Most Americans oppose allowing public school parents to excuse their children from standardized testing, according to a new poll.
An annual poll by Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional association of educators, released Monday found 59 percent of respondents are against parents opting out of standardized testing while 37 percent were in favor of such decisions.
The poll is based on a 50-state sample of 1,221 adults interviewed by cell or landline telephone — in English or Spanish — in April and May. It’s conducted by Langer Research Associates of New York. PDK has conducted an annual survey since 1969 measuring the American public’s thoughts about education.
Many Georgia parents have opted out of having their children taking standardized tests, such as the Georgia Milestones, in part, because of concerns that schools spend too much time preparing students for these exams and not enough on classroom instruction.
The PDK poll found Americans are split about whether charter schools should be allowed to set their own standards. It also found few Americans believe that closing failing schools is the best way to improve education.
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