Forget about Standardized Testing This Fall, Parents Say

Parents overwhelmingly opposed going ahead with standardized testing this spring, according to a survey done by a parent advocates group. In a survey of more than 1,200 respondents, the assessment nays beat the yays by a margin of two to one. The polling also found that parents "overwhelmingly" opposed testing being used at all in ways that penalize students (81%) or teachers (73%). Two-thirds of parents also reported that any testing done this year should be shortened and used mainly to measure the impact of remote school on student learning.

The random sampling was done by ParentsTogether Action, a national advocacy that focuses on family issues, among its 2.5 million members. The polling was run between Mar. 10 and Mar. 16, 2021 through Facebook Messenger.

The survey also found that in families where students participated in a mix of in-person and remote learning, two-thirds of parents (62%) believed their kids' mental health had gotten worse since the pandemic began. That's 12 percentage points higher than families whose students attended only in-person (50%) and 16 points higher for families whose students were studying only remotely (46%).

In fact, free mental health counseling was the number one area where parents would like districts to spend their federal relief funding; 77% prioritized this area of possible spending, followed closely by spending on families who were "struggling" (74%) and adding teachers and staff to support learning (72%).

Nearly two in five "blended" families (38%) stated that the remote learning portion of their students' schooling was going poorly, compared to a quarter (26%) of "all-remote" parents.

In spite of discontent with remote learning, the majority of parents (78%) said they're worried or "very" worried about their students' health risks in attending fully in-person learning. But most (two-thirds) said they were likely to send their students back to school for on-campus instruction. Just 13% said they expected to keep their children home.

The survey found that parents continued to have "largely favorable views" of educators, as well as their unions. Seven in 10 said they felt "favorable" towards teachers, with 47% expressing the same about teachers' unions and 11% saying they felt unfavorable.

"A year into the pandemic, parents of school-aged kids are still struggling with how to keep their families safe, and that means different things for different families," said Justin Ruben, co-director of ParentsTogether, in a statement. "But they largely agree that schools should be fully open in the fall — and that the focus right now should be on supporting kids' mental health and learning, not on conducting standardized tests."

A more complete rundown of results is openly available on the ParentsTogether website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Reports Point to Domain Controllers as Prime Ransomware Targets

    A recent report from Microsoft reinforces warns of the critical role Active Directory (AD) domain controllers play in large-scale ransomware attacks, aligning with U.S. government advisories on the persistent threat of AD compromise.

  • laptop displaying a glowing digital brain and data charts sits on a metal shelf in a well-lit server room with organized network cables and active servers

    Cisco Unveils AI-First Approach to IT Operations

    At its recent Cisco Live 2025 event, Cisco introduced AgenticOps, a transformative approach to IT operations that integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and collaboration across network, security, and application domains.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.