Parent Survey

on the States New

COMMON CORE
LEARNING STANDARDS
March 2013

Research & Educational Services

800 Troy-Schenectady Road
Latham, NY 12110
www.nysut.org

2013 Parent Survey on the States New

Common Core Learning Standards
In an effort to ascertain how much parents in New York state know about and support the
implementation of the new Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), NYSUT surveyed
400 parents of students in the states public schools. Overall, the findings mirror NYSUTs
position on the issue: the state has moved too fast with the implementation, teachers and
students have not had enough time to prepare for the assessments based on the CCLS and
this years tests should not be used to make high-stakes decisions affecting students and
teachers. Independent of the assessments based on the new CCLS, the majority of the
respondents say standardized testing has a generally negative impact on learning.
A summary of the findings and the full of set of results follow.
THE RESPONDENTS
All of the respondents are the parent/guardian of a child attending a K-12 public school in
New York state. Respondents have from one to six kids. The average respondent has
approximately two children attending public school in New York state.
There is some base of knowledge among the respondents regarding the new CCLS. Six in
ten respondents report they have received information about the new learning standards for
math and English Language Arts/Literacy. More than three-quarters of the respondents
either know a little or feel well-informed about the states new Common Core Learning
Standards.
THIS YEARS NEW YORK STATE ASSESSMENTS
Nearly all of the respondents (94 percent) are aware of the state tests in math and ELA
administered in April. A majority, 71 percent, are aware that the tests administered to
students this April will be based on the new CCLS. Most of the respondents, however, are
not supportive of this change to the testing. Specifically:
91 percent of the respondents say students have not had enough time to work with
the material associated with the CCLS.
81 percent of respondents say students have not had enough time to prepare for the
standardized tests based on the new CCLS.
81 percent of respondents agree that teachers have not had enough time to prepare
students for standardized tests that are based on the CCLS.
87 percent of respondents say the State Education Department should provide more
time to introduce the new standards before testing students.
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 Only 14 percent of respondents say the states introduction of the new CCLS is
moving at an appropriate pace.
Just 10 percent of the respondents say the state is not moving too fast in basing this
years assessments on the new CCLS.
Only 10 percent of respondents say they are comfortable with the way SED is
introducing tests based on the new CCLS.
78 percent of respondents say this years tests should not count.
STANDARDIZED TESTING
Clearly, the respondents are not pleased with the states decision to base this years
standardized testing on the new CCLS. While the lack of adequate preparation for students
and teachers is part of the reason, the respondents are not completely supportive of the
concept of standardized testing for school children. In fact:
Only 22 percent agree the level of standardized testing is appropriate.
Rather, nearly three-quarters of the respondents say there is too much standardized
testing.
More than half of the respondents, 55 percent, say their child has experienced stress
as a result of taking a state standardized test.
Nearly 90 percent say standardized testing leads to teachers teaching to the test.
Eight in ten respondents say the state and school districts are spending too much
time on standardized test and 74 percent agree they are spending too much money on
standardized tests.
Eighty percent of respondents agree that there is an over-emphasis on state
standardized testing which means students are not spending enough time on
important subjects such as foreign language, music and the arts.
The respondents recognize that the results of these assessments, where scores are expected
to decrease by up to 30 percent from previous years, can be far reaching. To that end, 88
percent of the respondents say the new tests should not be used this year in high-stakes
decision-making affecting students and teachers.
Largely, the respondents are not supportive of the concept of standardized testing. Twothirds of the respondents say the impact of standardized testing in New York state on
overall learning is generally negative.

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New York State United Teachers

800 Troy-Schenectady Road Latham, N.Y. 12110
518-213-6000 800-342-9810
FAX: 518-213-6450
48

2013 Parent Survey on the States New Common Core Learning Standards
March 2013

N=400
Benchmark Polling is conducting a survey of parents on the new Common Core Learning Standards and
standardized testing. This is not a sales call of any kind. Do you have a few minutes to answer some
questions about education in New York State?

1.

2.

Yes
Are you the parent or guardian of a student in a K-12 public
school in New York State? ..................................................................................
400/100%

No

Not sure

0/0%

0/0%

Terminate

Terminate

a.

How many children do you have in public school from Kindergarten through grade?

b.

In what grades are they?

Range: 1-6
Avg : 1.9

Check All that Apply

i.

Kindergarten ..................................................................................................
60/15% vi.
5.............................................................................................................
77/19%
xi.
10.................................................
41/10%

ii.

1 .......................................................................................................................
57/14% vii. 6.............................................................................................................
77/19%
xii. 11.................................................
33/8%

iii. 2 .......................................................................................................................
64/16% viii. 7.............................................................................................................
51/13%
xiii. 12.................................................
24/6%

3.

