PARENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The 29th Annual
Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll
Of the Public's Attitudes
Toward the Public Schools
Illustration by Fred Bell
PARENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
The 29th Annual Illustration by Fred Bell |
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This poll went further than most recent Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup polls in exploring the relationship between the public schools and the parents who send students to those schools. That seems to have been an appropriate decision, given the fact that 86% of the public cites the amount of support from parents of students in the local public schools as the most important factor in determining why schools in some places are better than others.
Infringing on Rights of Parents
One of the charges heard from some critics is that the public schools are infringing on the right of parents to direct their children's education. This seems to be part of a more general feeling among some Americans that the government has too much control over their lives. However, more than seven in 10 respondents (71%) said they do not believe that the public schools are infringing on the rights of parents. Only nonpublic school parents differ.
The question:
People in some communities say the local public schools are infringing on the rights of parents to direct their children's education. In your opinion, are the public schools in your community infringing on the rights of local parents to direct their children's education?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Yes, infringing | 24 |
20 |
28 |
50 |
| No, not infringing | 71 |
73 |
70 |
44 |
| Don't know | 5 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
Help with Homework
The 1986 poll asked parents how much help they gave their oldest child with his or her homework. At that time, 34% said that they provided no help -- a figure that fell to 13% when the question was repeated in this year's poll. It also appears that parents who help their children are spending more hours doing so than they did in 1986. Forty-seven percent of this year's respondents say that they help with homework four or more hours a week, compared to 14% who said they spent that much time in the earlier poll. Thirty-nine percent of all public school parents report that they help their children five or more hours per week.
The question:
During the school year, on average, about how many hours a week do you help your oldest child with his or her homework?
'97 |
'86 | |
| None | 13 |
34 |
| Up to 1 hour | 5 |
13 |
| 1 1:59 hours | 12 |
17 |
| 2 2:59 hours | 12 |
10 |
| 3 3:59 hours | 9 |
7 |
| 4 4:59 hours | 8 |
5 |
| 5 5:59 hours | 14 |
4 |
| 6 hours or more | 25 |
5 |
| Undesignated | 2 |
5 |
Willingness to Volunteer
Much has been made recently of the importance of persons being willing to serve as unpaid volunteers in addressing problems the nation faces. Television recently featured pictures of past U.S. Presidents working at sprucing up inner-city areas. Gen. Colin Powell heads up a Presidential task force to promote volunteerism. Given this backdrop, poll planners thought it important to repeat the 1992 question in which participants were asked about their willingness to serve as unpaid volunteers in the public schools. At that time 59% said that they would be willing to do so. In this year's poll that figure rose to 69%.
The question:
If you were asked, would you be willing to work as an unpaid volunteer in any of the public schools in this community or not?
Willing to Work as Unpaid Volunteer | ||
'97 |
'92 | |
| NATIONAL TOTALS | 69 |
59 |
| Sex Men Women |
|
|
| Race White Nonwhite |
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|
| Age 18-29 years 30-49 years 50-64 years 65 and over |
|
|
| Education College graduate High school graduate High school incomplete |
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| Children in School No children in school Public school parents Nonpublic school parents |
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Parental Support for Teachers and Principals
One of the complaints heard from teachers and principals is that they no longer have the parental support they once enjoyed. Two questions were asked in this poll to explore the support parents give to school personnel.
The first question:
Suppose a teacher or principal reported that your oldest child was misbehaving and being disruptive in school. Whose side do you think you would be more likely to take -- the school's or your child's?
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| The school's side | 57 |
73 |
| Your child's side | 25 |
16 |
| Don't know | 18 |
11 |
The second question:
What if a teacher or principal reported that your oldest child was not working hard enough at schoolwork? Whose side do you think you would be more likely to take -- the school's or your child's?
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| The school's side | 70 |
70 |
| Your child's side | 22 |
25 |
| Don't know | 8 |
5 |
Parental Expectations Regarding Achievement
By a 2-1 margin (60% to 28%) respondents in the 1996 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll said that, if forced to choose, they would prefer their sons or daughters to make C grades and be active in extracurricular activities rather than make A grades and not be active. This response led poll planners to ask on this year's poll about the lowest grade a student could bring home without causing the parent to be upset or concerned. A majority (60%) said their child could bring home a report card with a C without raising concern. This response is consistent among all groups in the poll.
The question:
Regardless of whether you have children in public school, what would be the lowest grade a child of yours could bring home on a report card without upsetting or concerning you?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| A | 1 |
1 |
* |
2 |
| B | 21 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
| C | 60 |
58 |
63 |
64 |
| D | 13 |
15 |
11 |
9 |
| FAIL | 3 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
| Don't know | 2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
Parental Expectations on Communication
Given today's concern for privacy, one of the important dilemmas for school personnel is how much information regarding student problems should be reported to parents. This is an area, however, where parental expectations are quite clear. Ninety-eight percent of all respondents believe that public schools should be required to notify the parents if their child is found to have a substance abuse problem, and 90% feel that parents should be notified if their child is found to have a sexually transmitted disease. These responses are consistent across all groups surveyed.
The first question:
Do you think that the public schools in your community should or should not be required to notify the parents of a student who is found by school authorities to have a substance abuse problem?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Should be required | 98 |
98 |
98 |
100 |
| Should not be required | 1 |
1 |
2 |
* |
| Don't know | 1 |
1 |
* |
* |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
The second question:
How about a sexually transmitted disease? Do you think the public schools in your community should or should not be required to notify the parents of a student who is found by school authorities to have a sexually transmitted disease?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Should be required | 90 |
89 |
92 |
89 |
| Should not be required | 9 |
10 |
7 |
10 |
| Don't know | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
Last updated: 25 August 1997
URL: http://www.pdkintl.org/kpoll97f.htm
Contact: bucheri@pdkintl.org
Copyright 1997 Phi Delta Kappan