Does Equality Dumb us Down?

I am not a huge fan of standardized testing. For me, they were just tedious and a large waste of time. This being an honors class, I think it's safe to say that most of you will agree with me. I remember finishing a good 45 minutes before the time was up and not being allowed to doodle or read a book or anything and it wasn't until high school that I appreciated the nap time. I couldn't understand why I was taking the same tests as other kids when I was in AP classes. My cousin attends OCSA, The Orange County School of the Arts. He is a drummer looking to go professional and is taking very different classes than most other teens, regardless of level or advancement. Why should he have to take those tests too?

The argument  for standardization is that testing enables a wide view of the abilities of school children all across the country, and specifically, what areas need help. It is also supposed to increase the readiness of individuals to perform well on SAT and ACT tests. With standardization, America can reach a core set of educational goals that meet the needs of the most students possible.

I don't understand how this is the most desirable option. With this method of education, yes you scrape some of the lower kids off the ground, but you also lose a huge amount of flexibility and sacrifice a large amount of success at the top. Children are not numbers, they are people with very different personalities and aptitudes. There must be a way for education to be conducted where students are challenged on a  regular basis regardless of their supposed slot in the grading scale.

Germany has an interesting way of doing just that. I played water polo for a year with a foreign exchange student from Germany and was always eager to talk with her about education. She told me that in Germany, there were three levels or tiers of schooling after one graduated from the 7th grade. At that point, students were distributed between three high schools, each with a different purpose. The lowest prepared students to join the work force after graduation. It taught various trade occupations as well as the general education system requirements. The highest tier was made up of all college-bound students who received the very highest test scores and were particularly motivated. The second tier was a mix of the two, most college-bound with very reasonable and attainable goals and aspirations. It was challenging to switch schools once a person was attending tier, but it was possible through testing and an interview process. Students were given the opportunity to choose the education that they though would be best for them and their future.

This system is very different from our system, and honestly, I don't think one exactly like it would work in America, but it is one example of how another country is combatting standardization.