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Tests Matter
US News Knowledge Bank | 9/1/15

Behind the Headline
The 2015 EdNext Poll on School Reform
Education Next | Fall 2015

In US News, Nina Rees takes a close look at what the public says about testing in two recent polls, and in particular considers why PDK/Gallup found that respondents believe there is too much emphasis on testing, while EdNext found that respondents support annual standardized testing.

She writes

While PDK/Gallup captured the general zeitgeist that is opposed to over-testing, Education Next uncovered that parents are more inclined to support testing when they know what’s actually involved.

Rees sums up the findings of the two polls

Bottom line: Parents know schools need to get better, and they want a say in choosing which school their child attends. And while they may not like how much testing is conducted at schools, they recognize the need for tests in core areas to show how schools are performing. These trends are especially true of parents who, for too long, have watched their students struggle in bad schools.

For more, please see “The 2015 EdNext Poll on School Reform,” in the new issue of Education Next.

– Education Next