On Top of the News
Education Department Tells States: If Students Don’t Take Tests, You Will Lose Funding
1/28/16 | Huffington Post
Behind the Headline
Public Supports Testing, Opposes Opt-Out, Opposes Federal Intervention
7/28/15 | Education Next blog
The U.S. Department of Education is reminding states that allowing or encouraging students to opt out of annual tests is not an option. While the Every Student Succeeds Act lets states decide what to do about schools where too many students do not take the tests, the requirement that at least 95 percent of students be tested remains in place.
The most recent Education Next survey of public opinion on education policy found that only 25% of the public is sympathetic to the idea that parents should be able to opt their kids out of annual tests, while 59% oppose it, the remainder taking a neutral position.
Complete results from the 2015 Education Next poll are available here (PDF), and an essay discussing the findings is available here.
– Education Next
