Dear Next President,

The state has too many tests. They need to have the M-Step or NWEA. The reason we have standardized tests is so the state can see what the students have learned. However, the tests are getting in the way of students' learning. Educational tests are a lot less accurate than teachers believe.

Another reason why standardized tests are bad is they take too much time. They say that students should have hands-on learning and experiments Instead of sitting in a class for four weeks. It takes four weeks to finish the NWEA test in language arts, math and science. It takes away learning time from students.

Another reason why standardized tests are bad is that it gives kids too much stress. 20% of students surveyed opted out of the tests due to severe stress. About 11% of kids surveyed reported severe stress, psychological, and physiological symptoms tied to the assessment.

Standardized tests are not always accurate. The state does not test kids on important aspects of learning. The state also does not test endurance, leadership, and many more.

Schools are getting assessed on students' test scores and teachers will get punished by getting fired. So please stop the standardized tests.

Sincerely,

Eli

7th Grade

Evart Middle School

Evart, MI