This document summarizes public opinion polls on standardized testing conducted over 40 years. It finds that support for standardized testing is highest when there is a national testing proposal being considered, such as with Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. Respondents generally favor using tests to identify student needs but not to determine school funding or teacher pay. Both education providers and consumers have consistently supported using high-stakes testing for high school graduation and grade promotion by an average of 30-45 percentage points in the polls analyzed.

1. Forty Years of Public Opinion
on Standardized Testing(c)
Richard P. Phelps
(c)
2003, by Richard P. Phelps

2. The vagaries of
opinion poll data
for use in research
Polling is episodic
Polls are often implemented quickly while a topic is in the
news, leaving little time to pretest and edit items
Pollsters are often unfamiliar with a topic and, as a result,
can pose questions based on naïve or inaccurate
assumptions
There are two types of sampling error and pollsters often tell
you about only one of them

3. Possible indicators
that a poll is of
low quality
Poll does not publish its response or cooperation rate
Data collection lasted only a few days (better polls will
use at least a week)
The pollsters can often be seen as pundits on television
news talk shows

4. Respondent groups
in public opinion
polls and research
surveys
Number of studies, 1965-2002
Respondent group
Teachers,
administrators
Public,
parents
Public opinion
polls
13 (5%) 232 (95%)
Research
studies
(evaluations,
surveys)
56 (73%) 21 (27%)

5. 6
5
6
9
7
3
7
7
8
1
8
5
8
9
9
3
9
7
0
1
0
200
Items on standardized testing in n
Year

6. Pollsters pay more
attention to testing when
there's a national testing
proposal under
consideration
●
George H. W. Bush's national
testing plan (1990-92)
●
Bill Clinton's “Voluntary
National Tests” (1997-99)
●
George W. Bush's “No Child
Left Behind” testing
requirements (2000-02)
➔
(6 polls) +52 pp avg
➔
(6 polls) +48 pp avg
➔
(14 polls) +57 pp avg.

7. What should tests measure?
Should they be required?
Favor or oppose requiring standardized
national tests to measure...
●
...the academic achievement of students +60 pp
●
...knowledge in 5 core subjects +80 pp
●
...problem-solving skills +74 pp
●
...ability to write a clear composition +75 pp
Favor or oppose making these tests optional for districts?
+37 pp
i.e., +23 pp prefer required over optional tests

8. How should
tests be used?
Do you think tests should be used to...
(PDK '97)
●
...identify areas in which student need help +76 pp
●
...to rank the local public schools +39 pp
●
...to determine if a student advances to the next grade +28 pp
●
...to determine the level of funding school receives -18 pp
●
...to determine how much teachers should be paid -14 pp

9. Steadfast in support
of graduation exams
Should students be required to pass tests to graduate? +90 pp
(MOR '85)
●
...if your child failed the first time?
+86 pp
●
...if your child did not receive a diploma? +68 pp
●
...if 20% of low income students did not receive a diploma? +55 pp

10. Summary of public
opinion on high-
stakes
requirements
Among Education Providers (i.e. teachers, administrators, etc.)
Multiple polls and surveys, 1978-2003
Support for...
Number of
Polls Mean pp dif
...high school graduation test
requirements
26 34.3
...grade-level promotion test
requirements
5 38.4

11. Summary of public
opinion on high-
stakes
requirements
Among Education Consumers (i.e., public, parents, students, etc.)
Multiple polls and surveys, 1958-2003
Support for...
Number of
Polls Mean pp dif
...high school graduation test
requirements
33 47.3
...grade-level promotion test
requirements
23 45.3