The 30th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools |
POLITICS AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The pending congressional election comes at a time when education has moved to the foreground of the national political scene. Each of the major parties is attempting to portray itself as the education party. Their approaches are different, with one focusing primarily on the public schools and the other offering such alternatives to the public schools as vouchers and tuition tax credits. Poll planners thought this was an appropriate time to ask a series of questions bearing on issues that will be resolved in the political arena.
The Major Parties and Education
Thirty-nine percent of respondents say the Democratic Party is more interested in improving public education, while 28% pick the Republican Party. A number of demographic groups assign a clear edge to the Democratic Party, including nonwhites (57%) and those in the West (47%). Only Republicans (61%) think the Republican Party is more interested in improving the public schools.
The second question asked respondents to indicate whether they favor or oppose four programs currently before Congress. The two programs associated with the Democratic Party providing funds to repair and replace older school buildings and reducing class size in grades 1, 2, and 3 have approval ratings of 86% and 80% respectively. The two programs supported by the Republican Party block grants that states could use in assuming responsibility for federal programs and tax-free savings accounts that parents could use in paying tuition and other expenses at private and church-related schools draw support from 73% and 68% respectively.
(The second and third questions were two of the three questions that the Gallup Organization chose to include in one of its regular polls, so as not to bias the responses by including them in an education poll.)
The third question asked respondents to indicate how states should use the surplus funds that are being accumulated as a result of the booming economy. Fifty percent indicate that the surpluses should be spent on the public schools, 31% say they should be used to reduce taxes, and 14% say they should be used to build a "rainy day" fund for the states. Only 4% opted to spend the money on other state services. Among public school parents, 58% say that state surpluses should be spent on the public schools.
The first question:
In your opinion, which of the two major political parties is more interested in improving public education in this country the Democratic Party or the Republican Party?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||
| '98 | '96 | '98 | '96 | '98 | '96 | '98 | '96 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Democratic Party | 39 | 44 | 42 | 45 | 38 | 41 | 18 | 32 |
| Republican Party | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 36 |
| No difference (volunteered) | 18 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 29 | 23 |
| Don't know | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 23 | 9 |
The second question:
Congress is currently considering various plans to improve the quality of the nation's public schools in kindergarten through 12th grade. As I read each of the following plans, would you tell me whether you favor or oppose that plan?
| National Totals | Public School Parents | |||||
| Favor | Oppose | Don't Know | Favor | Oppose | Don't Know | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Providing funds to help repair and replace older school buildings | 86 | 13 | 1 | 89 | 11 | 0 |
| Providing block grants to states, with the states taking the responsibility for some federal programs | 73 | 21 | 6 | 70 | 25 | 5 |
| Allowing parents to build tax-free accounts that they would use to pay tuition and other expenses at private and church-related schools | 68 | 29 | 3 | 74 | 25 | 1 |
| Providing funds to be used to reduce class size in grades 1, 2, and 3 | 80 | 17 | 3 | 88 | 11 | 1 |
The third question:
Because of the current strength of the nation's economy, many states have surplus budget funds available. Which one of the following do you think would be the best way to use surplus funds 1) use them to reduce taxes, 2) spend them on the public schools, 3) spend them on other state services, or 4) build a "rainy day" or emergency fund for the state?
| National Totals | Public School Parents | |
| % | % | |
| Reduce taxes | 31 | 30 |
| Spend them on public schools | 50 | 58 |
| Spend them on state services | 4 | 1 |
| Build a "rainy day" or emergency fund | 14 | 11 |
| Don't know | 1 | * |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||
Financing the Schools
Two questions in the poll dealt with the issue of financing public schools. The first asked respondents about the best way to finance the schools. Respondents are divided, with 21% choosing local property taxes, 33% choosing state taxes, and 37% choosing federal taxes. A significant change since 1986 is that the percentage of those saying they favor federal taxes has gone up by 13%. Nonwhites (54%), 18- to 29-year-olds (45%), and Democrats (40%) express a strong preference for federal taxes as the source of funding.
The second, more basic question asked respondents whether they think the quality of the public schools is related to the amount of money spent on students in those schools. Fifty percent believe that it is. This result is generally uniform across all demographic groups.
The first question:
There is always a lot of discussion about the best way to finance the public schools. Which do you think is the best way to finance the public schools by means of local property taxes, by state taxes, or by taxes from the federal government in Washington?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||
| '98 | '86 | '98 | '86 | '98 | '86 | '98 | '86 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Local property taxes | 21 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 28 | 34 | 22 |
| State taxes | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 32 | 25 | 36 |
| Federal taxes | 37 | 24 | 35 | 23 | 41 | 28 | 28 | 22 |
| Don't know | 9 | 19 | 9 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 20 |
The second question:
In your opinion, is the quality of the public schools related to the amount of money spent on students in these schools, or not?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Yes | 50 | 51 | 52 | 34 |
| No | 42 | 42 | 40 | 56 |
| Don't know | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
Voluntary Testing Program
President Clinton has proposed a voluntary national testing program in which students at the fourth- and eighth-grade levels would be tested in order to measure the performance of the nation's public schools. This proposal is currently before Congress. Poll respondents were asked whether they favored or opposed the idea. The question did not identify President Clinton as the source of the proposal. Seventy-one percent say they favor the idea, and the support is uniform across all demographic groups.
The question:
A proposal has been made that the federal government administer a voluntary national testing program that would routinely test fourth- and eighth-grade students in order to measure the performance of the nation's public schools. In general, do you favor or oppose this proposal?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 71 | 68 | 78 | 72 |
| Oppose | 25 | 28 | 19 | 21 |
| Don't know | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Prayer Amendment
The question on support for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would permit prayers to be spoken in public schools was first asked in 1984. It attracted support from 69% of the respondents to that year's poll. This year the same question brought a favorable response from 67% of the respondents. Groups offering particularly high support include blacks (76%), those age 50 and older (74%), Republicans (80%), those living in the South (81%), and rural residents (75%). Those less likely to favor the amendment, though still offering majority support, include those in the 18- to 29-year-old age group (55%), political independents (56%), college graduates (56%), those in the West (51%), and professionals and businesspeople (61%).
The question:
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been proposed that would permit prayers to be spoken in the public schools. Do you favor or oppose this amendment?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||||||
| '98 | '95 | '84 | '98 | '95 | '84 | '98 | '95 | '84 | '98 | '95 | '84 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Favor | 67 | 71 | 69 | 64 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 75 | 73 | 85 | 74 | 68 |
| Oppose | 28 | 25 | 24 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 23 | 21 |
| Don't know | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
TOPICS:
Introduction to the Poll
Public Versus Nonpublic Schools
Grading the Schools
Effectiveness of Public Schools
Improving the Nation's Inner-City Schools
Politics and the Public Schools
Problems Facing the Public Schools
School Operation/Curriculum
Impact of Unions
The Public's Knowledge of Local Schools
Confidence in Institutions
Closing Comments
How to Order the Poll
Research Procedure
Sampling Tolerances
Design and Composition of the Sample
Conducting Your Own Poll
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