The 30th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools |
SCHOOL OPERATION/CURRICULUM
The 1998 poll dealt with a number of topics involving school operations and curriculum, including means of communication, involvement of parents, dealing with students who cannot speak English, placement of students with learning problems, and inclusion of sex education in the curriculum.
Communication
Schools and school districts use a variety of ways to communicate with parents and with the rest of the community. Some, such as open houses, neighborhood discussion groups, and school newsletters, have been around for a long time; others, such as televised school board meetings, public school news hotlines, and Internet chat rooms, are relatively new. Respondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of each of these methods.
The question:
Here are some ways in which public schools try to open lines of communication with citizens. In your opinion, how effective do you think each of the following would be? Would you say very effective, somewhat effective, not very effective, or not at all effective?
| Very and Somewhat Effective | Very Effective | Somewhat Effective | Not Very Effective | Not At All Effective |
Don't Know | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Public school open houses | 89 | 54 | 35 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Public school newsletters | 87 | 47 | 40 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| Open hearings | 85 | 48 | 37 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| Neighborhood discussion groups | 81 | 43 | 38 | 12 | 5 | 2 |
| Public school news hotlines | 77 | 35 | 42 | 13 | 4 | 6 |
| Televised school board meetings | 74 | 39 | 35 | 15 | 9 | 2 |
| Internet "chat rooms" set up by your local school | 63 | 25 | 38 | 19 | 9 | 9 |
Parental Control
The matter of parental control in seven areas related to the public schools has been explored just once previously in these polls. The responses in this year's poll suggest that the desire for parents to have a greater say in school matters has increased significantly since the question was first asked in 1989. (The results were not published until 1990.) Of the seven areas included in the question, the desire is highest this year for greater parental input in the allocation of school funds (57% of respondents want more say), in the selection and hiring of administrators and principals (55% want more say), and in the choice of the curriculum offered (53% want more say).
Public school parents indicate a desire for more say in each of the seven areas. Nonwhites are more likely than whites to want more say in all areas except teacher and administrator salaries and allocation of school funds, where the groups are essentially tied. College graduates are more likely than high school graduates to believe that parents have the right amount of say in each of the seven areas.
The first question:
Do you feel that parents of public school students should have more say, less say, or do they have about the right amount of say about the following areas in the public schools?
| More Say | Less Say | Right Amount | Don't Know | |||||
| '98 | '90 | '98 | '90 | '98 | '90 | '98 | '90 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Allocation of school funds | 57 | 59 | 8 | 10 | 29 | 27 | 6 | 4 |
| Selection and hiring of administrators and principals | 55 | 46 | 9 | 14 | 30 | 37 | 6 | 3 |
| Curriculum, that is, the subjects offered | 53 | 53 | 10 | 9 | 32 | 36 | 5 | 2 |
| Selection and hiring of teachers | 48 | 41 | 13 | 17 | 34 | 38 | 5 | 4 |
| Teacher and administrator salaries | 48 | 39 | 14 | 17 | 32 | 39 | 6 | 5 |
| Selection of books and instructional materials | 46 | 43 | 13 | 13 | 37 | 41 | 4 | 3 |
| Books placed in school libraries | 44 | 38 | 14 | 15 | 38 | 44 | 4 | 3 |
Non-English-Speaking Students
How to meet the needs of students who come to the public schools unable to speak English is a matter of controversy across the nation. The problem was highlighted recently in California when the state approved a referendum virtually banning bilingual education. This year's poll offered respondents three choices for dealing with the problem of non-English-speaking students. The first, putting them in classes taught in English with a minimum amount of tutoring in English, is supported by 34% of those polled. The second, providing public school instruction in all subjects in the students' native language while they learn English, is supported by 27%. The third, requiring students to learn English in public schools before they receive instruction in any other subjects, is supported by 37%. Nonwhites (42%) are the group most likely to choose the option of providing students with instruction in their native language. College graduates (42%) are the group most likely to opt for providing the minimum amount of tutoring needed in English.
The question:
Many families who come from other countries have school-age children who cannot speak English. Which one of the following three approaches do you think is the best way for public schools to deal with non-English-speaking students?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Put the students in classes taught in English with the minimum tutoring needed to help them learn English | 34 | 33 | 34 | 40 |
| Provide public school instruction in all subjects in the students' native language while they learn English | 27 | 26 | 30 | 20 |
| Require students to learn English in public schools before they receive instruction in any other subjects | 37 | 38 | 34 | 40 |
| Don't know | 2 | 3 | 2 | * |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
Placement of Students with Learning Problems
There has been a trend across the country, supported by federal law and a line of court decisions, to place students with learning problems in the same classrooms with other students. In a question asked in 1995, two-thirds of the public (66%) expressed the view that students with learning problems should be in special classes. The same question was repeated in this year's poll, and the results show little change of opinion. Sixty-five percent favor placement in special classes, while 26% favor placement in the same classrooms. Groups most likely to support placement in special classes include those age 65 and older (74%), Republicans (72%), high school graduates (71%), and manual laborers (71%).
The question:
In your opinion, should children with learning problems be put in the same classrooms with other students, or should they be put in special classes of their own?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||
| '98 | '95 | '98 | '95 | '98 | '95 | '98 | '95 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Yes, same classrooms | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 10 | 25 |
| No, special classes | 65 | 66 | 65 | 68 | 63 | 62 | 70 | 66 |
| Don't know | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 9 |
Including Sex Education in the Curriculum
In earlier polls, respondents were routinely asked about the inclusion of sex education in the public high school curriculum. The topic was last explored in 1987, at which time 76% of respondents favored including sex education in the curriculum. In the intervening 11 years, support has increased to 87%. It is also uniform across all groups.
A second question, also from previous polls, asked respondents about the inclusion of specific topics in the sex education curriculum. Once again, support for inclusion has increased for each of the nine topics listed. The percentage favoring inclusion varies from a high of 92% for instruction about AIDS and about venereal disease to a low of 65% for instruction about homosexuality.
The first question:
Do you feel the public high schools should or should not include sex education in their instructional programs?
| National Totals |
No Children In School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||||||||||
| '98 | '87 | '85 | '81 | '98 | '87 | '85 | '81 | '98 | '87 | '85 | '81 | '98 | '87 | '85 | '81 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Yes, should | 87 | 76 | 75 | 70 | 87 | 73 | 72 | 66 | 89 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 78 | 81 | 80 | 79 |
| No, should not | 12 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 17 |
| Don't know | 1 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | * | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||||||||||||||
The second question:
Which of the following topics, if any, should be included for high school students?
| Topics That Should Be Included | ||||
| '98 | '87 | '85 | '81 | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Venereal disease | 92 | 86 | 84 | 84 |
| AIDS | 92 | 84 | * | * |
| Biology of reproduction | 90 | 80 | 82 | 77 |
| Teen pregnancy | 89 | 84 | * | * |
| Birth control | 87 | 83 | 85 | 79 |
| Premarital sex | 77 | 66 | 62 | 60 |
| Nature of sexual intercourse | 72 | 61 | 61 | 53 |
| Abortion | 70 | 60 | 60 | 54 |
| Homosexuality | 65 | 56 | 48 | 45 |
| *These topics were not included in the earlier surveys. | ||||
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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