Standardized Testing: A Call for Repositioning and Revitalizing by Decolonizing Assessment

Abstract

Standardized testing is a topic that is both politicized and emotional. While it can be seen as a measure of meeting educational standards within a neoliberal marketplace, or as a tool that robs creativity and critical thinking, it could also be seen as a tool of colonialism and oppression when it comes to the experiences of equity-deserving student populations. Kemp & Dei (2006) contend that simplistic views of testing as either universally useful or detrimental fail to grasp the complicated reality of testing in practice. In the name of educational accountability, children are subjected to testing that is limited in its scope and deficient in serving the needs of its most vulnerable students. When seen through a decolonizing lens, it becomes harder to justify standardized testing. Schools function within a neoliberal construct that values competition and profits, where students represent numbers. It is time to reevaluate a testing culture where policymakers and educators question their purpose, intent, and outcome. This paper will explore an alternative pathway to standardized testing as seen through decolonizing approaches.