N.J. parents critical of standardized tests, poll by teachers union indicates
JANUARY 27, 2015, 4:54 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2015, 4:57 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Many New Jersey voters believe that standardized tests are too stressful, take too much time from the classroom and should be reduced, according to the results of a poll released Monday by the state’s largest teachers union.
The New Jersey Education Association, which has been critical of standards-based tests and their use in teacher evaluations, asked 800 registered voters, including 200 parents, for their opinions on testing. Also, 400 parents — including the 200 from the voters group — were polled and their results provided as a group.
In all, 71 percent of parents and 64 percent of voters said the standards-based tests should be reduced. But more than half of parents and 69 percent of voters said they had heard little or nothing about new state tests known as PARCC tests that have been controversial among educators and parent activists.
Also, 81 percent of parents and 78 percent of voters believe teachers are forced to “teach to the test.” The same percentage of parents and voters said they also believe tests aren’t a good measure of the individual student and are given too much weight when used to make decisions on teachers, schools and students.
