One Third of Teachers say Standardized Tests Worth Time and Effort

Tennessee saw a marked dip in the number of teachers that feel pulled around in many different directions in terms of what to teach and how to teach in the 2018 school year.
And only about a third of teachers say information received from statewide standardized tests is worth the investment of time and effort.
The takeaways from the 2018 Tennessee Education Survey, in its eighth year, are part of numerous questions asked about the state of teaching in Tennessee. Nearly 40,000 Tennessee educators, representing 58 percent of the state’s teachers, took the survey.
Overall, Tennessee saw a 17 percent dip in teachers saying they feel pulled around in many different directions in terms of what to teach and how to teach it.
This year, 45 percent agreed or strongly agreed they felt pulled around. That is in contrast to 2017 when 58 percent felt the same.
The survey also asked teachers this year whether the information received from statewide standardized exams is worth the investment of time and effort.
A total of 61 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed that it is.