Standardized Testing Survey Results

In early December, MSTA surveyed its certified members to get their feelings on issues facing teachers, including whether or not standardized testing should be suspended this year. 

More than 6,000 teachers responded, and they were overwhelmingly in favor of eliminating standardized testing in 2020-21. Nearly 94 percent of those responding were in favor of suspending standardized testing. 

Additionally, 80 percent of teachers said they feel significant more stress than this time last year, and nearly 60 percent of teachers said they have considered leaving the profession.

More highlights of the survey can be found below.

 I've been a Missouri teacher for 30 years. Students have looked to their teachers for knowledge and guidance for years, but in a pandemic they are also looking for adults to be the voice of reason that says, "It's all going to be ok," and "you are more important than your test scores." To test amidst the health crisis and financial upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic is to be oblivious to the stress and disquiet our students are experiencing. It will put undue pressure on an already overburdened system that is trying to reassure, educate, feed and provide services for our patrons on a shoestring budget.

Please let the professionals of this field, who have spent countless hours on professional education and development, and have dedicated their lives to this profession, lead the conversation instead of being at the whim of politicians who have an agenda that is not in support of Missouri children.

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To test to show that they're failing because they're missing that time just seems kind of odd. Instead, I'd like to use that time to help fill those gaps, and help my students improve and feel successful and ready for the following year.

I won't rush through content just to expose them to it. I would much rather go at a pace where we can actually learn and understand it. The standardized test would just add additional pressure and stress and feelings of inadequacy to me and to my students.

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My goal is always to see progress in my students. I can measure that, and the state can measure that, without standardized assessments. 

 

 I am a middle school teacher and have been for 25 years. Teaching this year has been so extraordinarily stressful. We are expected to make bricks without straw. During the school shutdown everyone said that they would support teachers and we'd have great funding. Now our budgets are slashed every time we turn around. I have students in the classrooms and I have students I'm teaching virtually all day long.

I'm worried about how I'm going to get everything across that the students need, especially when my students are almost half a year behind from where they should be with the shuts downs last Spring.

I'm terrified that more of my students and coworkers are going to get sick.

I'm worried that I'm going to get sick and die.

At this point, I can't even begin to think about how I'm going to prepare my students for a standardized test in the spring when we're all worried about getting sick, and my students are worried about how they're going to get a Christmas gift when their family hasn't been working for eight months.

Testing is the least important thing for my students to worry about right now.

I'm working harder than I've ever worked before, with less time to accomplish things, with students who need more than they've ever needed before.

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