The Dark Side of Standardized Testing - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 807 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Standardized Testing Essay Did you like this example? Each year, students take standardized tests. Standardized tests assess a students performance and inform what the school needs to focus on to increase students scores. Instead of spending a large amount of time taking standardized tests, it should lessen because standardized tests develop little to no skills to a students learning, and they are also unfair and unreliable. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Dark Side of Standardized Testing" essay for you Create order Students should develop skills that will assist them in the real world because they are the future, and the skills they develop throughout high school will help them prepare for jobs. Even though standardized tests are necessary, students receive little to no skills from them, and they are especially unfair to students who come from low-income families and non-English speaking students, which explains the reason behind their low scores. All students take the exact test, no matter what a students background is; however, have states thought about it? Not every single student who lives in the United States can speak fluent English and understand the language completely. This could be one of the reasons English-language learners do not do well on standardized tests. Based on a statistic, it states, ELLs typically perform 20-40 percentage points below other students on statewide assessments (Menken 4). The state has to understand that standardized tests are putting non-English speaking students under pressure due to their low levels of English abilities: to read it, to speak it, and to understand it when written, read, and spoken. Also, if their scores are low, they put pressure on ELL teachers by changing the way how they should teach those students English, so that they can do well and improve their scores on standardized tests. Furthermore, due to their low scores, their scores are being used to make high-stake decisi ons (Menken 4). Since schools are worried about the money and funds from the government, this supports the idea that ELL students are being put under pressure because schools want them to perform better on standardized tests. Therefore, standardized testing is unfair to non-English speaking students because of their low levels of English skills. Next, taking standardized tests are just a waste of time!! Most of the time students spent taking standardized tests should have been used for learning in the classroom. Some researchers believe that standardized tests neglect the area of higher-order thinking skills, and those are the skills students will need to develop and skills that will help students in the real world and solve real-world problems (Bhattacharyya et al.). Employers will not care if someone can answer a multiple choice question correctly. They care to know if that person has the skills and experience to meet the expectations of the job and can work collaboratively with other people or independently. So, the time used for testing should have been used to develop beneficial skills, skills that students will need in the future and skills that will assist them along the way, such as collaborative, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Thus, students time should be used in the classroom to lear n and develop skills that will benefit them in the future than using their time to take standardized tests. When comparing students who come from middle-and high-class families from students who come from low-class families, it is evident that students who come from low-income families perform poorly on standardized tests. This is because most of the questions asked on the test are general knowledge that is gained in most middle-and upper-class homes (Bhattacharyya et al.). Students who come from middle-and high-class families have resources available at home that had already help them prepare for those standardized tests. Compared to students who come from low-class families, they do not have the resources available to them. This means that middle-and high-class students can gain more knowledge and skills than low-income students, which explains why test scores of low-income students are low. Thus, states should start making tests that can assess both low, middle-and high-class students and not leaving low-income students behind because that is just unfair! Consequently, the availability of resources and books at home would affect a students overall performance on standardized tests and that states should start making tests fair and equal. States should start to focus less on standardized testing because it harms a students ability to develop skills that will be necessary in the real world and puts non-English speaking and low-income students behind. Standardized testing is unjust to non-English speaking students due to their low levels of English comprehension and low-income students due to the unavailability of resources at home. Because of their backgrounds, it leaves them behind ones who can understand English well and ones who have resources available. In the end, standardized testing does not help build a students skills and prepare them for future careers. Therefore, one could clearly see why standardized tests are not worth a portion of students time.

