Why Americans Are Turning Against Standardized Tests

Almost two-thirds of respondents to a new PDK/Gallup survey said they think there is too much emphasis on standardized testing in schools, compared to just 7 percent who think there is too little.

The No Child Left Behind law passed in 2002 mandated annual tests to track student progress. But the public is now pushing back against those tests, saying they are not a good way to judge the quality of teachers, students or schools.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with two educators about the shift in thinking on standardized tests. Josh Starr is a former school superintendent and is now the CEO of Phi Delta Kappa International, which sponsored the Gallup poll. Andy Smarick is partner at Bellwether Education Partners, a member of the Maryland State Board of Education and the former Deputy Commissioner of Education in New Jersey.