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The 39th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/ Gallup Poll LOWELL C. ROSE is executive director emeritus of Phi Delta Kappa International. ALEC M. GALLUP is chairman of The Gallup Poll, Princeton, N.J. INDEX FIND MORE POLL RESOURCES THIS IS the 39th annual poll in this now venerable series. The noted pollster George Gallup was one of the poll's founders and, until his death in 1987, played the major role in selecting the questions and writing the article that appeared in each year's Phi Delta Kappan. His son Alec, chairman of the Gallup Poll, stepped into a leadership role after his father's death and has continued to work closely with those at Phi Delta Kappa to maintain the standard of quality established by George Gallup. The Gallup Organization goes far beyond the normal role for a polling firm. Alec Gallup approves the wording of each question and monitors the development of the poll report to guarantee that the suggested interpretations are supported by the data. The poll has changed over the 39 years. It started as an effort to inform educators. While it continues to perform that role, it has come to serve as a source of information for those who shape education policy, and the database that has accumulated over 39 years of polling chronicles the growth and changes in K-12 schooling since the late 1960s. As it has grown in importance, the PDK/Gallup Poll has fueled debate regarding K-12 schooling, and charges of bias are routine. With that in mind, we have gradually reshaped the poll report to make it user-friendly and to draw the reader into the analysis of the data. We report the data, state what we believe they say, and leave it to the reader to reach his or her own conclusions. In this year's report, the statements following a table and designated as "Findings" are in the nature of summaries that we believe offer a fair interpretation of the data. Statements designated as "Conclusions" are highlighted because we think they capture the most significant of the poll results. These are offered as topics for debate. In the end, our aim is to let the data speak for themselves. IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT The 39th poll comes at a time when K-12 schooling is near the top of the agenda in state and national policy discussions, and efforts to improve student achievement dominate those discussions. Chief among the improvement efforts is No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the sweeping federal initiative. Given the importance of this law and the fact that the poll was founded on the belief that public support is a vital component of shaping effective education policy, it is appropriate to open this report with the public's reaction to NCLB and its principal strategy, standardized testing. Public View of NCLB Since 2003 the PDK/Gallup Poll has traced the evolving public response to NCLB. The analysis here focuses primarily on the questions asked in the current poll, but readers interested in more detail on the evolution of the public view should consult earlier poll reports. A question asked every year since 2003 seeks to find out how much people know about NCLB. The responses are reported in Table 1. For the first time, a majority (54%) say they know a great deal or a fair amount about the law. Sixty-five percent of public school parents give this response. However, 46% of the total group still say they know very little or nothing at all about NCLB. This percentage drops to 35% for public school parents. TABLE 1. Now here are a few questions about the No Child Left Behind Act. How much, if anything, would you say you know about the No Child Left Behind Act -- the federal education bill that was passed by Congress in 2001?
An important question is whether the gradual gain in knowledge about NCLB is causing the public to have a more favorable or more unfavorable view of the law. Trend data for this question are reported in Table 2. While 31% say they have a very or somewhat favorable view of the law, 40% say they have a somewhat or very unfavorable view. The percentage selecting one of the two favorable responses has grown by 13% since 2003, while the percentage choosing one of the two unfavorable responses has climbed by 27%. An even stronger unfavorable view of NCLB is held by those who say they know a great deal or a fair amount about the law. TABLE 2. From what you know or have heard about the No Child Left Behind Act, do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable opinion of the Act -- or don't you know enough about it to say?
FINDING: It seems fair to say that, as the public knowledge of NCLB grows, the public's view of NCLB is becoming less and less favorable. This confirms a prediction we made in 2003. This year's poll asked the public whether NCLB is hurting or helping the public schools in the community. Table 3 provides the public's response: 26% believe NCLB is "helping"; 27% believe it is "hurting"; 41% say it is making no difference at all. This is a total of 68% who believe the law is hurting the performance of schools or making no difference. Of those respondents who claim to know a great deal or a fair amount about NCLB, 37% believe it is "hurting" as compared to 28% believing it is "helping." TABLE 3. Just your impression, how would you rate the overall impact of the "No Child Left Behind" program on the public schools in your community? Would you say it was helping, hurting, or making no difference in the performance of the local public schools?
NCLB requires that every student in a school demonstrate proficiency on a state test in 2013-14. This is a high-stakes standard, since failure to meet it will mean that the school will be designated as failing. Table 4 reports the public's expectations in this area. Two-thirds believe this goal is likely to be reached in the local schools. The percentage who say this outcome is very or somewhat likely is down by 14% since 2002, while the percentage saying it is not very or not at all likely is up by 15%. TABLE 4. National legislation requires that a public school guarantee that every student in that school pass the state proficiency test by the end of the school year 2013-14. How likely do you think it is that this goal could be achieved in the public schools in your community -- very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not at all likely?
