Standardized tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s. Their use skyrocketed after 2002's No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) mandated annual testing in all 50 states. US students slipped from 18th in the world in math in 2000 to 31st place in 2009, with a similar decline in science and no change in reading. Failures in the education system have been blamed on rising poverty levels, teacher quality, tenure policies, and more on the mandated use of standardized tests.

Many problems with standardized tests are teachers "teaching to the test" and excessive testing ruins the ability to produce innovators and critical thinkers. The results of the mandated tests maybe wrong because students don't try on them because their scores don't effect their grades.

What are else can we do to show the improvement in students then? One alternative is known as "portfolio-based assessment." This approach keeps records of all the students works and at the end of the period, it is graded by the student, peers, or the teacher using a scoring guide. This approach is useful for the teacher and parent in determining how well a student is progressing.

Another alternative is performance exams. This is like a lab practical used for certain science exams. This can be used for English, write and revise and essay or give and oral presentation that is videotaped, and sciences, perform experiments and group activities. Students are scored on their doings instead of a simple yes or no answer.

Works Cited

"Alternatives to Standardized Tests - Google Drive." Alternatives to Standardized Tests - Google Drive. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.

"Do Standardized Tests Show an Accurate View of Students' Abilities?" Do Standardized Test Show an Accurate View of Students' Abilities? N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2014.

"Preview of Article:." Rethinking Schools Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.

"Standardized Tests - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2014.