Standardized testing
Standardized tests are exams given to students at the end of each academic year. The results are used to determine whether or not students move to the next grade level. As our society places more emphasis on education, many school districts, along with the federal government, are using standardized tests to ensure that students receive the best education possible, and we should support this.
First, these tests are given statewide and nationwide, thereby setting a strong standard for all schools to follow. In order to advance, students are required to achieve a minimum score that shows they have acquired the basic, necessary skills of their level. Teachers must therefore emphasize the appropriate material or face the possibility that their students will not pass. This pressure nearly guarantees that students, regardless of environment or background, receive a standard, quality education.
In addition, with these exams, schools become more accountable for the success of their students. By averaging the scores of students, the quality of education of different schools can be compared. With this information, state and federal governments can identify those schools with exceptional results and reward them accordingly as well as identify those performing poorly and offer the necessary aid or take other appropriate actions to help them improve.
Finally, the results of these exams can be used to provide help to those students who need it most. Simply moving children into the next grade level because of age and not ability has long been a staple of most academic institutions. This social promotion needs to end. With these tests, promotion to the next level will be only for those students who pass and show the necessary ability to move forward while those who don’t pass will stay behind to receive more assistance.
The article states that we should support the use of standardized tests in order to ensure that students are receiving the best education possible and provides three reasons of support. However, the professor explains that these tests are not an efficient tool to improve education and refutes each of the author’s reasons.
First, the reading states that standardized testing provides a standard for all schools to follow. The professor refutes this point by saying that they force teachers to teach the same material without considering the school’s and teacher’s teaching style. In that way, these exams take power away from the professors to use their own method.
Second, the article claims that schools become more accountable for the success of their students. However, the professor contends that these exams are punishing underperforming students. He explains that better performances will signify more money for institutions. On the other hand, there is no consideration for schools with low performance to receive funding. For example, schools that are located in poor neighborhoods will have a impact on students’ grade due to the negative environment which they live and they will never receive the money they need.
Third, the reading avers that the exams’ results could be used to provided help to those students who need it most. Conversely, the lecture refutes this point by stating that students who fail will not be helped. He explains that there are different learning styles and who matches with the test’s style will advance in their education, having the highest grades. However, these exams do not take into account people that have, for instance, a bad response to stressful situations. Thus, these students will never find help to this type of testing.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 435, Rule ID: EN_A_VS_AN
Message: Use 'an' instead of 'a' if the following word starts with a vowel sound, e.g. 'an article', 'an hour'
Suggestion: an
...located in poor neighborhoods will have a impact on students' grade due to t...
^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
conversely, first, however, if, second, so, third, thus, for example, for instance, on the other hand
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 8.0 10.4613686534 76% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 10.0 5.04856512141 198% => OK
Conjunction : 5.0 7.30242825607 68% => OK
Relative clauses : 18.0 12.0772626932 149% => OK
Pronoun: 34.0 22.412803532 152% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 30.0 30.3222958057 99% => OK
Nominalization: 8.0 5.01324503311 160% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1527.0 1373.03311258 111% => OK
No of words: 285.0 270.72406181 105% => OK
Chars per words: 5.35789473684 5.08290768461 105% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.10876417139 4.04702891845 102% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.8020438392 2.5805825403 109% => OK
Unique words: 162.0 145.348785872 111% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.568421052632 0.540411800872 105% => OK
syllable_count: 452.7 419.366225166 108% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.55342163355 103% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 3.25607064018 154% => OK
Article: 9.0 8.23620309051 109% => OK
Subordination: 0.0 1.25165562914 0% => More adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 0.0 1.51434878587 0% => OK
Preposition: 2.0 2.5761589404 78% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 15.0 13.0662251656 115% => OK
Sentence length: 19.0 21.2450331126 89% => OK
Sentence length SD: 39.4880572663 49.2860985944 80% => OK
Chars per sentence: 101.8 110.228320801 92% => OK
Words per sentence: 19.0 21.698381199 88% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.73333333333 7.06452816374 95% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 1.0 4.19205298013 24% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 5.0 4.33554083885 115% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 6.0 4.45695364238 135% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 4.0 4.27373068433 94% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.16605493525 0.272083759551 61% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0587583332492 0.0996497079465 59% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0334271553161 0.0662205650399 50% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.104379080654 0.162205337803 64% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0127356704548 0.0443174109184 29% => Paragraphs are similar to each other. Some content may get duplicated or it is not exactly right on the topic.
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 13.3 13.3589403974 100% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 52.19 53.8541721854 97% => OK
smog_index: 8.8 5.55761589404 158% => OK
flesch_kincaid_grade: 10.7 11.0289183223 97% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 13.81 12.2367328918 113% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.62 8.42419426049 102% => OK
difficult_words: 73.0 63.6247240618 115% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 11.5 10.7273730684 107% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.6 10.498013245 91% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.2008830022 80% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 83.3333333333 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 25.0 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.