Standardized Testing and the Future of Education: Is There Room for it?

Let’s face it: times are changing. What can be assured is that North American society will continue to diversify as time goes on. Globalization is catching up with us in many different respects, especially in education (and the psychology behind it). We as future psychologists, educators, and potential parents, need to be prepared for this shift to increased diversity in our educational environment. Diversification of learners has always been an issue; this challenge will only become more difficult in the years to come. With this in mind, how much longer will standardized testing last for our youth? Is it sustainable? What are the alternatives?

Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer. Based on the sheer size of our population, maybe the answer is that it is unrealistic to remove standardized testing. Maybe, people should stop solely criticizing the standardized test overall, and start looking at the pathway leading up to the test and the application of the test itself. Of course, the motivational psychologist or trained teacher in you is probably screaming at the page after reading that last sentence. I understand. I have read the research and popular articles regarding “teachers having to teach for the test.” However, those of us living in North American need to come to terms with the fact that we’re living in a society that breeds competitiveness. In order to prepare and remain competitive in the future, education and politics will unlikely separate any time soon (unless some radical change is coming our way that I am not anticipating).

With this in mind, those of us in educational psychology and education must adapt to the realities that surround us. Our goals and inherent interest in the field generally revolve around improving, preparing, and promoting wellness in our future generations. These future generations will be exposed to standardized testing in some form or another, regardless of individual or environmental differences. This is why I believe that different designs for learning (for example, the Universal design for Learning; http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines_theorypractice) should be taught in teacher education and ultimately practiced in schools. Furthermore, by applying this (or other similar) design for learning and teaching in school, we must adapt (not fully remove) standardized testing to match with the diverse learning styles of all students; just like with the development and validation of IQ tests, the same can be achieved with standardized (and achievement) tests.

So ultimately, maybe standardized tests aren’t that bad. Maybe we’re just not implementing them properly. We need to consider the diversity that exists in our students as learners. That diversity will only increase, and unless we are prepared, our future generations of learners and achievers may be left behind.

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