New Poll Finds Tennessee Voters Strongly Oppose Weakening State Assessments and Teacher Evaluations

NASHVILLE — A new poll of voters in Tennessee should provide valuable information to lawmakers gathering in Nashville today to take part in an advisory committee that’s studying the scope and frequency of assessments along with teacher evaluation requirements.

That poll of 1,000 statewide conservative primary voters conducted by Tennesseans for Student Success found overwhelmingly strong support for keeping the existing systems in place. 86 percent of Republican voters surveyed consider it important for public school students to receive annual statewide assessments, and 91 percent support holding teachers accountable for the success of their students. Additionally, 71 percent said they oppose the testing and teacher evaluation reductions lawmakers discussed, but ultimately chose not to pass, during the most recent legislative session. The survey also found that voters who heard positive messages in support of reducing assessments and evaluations became more likely to oppose the measure, marking the arguments as unpersuasive.

The Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education will make policy recommendations to the Tennessee General Assembly next year.

“Research has shown our state’s testing and teacher evaluation systems have each played an important role in Tennessee’s transformation from a state that’s lagging in critical achievement measures into a model of performance others look to. These accountability requirements provide critical classroom data that not only shows how students are doing, but also what additional support they need to be set up for success,” said TSS President and CEO Lana Skelo. “Our polling shows conservative voters have seen these changes, and they support the systems that made improvements possible. We encourage lawmakers meeting in Nashville to use this data to make recommendations that uphold accountability and transparency in classrooms and align with the values of voters.”
TSS polling also found strong support for the state’s new School Letter Grades system that provides each public school with an annual A through F grade. 77 percent of those surveyed support the rating system.

Tennesseans for Student Success is a statewide network of parents, guardians, teachers, and community leaders that champions economic freedom and mobility for all Tennesseans by supporting high-quality educational opportunities and working to ensure every Tennessee student has access to a great public education.