning objectives and the associated assessment practices (Horn, 2003). This study therefore, is considered essential and significant for assessing the impacts of high-stakes testing on students. This ethnographic research study, therefore, investigated why the excessive testing can affect the learning ability of a student. What are the effects of the final testing on learners towards the main examination? This research question is important since it critically investigates the effects associated with the excessive testing on students and implications for the main examination. Methodology During the research period, the study involved in data collection through various methods especially online research on the effects of the high-stakes on students. The ethnographic methods involved included semi-structured interviews with the urban and local students on the effects of excessive testing, especially in the Brooklyn New York. The interviews were conducted after determining the consent of the students. Also, there were structured questions for all the participants. This enabled for the collection of the efficient and reliable primary data that the study used for the analysis. There was an interview with Joshua a fifth grader student at the Brooklyn New York School who enjoys playing video games and with friends. The interview was conducted only once on the student that not only focused on the testing but also on the likes and dislikes of the students while at school and the things they enjoy doing most. However, most of the research was done online about what scholars do say about the effects of high-stakes testing on the learning ability of students. This was significant since it helped in the determination of various variables correlated with the effects of excessive testing. The research study also incorporated observation on different students concerning their performance based on the excessive testing. Findings According to the interview conducted on Joshua, high-stakes testing has resulted into reinforced low self-image of the low achieving students. Extreme testing raises learning standards among students despite having adverse effects. Joshua further argues that, the high-stakes test influence the assessment of the classroom by teachers to determine the relationship between teaching and the regular tests. Study by Horn, 2003 shows that, due to the awareness of the proper performance ethos by students, the tests have been considered to offer a narrow view of the capabilities of the students. Horn further argues that most of the students who do not retain grades in classes do so because of the high-stake tests before the main exams. There are fundamental roles of teachers in assisting the students to enhance better learning activities to handle the high-stake testing. Further knowledge is determined from the excessive tests. High stake tests may provide students with the tests that are not appropriate for development as most students learn through hands experience and play based. The tests are also found to be used in the determination of graduation or the denial of the further opportunities that are associated with education. Most nations use the single exam model for determination of high school graduation. According to Joshua during the interview period, excessive testing leads to increased stress and anxieties among students. Joshua further supported the idea “You become afraid of tests especially when you are not adequately prepared.” However, the high stakes tests reduce the students’ motivation that further leads to drop outs with more retention cases. Previous and current studies argue that there is no significant reflection of the excess tests on the accurate assessment of student abilities. Discussion From the research findings, passing the final examination and failure to retain grade is considered to be the effects of the introduction of the high-stakes testing. According to the interview on Joshua most students (90%) perform better in the final exams since they find themselves similar to the examination questions. However, teachers have been found to adapt to new teaching styles that emphasize on the transmission of teaching knowledge. There is reduced classroom teaching with increased high-stakes tests on students especially on the senior classes. Teachers believe that excessive testing increases school performance and learning abilities of the students. This is considered contrary to the students who argue that high-stakes tests increase anxiety and fear. The high-stakes assessments have been determined to create the classroom climate in which the transmission of instruction with the highly structured activities dominates and favors all the students. The high-stake tests have seen the students from the states with bottom quintile register twenty-five percent (25%) school drop-out as compared to those students from countries without the high stakes tests. Based on various countries policies on passing exams, those students who repeat grades are likely to retain classes or drop out of school. There is reduced quality education due to more tests than teaching since teachers focus more on exams than analysis and critical thinking of the students. Excessive testing also devalues the teachers in that they cannot have an active connection of knowledge and teaching abilities to the students in the classroom due to lack of instruction time. This further leads to the devalue of the teachers’ professional judgement ability on their own students and classroom assessment. The high stakes exams results evaluation has also been considered to devalue the teachers since they are forced to teach to the tests to register better grades else they lose their jobs when they fail to deliver. After the implementation of the high-stakes testing strategies and policies, the state assessment on the scores has been found to increase. This is achieved through narrowing the curriculum such as reduction in art, music, the physical education. Extreme testing policies have led to significant improvement in learning by the state students. However, despite these cuts, it is considered unfortunate as schools may fail to provide high stake tests in some areas of the curriculum (Horn, 2003). The excessive testing also has adverse effects on the entire learning institutions as some administrators, teachers and students are corrupted and compelled to cheat. Since the excessive testing cannot be abolished from the schools, there are possible means to reduce the adverse effects. This includes using the performance-based assessment on students by the teachers. The regular teacher made tests and evaluations are significant in reducing the fear of the excess tests. The structured interview provided reliable data as compared to the scholarly articles. However interviews were found unreliable in cases where the individuals failed to agree to be interviewed. the study was only considered to be done on the students thereby limiting the scope of data collection since most parents and stakeholders of the various learning institutions would be incorporated. Both the research findings and class texts show that the high-stakes exams increasing performance of student despite more anxiety associated to it. Both also shows that the excessive testing is associated with better performance of the learning institutions. Conclusion According to the interview from the particular students, high stake tests are considered to have impacts on both the students and teachers.in addition to the entire learning institutions. There is increased school dropout and retentions by students more so on those nations that enhance excessive testing. Increased stress and anxiety among students is high with fear of ever excessive testing during the learning periods. Teachers are devalued as there less connection between them, their classes, and students due to ever concentration on the high-stake tests. Learning institutions also have been found to spend much on the excess tests. The investigation, therefore, discovered that not only the high-stake tests policies and strategies improve the students learning but also the scores based on the independent measures. References Horn, C. (2003). High-stakes testing and students: Stopping or perpetuating a cycle of failure? Theory into Practice, 42(1), 30-41. Volante, L. (2004). Teaching to the Test: What Every Educator and Policy-Maker Should Know. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy.