The Harris Poll^® #45, June 2, 2006

Few U.S. Adults Give High Marks to the Nation’s Public Schools for Quality of Education

Public schools are perceived better for physical education, diversity and social development aspects, but people feel private schools better prepare kids for college, teach academic subjects and address the needs of the gifted and talented

Fewer than two in 10 U.S. adults rate the quality of public education in the nation today as very good or excellent (grades K-6, 17%; grades 7-12, 14%). Adults are twice as likely to rate the quality of public education in the United States as fair or poor as they are to rate it as very good or excellent. This applies to both the elementary (39% poor/fair) and secondary school (45% poor/fair) levels. Private schools in the United States, whether religion-based or not, are the most likely to be viewed as providing a very good or excellent quality of education. Home schooling also fares better than public schools in this analysis, but charter schools are perceived as providing a similar quality of education as public schools in general.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,435 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive^® between March 8 and 14, 2006.

Public education in "my neighborhood" is better

Adults are somewhat more likely to rate the quality of public school education in their local area more favorably than that of the nation as a whole. One-quarter of adults describe the quality of public school education in their local area as very good or excellent at the grade K-6 (26%) and grade 7-12 (23%) levels. In contrast, people’s views toward the quality of education in private, non-religion based schools or of home schooling locally tend to be less favorable than their perceptions of those at the national level. Private, religion-based schools and charter schools fared equally when people considered them locally or nationally.

Views on education quality align with beliefs about which types of schooling do best in specific subject or skill areas.

Pluralities believe that private schools provide a better education than public schools or home-schooling in reading and writing (33%), science (35%), English/literature (36%), mathematics (37%), foreign language (40%), art/music (41%), preparation for college (44%), and education for gifted or talented children (49%). However, many also believe that public schools provide a better education than private schools or home-schooling in physical education (42%), social skills with peers (47%), and getting along with people from other backgrounds (59%).

Biggest regional differences in public ratings apparent for public school education

Western and Eastern states vary in their ratings of public school education., Only two in 10 adults in the West rate the quality of public education as very good or excellent in elementary (21%) or secondary (17%) schools, compared to one-third of adults in East who rate the quality of public school education as very good or excellent, K-6 (35%) and 7-12 (32%).

TABLE 1

EVALUATION OF EDUCATION QUALITY: NATIONAL AND LOCAL AREA PERSPECTIVE

"Overall, how would you rate the quality of education provided by the following in …? Excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, not sure?"

Percent saying excellent/very good

Base: Half of all adults (split sample)

	The United States	Your Local Area
	%	%
Public schools, grades K-6	17	26
Public schools, grades 7-12	14	23
Private, church-related schools, grades K-6	35	34
Private, church-related schools, grades 7-12	34	33
Private, non-church-related schools, grades K-6	32	25
Private, non-church-related schools, grades 7-12	31	25
Homeschooling, grades K-6	25	18
Homeschooling, grades 7-12	23	17
Charter schools, grades K-6	18	16
Charter schools, grades 7-12	18	15

TABLE 2

BEST MODES OF EDUCATION FOR INDIVIDUAL SUBJECT AREAS

"For each of the following areas, please indicate which type of schooling provides a better education."

Base: All adults

	Public Schools	Private Schools	Home-schooling	No Difference	Not Sure
	%	%	%	%	%
Reading and writing	13	33	16	17	21
Mathematics	14	37	10	16	22
Science	20	35	6	14	24
Foreign language	18	40	5	13	25
History	17	31	11	18	23
English/ Literature	15	36	10	16	22
Physical education	42	15	4	17	23
Art / Music	19	41	6	12	22
Preparation for college	17	44	7	11	22
Social skills with peers	47	20	4	10	19
Education for special-needs children	23	26	18	8	25
Education for gifted or talented children	13	49	10	7	21
Good citizenship	23	27	12	16	22
Preparation for employment	29	25	7	15	24
Getting along with people from different backgrounds	59	12	4	9	17

TABLE 3

EVALUATION OF EDUCATION QUALITY: BY REGION

"Overall, how would you rate the quality of education provided by the following in…? Excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, not sure?"

Base: Half of all adults (split sample)

	Excellent/Very Good (NET)				Poor/Fair (NET)
	East	Mid-west	South	West	East	Mid-west	South	West
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Public schools, grades K-6	35	25	25	21	26	30	30	34
Public schools, grades 7-12	32	24	20	17	35	32	34	40
Private, church-related schools, grades K-6	32	33	36	35	11	8	8	6
Private, church-related schools, grades 7-12	33	34	33	33	11	8	8	6
Private, non-church-related schools, grades K-6	25	23	26	27	11	6	7	7
Private, non-church-related schools, grades 7-12	26	22	27	25	12	7	9	6
Homeschooling, grades K-6	16	16	20	21	8	12	12	7
Homeschooling, grades 7-12	17	15	17	19	9	15	14	9
Charter schools, grades K-6	16	13	15	20	11	12	12	12
Charter schools, grades 7-12	15	12	15	19	12	12	13	11

Methodology

The Harris Poll^® was conducted online within the United States between March 8 and 14, 2006 among 2,435 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order; deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse (including refusals); interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used); and weighting.

With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided.

With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 2,435 adults one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2 percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

J27128

Q841, Q844, Q846