The debate over NCLB includes the question of whether the standard used to judge a school's performance should be the percentage of students passing the state test or the improvement shown on the state test by students in the school. Table 5 reports the public's view: a strong majority (82%) say the standard should be improvement shown by the students. TABLE 5. One way to measure a school's performance is to base it on the percentage of students passing the test mandated by the state at the end of the school year. Another way is to measure the improvement students in the school made during the year. In your opinion, which is the best way to measure the school's performance -- the percentage passing the test or the improvement shown by the students?
FINDING: Given the large percentages preferring to judge schools by their students' improvement, it seems fair to suggest that one of the reasons that public opinion with regard to NCLB has become increasingly unfavorable is that the law has focused on the wrong standard of school success. Students with limited proficiency in English present a unique problem under NCLB. The flexibility NCLB provides with regard to testing is limited to a small percentage of students. Many schools find themselves with three alternatives: give students with limited English the regular test, even though they cannot read it, just so they will count as participating; give them an alternative test that suits their needs but constitutes automatic failure under NCLB; or hold them out of testing, in which case they count as nonparticipating. Table 6 provides the public's views on this problem: 79% believe that students should pass an English proficiency test before their scores are used to judge a school's performance. TABLE 6. One requirement of the NCLB Act is that the achievement test scores for the students in that school be reported separately for each of eight groups of students, including one based on students' English-speaking ability. In your opinion, should students with limited English-speaking ability be required to pass an English proficiency test before their reading and math test scores are used to measure that school's performance or not?
FINDING: It seems fair to suggest that the large percentage of the public that holds this view may be another reason why public opinion on NCLB is trending toward the unfavorable. It had become obvious by 2005 that the number of schools labeled as failing under NCLB was steadily growing. A question added to that year's poll sought to find out whom the public would blame for these increasing numbers. In 2005 and 2006, the public indicated, by narrow margins, that it would blame the schools. In this poll, that view is reversed, with the percentage blaming the schools dropping to 43%, while the percentage saying they would blame the law rises to 49%. The group claiming the most knowledge of NCLB is even more inclined to blame the law. TABLE 7. Let's say that large numbers of public schools fail to meet the requirements established by the NCLB law. In your opinion, which would be more to blame for this -- the public schools themselves or the NCLB law?
FINDING: It seems fair to say that the shift from blaming the schools to blaming the law for large numbers of failures means that growing familiarity with NCLB has led to growing disapproval. This shift is important because a law demanding accountability is unlikely to succeed if the public does not blame failures on the schools. NCLB relies on testing of English and math. Many educators believe that this provision is forcing them to restrict the curriculum in an effort to give more attention to these subjects since they are the ones that count in making adequate yearly progress. Table 8 reports the public's reaction on this issue. While 52% of respondents believe that the curriculum is being narrowed and 36% do not, in a follow-up question (reported in Table 9), 93% of the group seeing narrowing said they were very or somewhat concerned about the reduced emphasis on subjects other than English and math. TABLE 8. Just based on your impression, or what you have heard, has NCLB's emphasis on English and math reduced the amount of instructional time spent in the local public schools for science, health, social studies, and the arts, or not?
TABLE 9. (Asked of those who said yes.) How do you feel about this reduced emphasis on the teaching of science, health, social studies, and the arts in the local public schools? Are you very concerned about this, somewhat concerned, not very concerned, or not at all concerned?
FINDING: It seems fair to say that the public believes that NCLB's emphasis on English and math is reducing the attention to other subjects and that this is a matter of concern. One of the most controversial parts of NCLB requires all but a small percentage of special education students to meet the same academic standards as all other students. This has resulted in the special education group's producing the most failures of any of the eight groups measured by NCLB. A large majority of the public believes that special education students should not be required to meet the same standards as all other students. Among those claiming knowledge of NCLB, that opposition is even stronger. TABLE 10. In your opinion, should students enrolled in special education in a public school be required to meet the same academic standards as all other students in that school?
Conclusion: What the data say to us is that the public, despite its desire for high standards and accountability, does not approve of the strategies used in NCLB. This dislike of some of the strategies keeps the public from embracing the law, and it is one reason that a plurality say that they will now blame the law if schools fail under NCLB. Public View of Standardized Testing The major strategy driving the implementation of NCLB is the use of standardized tests. This has resulted in a great increase in high-stakes testing. The public reaction, reported in Table 11, is evenly divided between those who believe the increased testing has helped or has hurt the performance of schools. However, more than two-thirds of respondents believe the increased testing has hurt the schools or has made no difference. TABLE 11. Over the last decade there has been a significant increase in testing in the public schools to measure academic achievement. Just your impression, or what you may have heard or read, has increased testing helped, hurt, or made no difference in the performance of the local public schools?
