New Poll Show Teachers Oppose Test-Mania

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@EARTHLINK.NET>]

   Yet another key player in the "standards-and-tests" crowd, Public
Agenda, admits that there is strong opposition to their approach. We are
clearly winning the "hearts and minds" of the public and educators. Now
we must translate that base into politicians' votes.

Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director
FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing

               TEACHERS: TESTS MIGHT HARM LEARNING
              Associated Press -- February 21, 2001
               by Greg Toppo, AP Education Writer

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Teachers believe public schools place too much
emphasis on standardized tests and contend the trend could result
eventually in tests interfering with classroom learning.
     In a nationwide survey, 83 percent of responding public school
teachers said they fear they will end up teaching to tests. About as
many - 82 percent - said schools place far too much emphasis on
standardized tests, said the survey, released Wednesday by the New
York-based research group Public Agenda.
     One-fifth of teachers reported they already focus so much on test
preparation that real learning is neglected.
     Tom Bowmann, principal of Thomas Johnson Elementary School in
Baltimore, said tests must be designed around schools' curricula and
lessons, not the other way around.
     "A balanced assessment program, which allows us to assess our
learners' progress, is appropriate," he said.
     President Bush's education plan, which Congress is considering,
relies heavily on standardized testing, mandating annual state
assessments in reading and math for every child in grades 3-8. Schools
and districts that make too little progress in one year will receive aid
to improve. After a school shows inadequate progress for two consecutive
years, all children at the school must be offered an option of attending
another public school.
     If after three years the school shows inadequate progress, poor
students may use federal grants to attend private schools or other
public schools or on tutoring. States and school districts that make
significant progress would be rewarded with more federal money.
     Bush recommends that performance be measured by the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, a standardized test.
     Bowmann said testing can help teachers pinpoint areas of
instruction that need more attention. Last year, he said, tests showed
that first-grade students in his school needed extra help mastering the
part of the curriculum emphasizing reading and using calendars. So
teachers spent extra time this winter helping students figure out, for
instance, how many days April has and which days to color to find out
how many Saturday karate classes a student might take during that month.
      "When the assessment reflects the curriculum, you're teaching the
curriculum," Bowmann said.
      The Public Agenda survey is the fourth in a series, called
"Reality Check," which the group has conducted since 1998. This year's
survey also found that the "standards movement" has slowly taken root in
public schools, with standards rising gradually in reaction to public
demand.
      Among other findings:
      - 31 percent of 601 kindergarten-to-12th grade public school
teachers questioned said their schools allow "social promotions," in
which students are promoted because of their age and not performance.
That's a 10 percent drop from 1998.
      - 42 percent of teachers said some students graduate from their
schools even without learning what they are supposed to know.
      - 34 percent of the 602 parents surveyed said their local public
schools have higher academic standards than local private schools, up
from 22 percent in 1998.
      The random telephone surveys were conducted in November and
December. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
      Public Agenda is nonpartisan, nonprofit research group founded in
1975 by former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and pollster Daniel
Yankelovich.
   On the Net:
   Public Agenda: http://www.publicagenda.org

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