According to a random survey conducted by Creative Consumer Research of Houston and the Association of Texas Professional Educators, more than 75 percent of teachers believe the TAKS is inaccurate in its measurement of students' academic levels.
The survey conducted by Creative Consumer Research of Houston and the Association of Texas Professional Educators also showed that over 75 percent of teachers believe the TAKS prevents students from becoming critical thinkers, rather turning them into test-takers. Over 60 percent of parents and teachers surveyed believed the TAKS reduces learning to a series of test-taking skills.
An informal survey of students, given by Texas teacher John Pearson, shows that most students believe that the TAKS, which takes an entire day to complete, is too long. Some children complain that their backs or hands hurt from taking the test.
Over two-thirds of teachers and parents surveyed believe the TAKS causes teachers to teach to the test, discarding subject matter they would normally cover in their classes to focus on the TAKS instead. In addition, a majority of Texas teachers surveyed believe the TAKS places limits on more advanced students because they do not receive a more challenging curriculum.
Most Texas teachers and parents agree that, while the TAKS may be useful as a tool to diagnose students' academic abilities, it should not be used as a measurement that determines whether a student will be promoted to the next grade or whether he will graduate. Many teachers and parents believe the TAKS is a catalyst to students who drop out of school.
Texas teachers and parents surveyed believe the pressure imposed on students by having to take the TAKS is too intense, particularly for elementary school children. Almost half the parents and teachers surveyed believe the pressure caused by the TAKS may cause students to cheat. Forty percent of parents surveyed believed the TAKS has a negative emotional effect on their children.