Standardized testing as an optional measurement

For the first 14 years of my life, I was never subjected to standardized testing. I attended a private "Waldorf" school that emphasized creativity and free thinking as their main engine behind childhood learning. I had a lot of friends that I met through sports that attended public schools, and I constantly heard about these standardized tests. It blew my mind that kids that young were being subjected to standardized testing. Considering I went to a school that didn't even start using grades as measurements of progress until 7th grade, I felt like standardized testing was something that should really be reserved for high school students (I still stand by this sentiment).

When I finally got to high school, I decided to attend a Minneapolis public school, a fairly drastic change from my past school environment. My first experience with a standardized test came with the MCA's my freshman year. That was the only year I would take that test, as I opted out every year after. I would also take the PSAT my junior year, and the ACT twice.

As a high school student, I quickly learned the pros and cons of standardized testing. My main takeaway was that for some, it is simply not a a format that allows them to succeed. Many people that will score average or below average on these tests would excel far more on a different type of assessment. Personally, I am not a bad standardized test taker. I scored a 31 on the ACT, which almost certainly contributed more to me getting in the University of Minnesota than my GPA. But some students simply cannot excel at a test format that has them filling out bubbles in a cramped room for four hours. I believe students who can succeed at standardized tests should by all means use them as a way to get accepted into whatever school they hope to attend. But if standardized testing isn't your cup of tea, then that shouldn't be held against you. One should be allowed to show how they can succeed through their grades, activities, writing, and anything else that a school might see value in.