Adolf Hitler And The Nazi Rule - 2355 Words

In the year 1939 World War Two came into play and chaos had erupted all across Europe. The war had lasted for over 6 years and during that time period, and Hitler had made his mark in trying to eradicate the Jews from existence and almost succeeded in his goal. The Jews were like a wrong answer to a question and that Hitler could use an eraser to get rid of the mistakes. Hitler was gaining power as he was reviving the Germans from the Great Depression and ending their suffering by solving all of their woeful problems. He had gained a plentiful amount of popularity and eventually became the dictator or Fuhrer of Germany through his revival of Germany. He and his Nazi army began the quest to take back what they lost in the previous World†¦show more content†¦No interference meant Hitler can achieve his goal in creating an ultimate German empire, and wiping the Jews from the face of the earth. The very existence of the Jewish race depended on the help of others. The Jews cannot go in this battle alone and the people grasped this. They know that they have to do something, anything to help stop the occupation. Although the fear of a Nazi takeover in Europe was strong many people risked their lives to for those who were incapable to fight themselves. Through terror-stricken hearts as the Nazis were attaining more control over Europe, the people of the world still strived to make a stand and warn the Jews of the Nazi advancements. Trying to escape a deadly force such as the Nazis is a difficult task to do especially if a person is going out on their own. Though it often appeared that no one wished to help the victims in need, and that everyone has turned completely against them there are those who willingly go out on a limb to help save the Jews; such as the Poles, Chinese, Germans, Dutch, Americans, and Jews from neighboring villages who may not may not witness the massacres of other Jewish lives. The people of the world still cared but were extremely cautious. They knew for a fact that if they were to help aid the Jews in any way they put themselves in jeopardy of being killed, or sent to a concentration camp to work as slaves until they die from all the different variables. Variables such

Positives and Negatives of the Utopian Society Essay Example For Students

Positives and Negatives of the Utopian Society Essay Sir Thomas More wrote a novel named Utopia about a country that existed only in his mind. More used the story to explore his views and feelings about politics and government. People still believe that the story holds truths that are relevant today even though More wrote Utopia during the Renaissance. Utopia contains information about More’s vision of a perfect society. The Utopian government was able to overcome or prevent all problems facing the country. The government first segregates the island by digging a canal around it so that the ocean will create and island that has hazardous straights as it’s only means into the island. It then handles the many aspects that a community faces in a manner that, for the most part, creates an enjoyable environment to live in. There are however a few points that I found a flaw in. Personal wealth, religion, and justice are three areas of the Utopian society that have positive and negative sides. The first area of the Utopian society that I found weakness in is the lack of personal property. Every person who could get up and work did so for six hours a day. People were not allowed to be idle as it was against the law. Actually their working hours are sufficient to provide not only an abundance, but a superabundance of all the necessities and conveniences of life† (p. 35). Since every person contributes to the production of every food or material product in the commonwealth, there is no poverty and no greed. This concept looks great on paper. I feel, however, that this lack of owning anything would cause people to feel like they don’t work for themselves. There would be no reason to toil over soil that was hard to sew if you knew you were not going to starve regardless of what you produced. The next part of Utopian culture that I disagree with is its religion and the policy it has on holidays. The people are able to worship any god they wish in anyway they wished.. The people of Utopia are able to partake in any religious ceremony they choose. Each citizen worships as he pleases and as long as he does not force his beliefs onto others he is fine (p. 70). This freedom gave people a very important right. It helped to end many problems that occurred during the early years of Utopia (p. 72). This policy is a magnificent idea and it surprised me that no one who actually ran a country had thought of this. The only flaw that I found in Utopian religion was that all citizens had to the same temple at the same time for the festival of the first and last days of the month. These days, called Cynemern and Trapermern, were celebrated in a common temple in the city. The name of no specific god was used in the celebration except Mithra. Since every sect of religion used this name for their god. The government designed the services in this fashion so that they would not offend any religion (p. 77). The use of no specific name of a god is a good way to avoid offending people, but it also makes the ceremony very impersonal. It seems to me that it would have been more beneficial if each group of religious Utopians was able to worship in the temple on their own day. This way they would be able to call their god anything they wanted and would feel surrounded by people with their same beliefs. The final area with some aspects is the Utopian justice system. The government does not have many laws; they do not see a need for it. The Utopians see no need in having many laws when there is not enough time to spend to gain the understanding for a larger number. Actually, the Utopians feel that honoring good citizens as a better way to develop morals. .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 , .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .postImageUrl , .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 , .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:hover , .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:visited , .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:active { border:0!important; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:active , .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60 .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u77704ddc850df6314348c644e8442d60:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Exploring Inspector Goole's character EssayDisplaying the names of people who have done good for the commonwealth, is thought to be a good way to detour others from acting against the common good. The laws that are made are very few and are made to enforce the desired ethics. If a law is broken, the punishment is normally left to the head of the family, a male, unless the crime is so bad that a public punishment would be better for the people of the city (p. 60). There are no standards for the punishment according to the wickedness of the wrongdoing, the senate decides on a case by case basis. In court, people represent themselves. The worst criminals are punished by bondage. People in bondage do the distasteful work of the community. They do not stay in prisons and their only distinctions from citizens are a few physical and cosmetic differences. Even those punished by bondage are able to redeem themselves with hard work and patience (p. 59-61). Using bondage for severe crimes as opposed to capital punishment is a moral punishment. Bondsmen also provide service to the country whereas if they were put to death, no benefits would be received. However, the freedom they are given allows them the opportunity to endanger the public again. More laws and increased security of bondsmen would create an environment safer for all Utopians. There are many positive aspects of the Utopian justice system. The most prevalent is the court itself. Many cases are kept out of court due to family punishment. With no lawyers, the judicial process is much quicker than today’s court system in America. The most negative part of the justice system is the lack of laws. A society should regulate their people by rules, not just positive reinforcement. There should also be regulations of punishments for each crime. Without that there is always a place for unfairness. Officials should keep convicted bondsmen under a closer watch and make them more visible. These are the most vicious criminals in the country. The citizens should treat them as such for their own safety. The society in Utopia has positive and negative elements in religion, personal rights, and justice. With a few minor changes, I feel that the negative could be eliminated. Utopia portrays aspects of a community that is idealistic. However, the balance of good and bad portions creates a realistic, more attainable society.