Table 12 reports on a baseline question that has been asked a number of times to determine how the public feels about the amount of testing in the public schools. This year, 43% say that there is too much testing. This is up marginally (4%) from 2006 and 12% since 2002. The views of public school parents have swung even further toward the view that there is too much testing. This year, 52% of public school parents say there is too much testing. This is up 7% from 2006 and a whopping 20% since 2002. TABLE 12. In your opinion, is there too much emphasis on achievement testing in the public schools in this community, not enough emphasis on testing, or about the right amount?
FINDING: It seems fair to say the increase since 2002 in the percentage who say there is too much testing, particularly the 20% increase among parents, indicates that the public's view of standardized testing is becoming less favorable. The two remaining questions in this area deal with whether the current emphasis on standardized tests encourages teachers to teach to the test and whether that is a good or bad thing. Tables 13 and 14 report the results. TABLE 13. In your opinion, will the current emphasis on standardized tests encourage teachers to "teach to the tests," that is, concentrate on teaching their students to pass the tests rather than teaching the subject, or don't you think it will have this effect?
TABLE 14. (Asked of those who said yes.) If the current emphasis on results is encouraging teachers to teach to the tests, do you think this will be a good thing or a bad thing?
Conclusion: What the data say to us is that the public is growing disenchanted with the increasing reliance on standardized testing. It seems likely that there is no coincidence in the fact that the criticism of standardized testing has developed since standardized testing became the principal strategy in implementing NCLB.
CHANGING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Those who seek to improve the public schools tend to divide over the best approach. Here we report on the public's view of the alternatives that are currently being tried. However, before doing so, it is important to place the responses in perspective. In 2002 we first asked a question designed to determine whether the public prefers to seek reform through the existing public school system or through an alternative system. Table 15 reports that 72% of respondents want change in the public schools to come through reforming the existing system. This figure has not varied much between 2002 and today. TABLE 15. In order to improve public education in America, some people think the focus should be on reforming the existing public school system. Others believe the focus should be on finding an alternative to the existing public school system. Which approach do you think is preferable -- reforming the existing public school system or finding an alternative to the existing public school system?
FINDING: It seems fair to say that almost three-fourths of the public wants to see improvement come about through reforming the existing public schools and only about one-fourth wants to find an alternative. Vouchers The longest-running question related to vouchers in this poll is the one reported on in Table 16. It is simple and straightforward and avoids the word "vouchers" altogether. Responses have varied over the years. In 1993, 24% favored allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense. That figure reached its high point at 46% in 2002 and is now at 39%. Those opposing now number 60%. At least for the past three years, the results appear to have stabilized. TABLE 16. Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense?
In the years leading up to 2002, the poll asked a second question on vouchers, one that also avoided the word "vouchers." It phrased the question somewhat differently, with the focus on government-paid tuition to any public, private, or church-related school. Table 17 reports this year's results, along with those from 2002 and 1994. TABLE 17. A proposal has been made which would allow parents to send their school-age children to any public, private, or church-related schools they choose. For those parents choosing nonpublic schools, the government would pay all or part of the tuition. Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
This question has drawn some criticism in the past because of the use of the words "all or part." This year, poll planners decided to split the sample and use "all" with one-half and "part" with the other. Tables 18 and 19 provide the results. Considering the two tables together, it is obvious that the results are greatly affected by the use of the "all or part" descriptor. The "all tuition" payment option is rejected by a strong majority of 67%. The "part" option splits the public almost evenly. TABLE 18. How about if the government paid ALL of the tuition? Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
TABLE 19. How about if the government paid PART of the tuition? Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
Conclusion: What the data say to us is that vouchers have a strong core of support but have never been able to convert this base of support into a majority. That would indicate that building a choice component into NCLB has not had a major impact. Charter Schools Charter schools may be out of place in this section on alternatives, since they are actually public schools. However, we include them here because they operate outside the normal public school structure. Table 20 provides the data regarding the public's view of these schools. The percentage that favors charter schools has climbed steadily since the question first appeared in the poll. The 60% in favor of charter schools is up 7% from 2006 and up 18% since 2000. TABLE 20. As you may know, charter schools operate under a charter or contract that frees them from many of the state regulations imposed on public schools and permits them to operate independently. Do you favor or oppose charter schools?
FINDING: It seems fair to say that, if charter schools are considered as an alternative, they are the most popular of the alternatives currently being considered or implemented. New Forms of Governance The two alternatives considered here would shift much of the authority for operating the community schools away from the local school board. The first would shift the operation of the schools to a private profit-making corporation, and the second would have the mayor take over the operation of school districts with large percentages of low-performing schools. The 31% in favor of private contracting is up 7% from 2006, and the 39% favoring takeover by the mayor is up 10% from 2006. The results are reported in Tables 21 and 22. TABLE 21. Would you favor or oppose a plan in which your local school board would contract with private profit-making corporations to run the entire operations of the public schools in your community?
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