I am the parent of 3 elementary students (K, 3, 4). My kids have endured more testing time than instructional time this school year.

The testing schedule has become excessive. In the 4 weeks of school, they have been tested in two subjects of I-ready, two subjects of FAST, science and their own curriculum weekly testing. And this will happen at least two more times this year.

Rather than being excited for school, my son cries on test days. He is an A/B student and he spent the first hour of the ELA FAST crying in his classroom.

It is stress inducing and anxiety causing. Teachers are stressed as well. And the testing material calls for questions they have not learned how to answer yet. What is the purpose? Because it does not seem that this is for their education. The BCPS needs to adopt new ways of measuring growth, more instruction time and emphasis on learning rather than testing.

Thank you for your time,
Nicole Dadic
Concerned parent

As a teacher with 29 years of experience, I am deeply concerned about the amount of instructional time being consumed by testing in our schools. Statewide assessments can take up to an entire school day to administer, which is not developmentally appropriate and significantly reduces the time we have to teach.

Additionally, the tests that accompany our curriculum programs are all computer-based and administered through platforms such as Performance Matters. These tests do not allow students to see or learn from their mistakes and are primarily used to generate data points for the district, rather than support meaningful learning. Teachers are not asked to provide feedback after administering statewide assessments regarding the testing platforms, the length of tests, or other concerns, which prevents meaningful improvements.

This extensive testing is particularly impacting the services we provide to our ESE students, taking away valuable time that could be spent delivering instruction, intervention, and support. Many teachers and parents are leaving public education due to the overwhelming amount of testing and the time it takes away from instruction and learning. I urge the Board to consider how testing policies are affecting both students and teachers and to explore ways to reduce redundant and non-instructional assessments.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

My daughter is in kindergarten and I am shocked that she is to be tested 3 times this year. This is their first year and there are so many factors to take in to consideration as they are adjusting and learning to an entire new way of life.
If we want test scores like other countries, we need to learn from them, where most do not begin teaching reading until age 7.
I am an avid public school supporter, I went to kindergarten through graduation at Broward County Schools but I will pull my daughter out of these standards so not change. I will not spend the next 18 years putting through, what so many are finding, is an anxiety inducing experience. Our children are not dollar signs or grades for your schools.

My name is Dr. Trudy Jermanovich.

“A new paper from Maroun and Tienken sets out to determine whether a state’s big standardized test measures student learning, teacher effectiveness, or something else. The answer, it turns out, is something else.

“The tests are not measuring how much students learned or can learn,” says Tienken. “They are predominately measuring the family and community capital of the student.”

In other words, one could, with a high degree of accuracy, predict the results of the annual test of student learning and teacher effectiveness without actually giving students a single test.”

After looking at responses from social media, teachers in this district have been overwhelmed with the amount of data collection which is required by this district. Let me be clear - The only required test by state statute is the one given by the state to rank schools. Private schools do not have to even give those tests to students.

One Kindergarten teacher relayed that nearly 50 different types of assessments were required during a child’s first year in school. Many of those had children crying from the stress of only being allowed to use a computer for input.

Teachers have left the teaching profession because of this micromanagement. Parents are fleeing to private schools which are not required to do ANY testing and are now partially funded by Vouchers. The overemphasis on data collection is only one factor, but an important factor, on why teachers and students are so stressed out.

My contention is that this amount of testing is taking away from actual teaching time and ultimately leading to lower test scores on the NAEP scores in Florida. Florida’s scores have gone down where other states have gone up. By telling teachers when and how they must present information, many children are falling behind with little hope of catching up.

Give teachers the ability to decide how and when to use assessments unless they are required in state statute.

I strongly recommend a change in course on testing. The testing is excessive and takes away time from critical instruction. They are studying on how to test rather than learning course material or critical thinking skills. Much of the testing is also redundant.

Enough testing! The amount of testing across all grade levels is absurd. Let the teachers teach and let the students learn.

Excessive use of testing is taking away vital time for general education of the students. Schools are becoming so focused on having children pass their state exams that education is falling to the wayside. An emphasis should be placed on general knowledge and not whether they are able to sit down and pass a computerized exam.

Dear Broward County School Board,

I am writing to express my concern about the current state of our education system, particularly the excessive amount of standardized testing and homework being placed on our children.

The amount of testing has become overwhelming, taking away valuable instructional time and leaving our children mentally drained. Instead of fostering curiosity and a love for learning, the constant focus on exams is creating anxiety, stress, and burnout. This approach is not only hurting their education but also discouraging them from enjoying school.

Additionally, the volume of homework assigned is excessive and takes away from important family time, rest, and opportunities for children to simply be kids. The pressure of endless schoolwork at home leaves little room for creativity, play, or building the social and emotional skills that are just as vital for their growth and development.

I strongly urge the district to reconsider the balance between testing, homework, and true learning. Our children deserve an education that inspires them, not one that exhausts them.

Thank you for your time and for prioritizing the well-being and future of our students.

Dear Broward County Board Members,

I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the current online testing requirements in Broward County Schools. Specifically, the mandate requiring students—including those as young as five years old in Kindergarten—to complete a minimum of five online content area tests per month is deeply troubling.

This level of testing is developmentally inappropriate for young children and places undue pressure on both students and teachers. Expecting Kindergarteners to sit for frequent online assessments not only disrupts natural learning and play but also undermines the foundational social and emotional growth that is essential at this age.

I respectfully urge the district to reevaluate this policy and consider more developmentally appropriate methods for monitoring student progress—ones that support, rather than hinder, meaningful early learning experiences.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,
Carrie Bush
Parent & Veteran Early Childhood Educator in Broward Schools for 26 years

I am strongly opposed to the far too often online assessments. I have daughters in both 5th and 4th grade. The are very stressed out whenever there are online assessments given in class. There are many different ways that students can be assessed. Informal and observational assessments should be given instead of so many online assessments. I believe the students, parents, and teacher's will have a better relationship with public schools if the constant online assessments are ended.

Dear Broward County School Board Members,
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the continued reliance on state testing as a primary measure of student success and teacher effectiveness. State-mandated tests do not accurately reflect the diverse abilities and potential of our students, nor do they account for the varying circumstances that impact each child's learning experience.
These high-stakes assessments create unnecessary stress for students and teachers alike. They prioritize test-taking over creativity, critical thinking, and the development of well-rounded individuals.
Additionally, students who receive services lose those services for up to 6 weeks out of the school year, which violates their right to a fair and appropriate public education. I have friends who have switched to home-schooling, and I have considered it more and more myself as my children’s experience at Broward County Public Schools is centralized around tests.
Thank you for taking the time to read this opposition regarding testing in Broward County Schools.
Regards,
LeeAnn Jonchuck
Parent of children in Broward Schools.

I have a major concern regarding the amount of testing students are subject to. Each day of testing is a day of instruction taken from a child. Instruction and learning should be the focus for the students instead of it has become an exorbitant amount of testing.