The Russian Civil war, 1918-21 Essay Example

The Russian Civil war, 1918-21Â   Paper It is accurate to say that the Whites were a huge threat to the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil war. This discussion will analyse why they proved such a threat using source A and my own knowledge.As source A correctly shows, the whites controlled vast amounts of Russia. This would have given them a huge advantage when it came to attacking for they could do so from all sides. This ultimately would stretch the Bolshevik forces to a large extent, causing thin defensive lines, which the whites may have easily broken.The whites also controlled the Trans Siberian railway. This was incredibly important, as it was one of the only means of transferring troops and supplies due to Russias enormity.The white forces had backing from various influential groups in Russia. The landowners who had been dispossessed of their land due to the communist regime gave their support, for of course they wanted it back. The Socialist Revolutionaries also supported them because they were deeply angered at Lenins move to close down the Constituent assembly due to it being counter revolutionary.The Communists were hated by the nationalist groups for signing the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, (the treaty to end the first world war). They believed that Russia shouldnt have given in so easily and also shouldnt have given away much of their land. This reason forced them to join the whites.The aristocrats, businessmen and richer peasants of Russia formed the Kulaks. This force was controlled by General Denekin and Admiral Kolchak and fought because it would benefit them all if the Soviets were removed from power. As source a shows this force advanced from Russias east side.It was in the interests of all the major powers of the world to remove the Bolsheviks as soon as possible. Therefore as source a shows the whites had a considerable amount of foreign support. These powers included Britain, France and America as well as the Poles, Canadians and even the Germans. These extra forces were b ound to enhance the white forces and would prove a threat to the Soviets. It also meant that the whites could fight a longer drawn out war, for they were not footing the bill, while the soviets could not afford to do this.It is realistic to say that the whites did prove a large threat to the Bolsheviks due to the reasons above. All the factors are extremely important for every regiment stretched the Bolshevik red army even further.Question 3This piece of writing will discuss how reliable source C is for a historian studying the Russian civil war.Source C is an account of the Bolsheviks Red Terror observed by a British businessman in Russia in 1918. The businessman is British and is therefore bound to be slightly biased against the Bolsheviks. Being British the reader assumes he belongs to the white side. This businessman has written this source at the time of the civil war and because he hasnt got hindsight the source might not be totally reliable.The first line of the source states that the peasants hated the Bolsheviks and would not give them grain. Lenin had given the peasants the land and they were grateful for this. Although they did not really like the Bolsheviks they were scared that if the Whites won Tsarism or something worse might be restored. Therefore they either stayed out of the war or joined the reds. This contradicts the first line for not all the peasants hated the Communist regime.The writer of this source is a businessman and is therefore likely to be middle class. He quotes, the position of the middle class defies all description. This comment is probably being overstated and is probably used mainly as anti propaganda against the Bolsheviks. As someone from the middle class he is trying to protect his own place in society, which is threatened by the Bolshevik idea that everybody is equal.Although a British man has written this source it is largely correct in what it says. The Bolsheviks were a machine of terror and their attitude towards th e middle classes was terrible. It was in their interests in some cases to take grain from the peasants for without it there front line forces would have starved and they would not have been able to hold onto power. From other sources I have gathered that if a soldier of the red army deserted the punishment is death. Therefore this statement is reliable.I believe this source is reliable in most that it says. It is not a distorted view at all and is actually surprisingly trustworthy. I would have expected it to be even more biased against the reds, as the writer was a white whoms duty it was to spread anti red propaganda given the opportunity.The Bolshevik sucsess in the civil war was due to the weaknessess of the whites . In this essay I will assess and discuss this interpretation, looking at the all the factors and evidence.The White armies were not united as a fighting force. Source A correctly shows many different nations advancing from different sides. These nations all had diffe rent objectives and ambitions