High school students should not be forced to take high-stakes test. High-stakes tests are not a viable means of testing the competence of a student. This can be proven by the fact of score inflation. A CRESST paper entitl

ed "The Effects of High-Stakes Testing on Achievement," demonstrates that standardized test force what is known as teaching to the test. (Phelps) The researchers compared student performance in math and reading from one commercial test given under high-stakes conditions in one school district to the student performance on a different commercial test with no stakes. According to research, students who took the high-stakes test showed improved scores overtime. However, the test issued solely for the purpose of study showed no improvement over time. (Phelps) Many feel that the high-stakes test scores become inflated because teachers are forced to teach the materials on the test. Meaning that high-stakes test are not a legitimate way to judge the overall knowledge of a student. Therefore they should not be the factor in determining if a student should or should not graduate.

Not only does high-stakes testing narrow curriculum and promote low-order thinking it also hurts women and minorities. Many cases have been argued that high-stakes tests are actually bias against women and minorities. Organizations such as th

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Approximate Word count = 759
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)