Fwd: [eddra] Public Atttudes Toward the Public Schools

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Michael Martin" <mike@azsba.org>
> Date: Tue Aug 22, 2006  4:29:32 PM US/Pacific
> To: "GERALD BRACEY" <gbracey1@verizon.net>, <eddra@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [eddra] Public Atttudes Toward the Public Schools
>
> My summary of The 38th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the
> Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools:
> (see at: http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kpollpdf.htm)
>
> *	Very few Americans consider public schools to be failing. Only
> 14 percent of the public gave their community schools a grade of "D" or
> "F" and only 9 percent gave those grades to "the school your oldest
> child attends."
>
> *	The two "biggest problems the public schools of your community
> must deal with" are "Lack of financial support/funding/money" (24
> percent) and "overcrowded schools" (13 percent).
>
> *	70 percent agreed that the problems currently facing public
> schools in their community were "the effect of societal problems" 
> rather
> than "the performance of the local schools."
>
> *	77 percent agreed that the "achievement gap between white
> students and black and Hispanic students" is "mostly related to other
> factors" than to "the quality of schooling received."
>
> *	78 percent of those asked to "assume" their child attended a
> failing school said they would rather "have additional efforts made in
> your child's present school" than transfer their children from that
> failing school.
>
> *	73 percent of the public favors a requirement for students to
> take four years of mathematics in high school, including two years of
> algebra beginning as early as the eighth grade.
>
> *	63 percent of parents with students in school thought that high
> schools should "offer students a wide variety of courses" rather than
> "concentrate on fewer basic courses such as English, mathematics,
> history, and science."
>
> *	Only 12 percent of those familiar with NCLB had a "very
> favorable" opinion of the act compared to nearly double (23 percent) 
> who
> had a "very unfavorable" opinion.
>
> *	68 percent of those polled who were familiar with NCLB felt it
> was either hurting or not helping their community schools.
>
> *	82 percent of those familiar with NCLB said they were worried "A
> great deal" or "A fair amount" that emphasizing English and Math would
> "mean less emphasis on art, music, history, and other subjects."
>
> *	72 percent of those familiar with NCLB opposed using "a single
> test" in "determining whether a public school is or is not in need of
> improvement."
>
> *	80 percent favored measuring "a school's performance" by looking
> at "the improvement students in the school make during the year" 
> instead
> of "the percentage of students passing the test."
>
> *	79 percent opposed making Special Education students "meet the
> same academic standards as all other students."
>
>
> Michael T. Martin
> Research Analyst
> Arizona School Boards Association
> 2100 N. Central Ave, Suite 200
> Phoenix, Az 85004
> 602-254-1100 1-800-238-4701
>
>
>
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