Parents of children in Ann Arbor public schools are gathering signatures against what they call the overuse of standardized tests.
More than 150 people have signed the online petition so far.
They say students are tested too often between the pre-tests, practice tests and targeted testing for reading and math.
Liz Margollis is with Ann Arbor Public Schools. She says “test-taking is a skill that students have to learn and deal with throughout their educational life. The NWEA testing that started last year is proving to be very helpful in formulating development of the curriculum.”
Margolis also says overall the feedback for these tests has been favorable.
But parent Ruth Kraut says the school’s list of standardized tests has just grown too large. “Right now we’ve got the NWEA, the MEAP test, the SRI, fast math and in the beginning of the year a lot of teachers are just getting to know their students and they have to do their own assessments.”
Kraut says they hope schools will reduce testing to only the state required MEAP -- or the replacement test that’s coming next year.
- Chris Zollars, Michigan Radio Newsroom
