POLLING: 80% of High School Parents Support Standardized Tests

New polling from MOA shows that a majority of Massachusetts residents – especially parents and caregivers – support standardized testing. This should come as little surprise, considering standardized tests are one main reason the Commonwealth’s education system is internationally competitive.

Our latest survey of Massachusetts voters taken between Oct. 10 – 15 finds that a majority (62%) of Mass. residents support Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing, which is currently high school graduation requirement, as a way to hold districts accountable for student performance.

Several groups are even more supportive of standardized testing than average, including Hispanic and Black residents, parents, Millennials, and those in urban areas of the state.

Our poll looked at households with children, including those with children aged 13-17. Notably, 80 percent of high school parents are supportive of the test. 70 percent of parents overall support the test. You can see the full breakdown below.

The MCAS standardized testing requirement was implemented by a sweeping Education Reform Act in 1993, which brought Mass. schools from being middle-of-the-pack in student achievement outcomes to one of the best in the nation. By the numbers alone, we’ve seen that Massachusetts ranks one of the best states for per-student investment, and Massachusetts’ students earn higher marks on nationally-comparative subject tests.

It's no wonder why parents support the requirement – Massachusetts' rigorous education standards are delivering a world-class public education system for their kids.