The Gallup Poll on Education

http://www.gallup.com/poll/indicators/indeducation.asp

GALLUP POLL TOPICS: A-Z

Education

Based on what you have read or heard, do you favor or oppose the school voucher program George W. Bush has proposed?

In your opinion, what is the single most important thing that could be done to prevent another incidence of school shootings by students, like the recent ones in California?

A. The home life students have today, including their relationship with their parents

B. Bullying and teasing of students at school

C. The portrayal of violence and use of guns in today’s entertainment and music

D. The coverage given to school shootings by the news media

E. The availability and ease of obtaining guns by students

F. The way schools discipline their students

G. The size of high schools today in terms of the number of students who attend

H. The fact that families move around and the students don’t have roots in one specific town

SUMMARY TABLE OF IMPORTANCE

Thinking about your oldest child, when he or she is at school, do you fear for his or her physical safety?

BASED ON -- 299 -- K-12 PARENTS; �6 PCT. PTS.

BASED ON -- 299 -- K-12 PARENTS; �6 PCT. PTS.

In your opinion, how likely is it that these kinds of shootings could happen in your community, is it -- very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, or very unlikely?

Which of the following statements comes closer to your view of shootings like the recent ones that have occurred in schools -- [ROTATED: they are indications that there is something seriously wrong in the country today (or) they are isolated incidents that do not indicate anything about the country in general]?

1. Making public school facilities available after school hours for use by student religious groups

Thinking about the presence that religion currently has in public schools in this country, do you think religion has – [ROTATED: too much of a presence in public schools, about the right amount, (or) too little of a presence in public schools]?

[BASED ON – 487 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B; �4 PCT. PTS.]

How would you rate the job the United States’ public school system is doing in educating our young people -- excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

A. Providing more federal money for programs specified by the federal government

B. Providing more federal money for local school districts to use as they see fit

C. Paying teachers better

D. Using standardized tests to hold schools accountable

E. Providing school vouchers

F. Providing charter schools

"A GREAT DEAL/FAIR AMOUNT" SUMMARY

Should public school students be required to pass a standardized test in order to be promoted to the next grade, or not?

[BASED ON -- 514 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A; �4 PCT. PTS.]

Do you think it is fair or unfair to use a single standardized test to determine what a student knows or has achieved?

[BASED ON -- 504 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B; �5 PCT. PTS.]

Do you think standardized tests are or are not an accurate way to measure whether students have learned what they need to in order to pass to the next grade?

Do you think that colleges should or should not be allowed to consider race as a factor in student admission decisions?

Education, continued

For or against a constitutional amendment to permit prayer in the public schools

For against a system giving parents government funded school vouchers to pay for tuition at the public, private or religious school of their choice

For or against a law that would require new public school teachers to pass a competency test in teaching skills and the subject they will be teaching

For or against a law that would require all students in public schools to take national standardized tests every year

Just your opinion, are the taxes you pay in your local school district too high, too low, or about right?

Just your opinion, what is most important in determining how well-educated a student is when he or she graduates from high school -- [ROTATED]: the intelligence they were born with, the family background and environment in which the child is raised, (or) the quality of the teachers and schools in which the child receives his or her education?

Will that child attend public, private or parochial school?

[BASED ON -- 282 -- K-12 PARENTS; � 6 PCT PTS]

How satisfied are you with the quality of education your oldest child is receiving? Would you say completely satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or completely dissatisfied?

[BASED ON -- 282 -- K-12 PARENTS; � 6 PCT PTS]

In terms of its impact on your vote for president, is the issue of education more important, about the same, or less important to you today than it has been in recent presidential elections?

In terms of public education in this country, do you think the federal government: should be more involved in education than it currently is, should keep its involvement about the same, or should be less involved in education than it currently is? [RANDOM ORDER]

What action by the federal government do you think would be most effective in helping to improve public schools in the United States today? [Open-ended; Record up to three mentions]

Overall, would you say that teacher salaries in the United States are too high, about right or too low?

Next we have a question about the amount of federal government involvement in public elementary and high schools in this country. Do you think the amount of federal involvement should be - [ROTATE: greater than it is now, about the same, or less than it is now?]

In your view, should the government spend money to assist low-income families who want to send their children to private or religious schools, or should government money only be spent on children who attend public schools?

(*) A Time/CNN poll; Question wording: In your view, should the government spend money to assist families who want to send their children to private or religious schools, or should government money only be spent on children who attend public schools?

Next, I'd like you to rate your satisfaction with the state of the nation in some different areas. For each of the following areas, please say whether you are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied? How about… the quality of education of this country?

Using the same scale, how satisfied are you with the quality of the education you personally received, in kindergarten through grade twelve? (Would you say completely satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or completely dissatisfied?)

Finally, how satisfied are you with the quality of education which college students receive in American colleges and universities today? (Would you say completely satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied or completely dissatisfied?)

SPLIT SAMPLE

Do you think salaries for teachers in your community are too high, too low or just about right?

[BASED ON -- 488 -- RESPONDENTS ASKED FORM A; � 5 PCT PTS]

Thinking about public school in kindergarten through grade 12, do you think salaries for public school teachers in your community are too high, too low or just about right?

[BASED ON -- 540 -- RESPONDENTS ASKED FORM B; � 5 PCT PTS]

Next, I'm going to read some areas of instruction that high schools might offer. Please say whether you think each one should be required instruction, could be offered as an elective but should not be required, or should not be taught at all. First, ... How about ...[RANDOM ORDER]

How serious a problem are each of the following at the school your oldest child attends -- very serious, somewhat serious, not too serious, or not serious at all? First, ... How about ... [RANDOM ORDER]

[BASED ON -- 338 -- K-12 PARENTS; � 6 PCT PTS]

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