4.

iv

3 .......................................................................................................................
79/20% ix.
8.............................................................................................................
53/13%
xiv. Not Sure .....................................
1/0%

4 .......................................................................................................................
68/17% x.
9.............................................................................................................
41/10%

Yes
Have you received information about the new state standards
for math and English Language Arts/Literacy called the New
York State Common Core Learning Standards, which are new
guidelines for what students should know and be able to do at
each grade level? ....................................................................................................
238/60%
Would you say you:

No

Not sure

137/34%

25/6%

Choose Only One

a.

124/31%
Feel well-informed about the states new Common Core Learning Standards ....................

b.

183/46%
Know a little about the states new Common Core Learning Standards .............................

c.

91/23%
Have not heard about the states new Common Core Learning Standards .........................

d.

Not sure ...............................................................................................................................2/1%

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Yes
5.

6.

No

Not sure

Are you aware that students in grades 3 through 8 are required

to take state standardized tests in math and English Language
Arts in April? .........................................................................................................
375/94%

22/6%

3/1%

Are you aware that the standardized tests administered to

students this April will be based on the states new Common
Core Learning Standards? .....................................................................................
285/71%

110/28%

5/1%

7.

As recently as last month, the state was still introducing materials and instruction on how to
implement the Common Core Learning Standards to schools while expecting students to have
mastered the new standards by April. According to a statewide poll, two-thirds of teachers say the
State Education Department is moving too fast in implementing the new Common Core Learning
Standards
Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the
following statements on this issue:
Agree
Disagree Not sure
a. Students have not had enough time to prepare for the
standardized tests based on the new Common Core
Learning Standards. ............................................................................................................
325/81%
29/7%
46/12%
b. Teachers have not been given enough time to prepare
students for standardized tests that are based on the
states new Common Core Learning Standards..............................................................
323/81%
27/7%
50/13%
c. The State Education Department should provide more
time to introduce the new standards before testing
students. ...............................................................................................................................
346/87%
23/6%
31/8%
d. The states introduction of the new Learning Standards
is moving at an appropriate pace. .....................................................................................
55/14% 301/75% 44/11%
e. The state is not moving too fast in basing this years
state assessments on the new Common Core Learning
Standards. .............................................................................................................................
40/10% 317/79% 43/11%

8.

Two-thirds of teachers surveyed say their students do not have textbooks aligned to the Common
Core Learning Standards. Additionally, middle school math materials based on the Common Core
Learning Standards were not distributed to teachers until last month.
Knowing this, would you say you agree or disagree with the
following statements:
Agree
Disagree Not sure
a. Students have not had enough time to work with the
new material associated with the Common Core
Learning Standards. ............................................................................................................
362/91%
17/4%
21/5%
b.
c.

The standardized tests should not count. ........................................................................

312/78% 43/11%
I am comfortable with the way the State Education
Department is introducing the tests based on the new
Learning Standards. ............................................................................................................
38/10% 324/81%

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45/11%
38/10%

9.

Please tell me if you agree or disagree with the following

statements regarding standardized testing in New York State:

Disagree

Not sure

a.

The level of standardized testing is appropriate ............................................................

86/22% 250/63%

64/16%

b.
c.

There is too much standardized testing ..........................................................................

290/73% 82/21%
My child has experienced stress as a result of taking a
state standardized test ........................................................................................................
220/55% 142/36%
Standardized testing leads to teachers teaching to the
test .......................................................................................................................................
353/88%
27/7%
The state and school districts spend too much time on
standardized testing ............................................................................................................
320/80% 50/13%
The state and school districts spend too much money
on standardized testing ......................................................................................................
294/74% 38/10%
There is an over-emphasis on state standardized testing
which means students are not spending enough time on
important subjects such as foreign language, music and
the arts ..................................................................................................................................
318/80% 53/13%

28/7%

d.
e.
f.
g.

10.

11.

Agree

SED Commissioner King and Secretary of Education Arne

Duncan have both said they expect student scores on these
new tests to go down significantly, by about 30 percent.
Meanwhile, the state is requiring these scores to be used as
part of teacher evaluations. It also requires that students who
score poorly on these tests be labeled "in need of academic
services". Do you agree or disagree with the statement:
a.
The new tests should not be used this year in high
stakes decisions affecting students and teachers. ...........................................................
351/88% 39/10%

Based on what you know about standardized testing in New

York state, would you say the impact on overall learning is:

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38/10%
20/5%
30/8%
68/17%

29/7%

10/3%

Generally
Positive

Generally
Negative

Not
sure

86/22%

261/65%

53/13%