and were not fighting for one single cause. Therefore instead of fighting as one large unit they fought as several, effectively weakening themselves.There were even cases of generals on the White side refusing to speak to each other, An example of this were the Generals Kornilov and Alexi.Many troops fighting on the White side were incredibly exhausted by world war one. These troops were sent to Russia and may have fought with physically tired bodies and equipment.The reds were extremely ruthless to the white officers as source B suggests. Although this may be biased against the reds it is still highly relevant towards the question. If the White soldiers heard this sort of propaganda there morale would surely be weakened. In general the White morale was not good, this was especially so when the French naval fleets mutinied at Odessa. Although the reds were known for their barbarism it is unfair to discount the whites cruelty as well. It is known that th e killing of 100,000 Jews was ordered by the high white generals.The peasents were a definate factor in deciding the outcome of the civil war. Russia occupys vast numbers and which ever side they joined surely had an advantage. The Whites refused to promise independance. Therefore they were worried that if the whites were to beat the Soviets Tsarism or something very similar may be restored, therefore the majoriy sided with the Bolsheviks.The Whites also didnt try to gain the popular support of the masses in Russia. It was almost imperitive for them to do this if they wanted a chance in winning the war. The masses could have rallied up against the Bolsheviks, instead they joined with them to fight the whites.Countrys supporting the whites for example Britain and France sent small forces, this comment is backed up in source G. It is likely to be correct as it is written by an independant British historian early in the 21st century who it seems would have no clear motives for being bi ased. Sending small forces shows the confidence and expectance of the foreign leaders. These leaders arrogance was surely a reason for the white loss for with a larger force it is unlikely the Bolsheviks would have clung to power.Source a shows all the differnet nations invovled in helping the whites in the civil war. With so many invovled it was highly unlikely they were all going to have the same objectives and ambitions. Therefore instead of fighting as one large unit they fought as several surely weakening themselves.Although there are many white weaknesses which brought about a defeat for the whites there are also many red strenghs which surely were huge factors.The Russian generals are portrayed as dogs who are all scampering in different directions in Source D. Although this is a piece of propoganda written by the Bolsheviks and is a distorted view it is generally what the majority of the Russian people believed at the time. The Russian reds fought desperatley knowing that if they were beaten they were bound to be treated like this and that they may be killed.Source C states that for any military offence the only punishment is death. This is largely correct for in the Bolshevik army disipline was ruthless. This caused the Bolshevik soldiers to become scared and therefore they fought desperatley.Trotsky was a military genious. He created a feared fighting force christened the red army, which was ruthless and extremely effective against the Whites. Trotsky also re commisened many old Tsarist officers back into the army. This bolstered his force and gave him much needed experience. By 1918 the red army numbered 1,700,000 is a statement taken from source e. Although this is written by a soviet historian and is likely to be slightly biased it is still a fairly accurate representation. Trotsky conscripted thousands of normal Russians and forced them to fight against the whites.The red army was fresh and new unlike the beligered tired armies of the whites who had been fighting world war two. This gave them a strong advantage and of course boostered there morale, which was extremely high.The Soviets were also very lucky in the fact that they controlled the two main industrial centres, Moscow and Petrograd. This point is backed up in source F which mentions that the reds controlled most of the resources of old Russia. This source is unlikely to be biased for it is written by an indepedant British historian who would probably have little reason to distort the truth. They also had control of the important railway network which gave them the ability of moving troops quickly and effectively.Perhaps the most important factor for the Soviet victory is that they had clear objectives on what they wanted to achieve. A victory for them would secure power over Russia and all soldiers were completely united in a common cause. This is bound to increase their morale and determination.It is fair to say that the whites did have alot of weaknessess during the civil war, but this is not solely why the Bolsheviks won. The Bolshevik victory was largely down to their own strengths and sheer determination as well as great leadership and order.