When May rolls around, students eagerly anticipate the end of the school year. However, the excitement is quickly overshadowed by the stress of state testing. Instead of students and teachers celebrating the hard work they have done throughout the year, they become swept up in the hassle of state testing. Although state testing can be beneficial at a certain age, in high school and even middle school environments, state testing can end up being more trouble than it’s worth.

For one thing, state testing can significantly interfere with classroom learning. Towards the end of the school year, classes tend to fall behind because of scheduling, unplanned days off, and a general rush to wrap up. This causes tests and lessons to be crammed into fewer days than intended, which can leave students confused. This mixed with state testing can be chaotic and cause stress for students and even teachers involved in testing. Additionally, certain classes make state testing preparation mandatory in class, which can throw off teachers’ calendars even more. When all of these factors mix in, it can make the end of the year more overwhelming. 

Another thing to take into consideration is the current curriculum mixing with past curriculum. Some students are not able to learn multiple topics at once, and their brain mixes up the information. Especially in classes where you learn different things in each semester like Algebra 2/Trig, trying to recollect things from algebra 2 while you have only been learning trig for the last few months can be difficult. This can cause low test scores that aren’t a proper portrayal of their knowledge. Even if some students are able to learn multiple things at the same time, it can be hard to get back into your regular curriculum after revisiting past material. 

Another huge factor during the testing season is AP exams. High schoolers all over the country are faced with AP exams, which are known to be extremely hard and time-consuming to study for. These tests are critical for the future of students in many ways unlike state testing which just provides ineffectual insights into students’ knowledge which may or may not be correct. If students become too caught up in studying for state testing, it can affect their performance on AP exams or any other exams that actually have an impact on their future. 

In some circumstances like in elementary schools, state testing can be important as they’re a determining factor for teachers on whether or not certain kids need help. However, in higher education like high school or middle school, teachers should already have enough information from having the student all year to make decisions on their academic abilities. Students take tests frequently in middle and high school, so it should be apparent what they are capable of by state testing time.

Of course, state testing provides a snapshot of how a school is performing academically as a whole, especially in relation to other schools. However, the snapshot the test results provide can be an inaccurate display of the actual capabilities of the students taking it.

To eliminate such test stress, students could complete a portfolio based assignment that reflects the necessary curricular standards. Instead of a single test, students can keep a portfolio of their work throughout the year. This will show their progress to teachers, and students will not have to do any extra studying because by the end of the year, they have already completed it. This would also encourage deeper learning and reduce testing anxiety, leading to better scores. The state would be able to set guidelines that are interchangeable to certain schools curriculum which would provide for a more specialized assignment catered towards exactly what the students have learned. 

By getting rid of or replacing state testing, it will ensure students more stability and confidence as the year closes out, leading to it being a more fun and overall productive time for learning throughout the school system.