A national survey sponsored by ASCD and Sylvan Learning Center has found that many parents are confused about state-mandated standardized tests and what they mean. In the survey, which elicited 600 responses via the Internet, parents were asked about their understanding of standardized testing and state-mandated assessments.
- Overall, parents who responded do not feel informed about standardized tests nor equipped to help their children prepare for them.
- A majority of respondents do not believe that mandated state testing provides a true or valid measure of what their children have learned.
- Nearly half find inconsistencies between their children's standardized tests results and their report cards.
- More than half believe some academic skills and areas of enrichment are being neglected as a result of emphasis on state-mandated assessment.
More information about the survey and the complete survey results can be found on ASCD's Web site at http://www.ascd.org. In addition to the survey, the ASCD/Sylvan initiative includes Web-based resources to help parents better understand testing terminology and better communicate with their children's teachers.