Community Survey

What is your race?

What is your yearly income?

How old are you?

What is your occupation?

How important do you think how engaged students are with their classwork is for measuring the effectiveness of the public schools in your community?

How important do you think the % of students who feel hopeful about their future is for measuring the effectiveness of the public schools in your community?

How important do you think the % of high school graduates who go to college or community college is for measuring the effectiveness of the public schools in your community?

How important do you think the % of graduates who get jobs immediately after high school is for measuring the effectiveness of the public schools in your community?

How important do you think the scores that students receive on standardized tests are for measuring the effectiveness of the public schools in your community?

In your opinion, is there too much emphasis on standardized testing in the public schools in your community, not enough emphasis on testing or about the right amount?

In your opinion, which of the following approaches would provide the most accurate picture of a public school student’s academic progress? Select all that apply.

Do you think that all parents with children in the public schools should be allowed to excuse their child from taking one or more standardized tests?

How important is the quality of teachers for improving public schools in your community?

How important is expectations for what students learn for improving public schools in your community?

How important is the effectiveness of principals for improving public schools in your community?

How important is how much money the school has to spend for improving public schools in your community?

How important is using tests for what students have learned for improving public schools in your community?

How important is it for you to know how the students in your community’s schools perform on standardized tests compared with students in their school districts?

7. How important is it for you to know how students perform on standardized tests compared with students in other states?

8. How important is it for you to know how students in this country perform on standardized tests, such as the program for international students assessment (PISA) compared with students in other countries?

On a five-point scale, where 5 means strongly agree and 1 means strongly disagree, please think about your level of agreement with the following statement: My child complains about taking too many standardized tests.

Some states require that teacher evaluations include how well a teacher’s students perform on standardized tests. Do you favor or oppose this requirement?

In your opinion, are student achievement standards in the public schools in your community too high, about right, or too low.

Do you favor or oppose having the teachers in your community use the common core state standards to guide what they teach?

How much, if anything, have you heard about the standards for teaching reading, writing, and math in grades K through 12, known as the common core state standards?

How did you first hear about the common core state standards? Select all that apply.

Do you favor or oppose the idea of charter schools?

Do you favor or oppose allowing students and their parents to choose which public schools in the community the students attend, regardless of where they live?

Suppose you could choose any school in your district for your own child or for someone else’s child. Do you feel you have enough information about the different public schools in this community to make the best choice for a child or not?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the quality of the teaching staff is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think curriculum is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think maintaining student discipline is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the size of the classes is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the variety of the extracurricular activities is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the reputation of the school is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the proximity to your home is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the size of the school (# of students enrolled) is in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think student achievement on standardized tests are in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the success of athletic programs are in choosing a local public school?

Suppose families were free to choose which public school their child attends in this community, how important do you think the proximity to each parent's workplace is in choosing a local public school?

Students are often given the grades A, B, C, D, and Fail to denote the quality of their work. Suppose the public schools themselves in your community were graded in the same way. What grade would you give the public schools in your community – A, B, C, D, or Fail?

Using the A, B, C, D, and Fail scale again, what grade would you give the school your oldest child attends?

How about the public schools in the nation as a whole? What grade would you give the public schools nationally – A, B, C, D, or Fail?

What percentage of public school students in this country do you believe receive a high-quality education today?

Do you think students should be required to have certain vaccinations before they are allowed to attend a public school in your community?

Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense?

Which unit of government – federal, state, or local – do you believe should be most responsible for paying for the K-12 public education system?

Which unit of government – federal, state, or local – do you believe should be most responsible for deciding which textbooks and teaching methods should be used?

Which unit of government – federal, state, or local – do you believe should be most responsible for holding schools accountable for what students learn?

Which unit of government – federal, state, or local – do you believe should be most responsible for determining the right amount of testing?

In some states, tenure is granted to a public school teacher after a trial period. Do you favor or oppose teacher tenure.

Do you have trust and confidence in the men and women who are teaching children in public schools?

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

What do you think are the biggest problems that the public school your community must deal with? Please select up to three problems.

The questions on this survey are adapted from the 47th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Publics Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. The results of the PDK/Gallup Poll can be found in the September 2015 issues of Kappan magazine or at the following link: https://bblearn.astate.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3777336-dt-content-rid-12784549_1/courses/AOS_020/pdkpoll47_2015.pdf