U.S. Teachers' Support of Their State Standards and Assessments: Findings from the American Teacher Panel

Abstract

• Nearly all teachers supported use of state standards for instruction, but only a little more than one-third sup-ported use of current statewide tests to measure student mastery of standards. • Teachers with more low-income students were more likely to support both English language arts and math state standards. • Teachers who thought their state standards were Common Core were less supportive of using statewide assessments to measure mastery of standards. • Most teachers felt that state standards prepared stu-dents for college and the workforce, but majorities also felt that standards excluded important concepts and were not appropriate for special needs students. Key findings Amid questions about the future of state standards and assessments, this report provides a critical perspective for district and state policymakers to consider: U.S. teachers' perceptions of and support for current standards and assessment. Our nationally representative data suggest that nearly all U.S. math-ematics and English language arts teachers support use of state standards in instruction. However, the majority of teachers do not support use of current state tests to measure mastery of standards. This report explores key factors that may be related to teachers' support—or lack of support—for their current standards and assessments. Among the concerns voiced by majorities of teachers are the difficulty of current state standards and tests and their appropriateness for students with special learning needs. These findings are drawn from a February 2016 survey of the American Teacher Panel, a nationally representa-tive sample of K–12 teachers across the United States. The findings presented in this report have implications for how states and districts can support implementation of state standards and assessments to ensure that U.S. students have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.