AUSTIN – Teachers and students tired of the constant drills for annual standardized tests have some new allies in Texas this year – three of the main contenders for governor, who want to take some of the teeth out of the TAKS.

While Gov. Rick Perry remains a staunch defender of the high-stakes test taken each year by nearly 3 million Texas students, his main opponents in the governor's race want to de-emphasize the exam. One is ready to kill it outright. Right now, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is used for everything from annually grading the performance of schools to deciding whether high school seniors get a diploma. Students in grades three and five must pass the exam to be promoted, and eighth-graders will soon have to as well.

And starting this year, thousands of teachers will qualify for bonuses of $3,000 to $10,000 under a new state incentive pay program if their students show sufficient improvement on the TAKS.

For good or bad, political scientist Jerry Polinard said, "Test scores are driving decisions being made in school districts." But parents are questioning whether the tests have resulted in any progress for schools, said Dr. Polinard, a professor at UT-Pan American.

A statewide survey conducted this year by leading Democratic and Republican pollsters and paid for by a teacher group showed that a solid majority of Texans – 56 percent – believe there is too much emphasis on testing in public schools. About 27 percent said the state has the right amount of testing, and 13 percent said there is not enough emphasis on exams.

The state's 300,000 teachers may be driven to vote on the issue as well, he said.

"This issue has strong appeal to public school teachers as a voting constituency," Dr. Polinard said. "Testing has been almost universally criticized by teachers, who say it restricts what they can do in the classroom and forces them to teach to the test."

Despite the test fatigue, there are limits to how much the state, or a governor, could change. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that all states test their students annually. So not having a state exam would cost Texas billions in federal aid.

But Mr. Perry's challengers – Democrat Chris Bell and independents Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn – say the state has gone too far. They contend tests now drive the curriculum and drain students of creativity and independent thinking.

Mr. Perry calls the TAKS essential for determining whether schools are doing their job.

"Unless we measure what our students know, we won't know what they know," he said. "Yes, testing causes pressure and stress. But that is merely a preamble for adult life, because they're going to get tested every day when they step out into the real world."

Mr. Friedman, a writer and musician, tells campaign audiences that "the TAKS test has got to go." He argues that too much time is spent preparing students for the exam at the expense of other subject material on which students aren't tested.

"Studies show that rigid enforcement of standardized test scores doesn't help kids learn or make teachers more effective," he said. "Teach to the test, and kids will learn the test – but not much else."

Mr. Friedman says he is not opposed to standardized testing, but he has not been specific about what he would replace the TAKS with.

Mr. Bell has attacked the high stakes attached to the exam, asserting that a single test should not be used to flunk an elementary school student or decide whether a teacher should get a bonus. His goal, he says, is to "end the tyranny of TAKS."

"Rick Perry uses the TAKS test like the end-all, be-all of education. Everything in our schools is geared toward helping kids get better scores on that test," said Mr. Bell, the former congressman from Houston.

He disputes the governor's contention that TAKS results – which have gradually been rising in most grades – are proof of how well the schools are doing. He pointed to the state's high student dropout rate and subpar results on the SAT as evidence of shortcomings in public schools.

He would use the TAKS solely as a "snapshot" to track student achievement and not as the basis for student promotions, teacher bonuses and school ratings.

Mrs. Strayhorn would go a step further, moving the TAKS to the fall so teachers can use it as a diagnostic tool.

"Teachers will know upfront where each child is academically, and then teachers can spend the rest of the year doing what they do best – teaching – really teaching so that students can really learn and retain."

Mrs. Strayhorn, who is the state comptroller and a former teacher and school board member, noted that administering the TAKS now costs taxpayers about $200 million a year. The true cost is higher, she said, when considering the 40 to 80 instructional days teachers spend preparing students for the exam.

Her stance on student testing is one reason two leading teacher organizations – the Texas State Teachers Association and Texas Federation of Teachers – are backing her campaign.

"The concern among teachers is that maybe we've gone too far on testing," said Richard Kouri of the TSTA. "And many voters are coming to the same conclusion. That is what makes this a large campaign issue this year."

Mr. Kouri also said that moving the exam to the fall would allow teachers to see what areas students needed improvement in so they could work on those weaknesses for several months.

Ted Royer, a spokesman for the Perry campaign, said such changes would severely weaken the accountability requirements that have forced schools to improve.

"A test with no consequences is not a test at all," he said. "Running away from accountability would do nothing but sell our children short. Under Chris Bell's vision, we would use the test to see what kids have learned and then pass them to the next grade, regardless. That does absolutely nothing to prepare a child for success in life."

E-mail tstutz@dallasnews.com

Rick Perry, Republican: Supports the current test and its use in annually grading schools and deciding which students are promoted in grades three and five and whether high school students graduate. The governor also approved an incentive-pay plan for teachers that is based on test results.

Chris Bell, Democrat: Would retain the TAKS but wants to eliminate its use in rating schools and deciding which teachers should receive merit pay. He also wants it scrapped as the determinant for promotion to the next grade and high school graduation. He says results should be used by teachers as a "snapshot" to guide their instruction over the school year.

Kinky Friedman, independent: Wants to get rid of the TAKS, although he is not against standardized testing of students. Opposes its use for such things as school ratings, which he believes has caused schools to focus too heavily on preparation for the TAKS each year. He says testing should not begin in third grade because those students are too young.

Carole Keeton Strayhorn, independent: Would administer the TAKS in the fall instead of the spring to use it as a diagnostic tool. Teachers would get the results early in the school year and immediately focus on students' academic weaknesses. She opposes use of the test to determine grade promotion.

Terrence Stutz