Public Agenda
2003
According to this "survey of surveys" by Public Agenda, most U.S. employers and college professors rate recent public school graduates as barely literate, poorly motivated slackers who know a lot about computers. This is one of the blunter findings in this compilation of public opinion analyses on education over the past decade, but not the only interesting one. We also learn that parents, teachers, employers and professors all give high marks to the basic concepts that constitute the No Child Left Behind Act. All of those groups strongly support high standards and the efforts to back them up with real action. "In fact, majorities of parents, teachers, students, employers and professors say it is much worse for a child to be promoted and passed along without learning what was expected than to be held back a grade." This support for strong measures applies to testing as well. Before students are awarded a high school diploma, say more than half of all parents, teachers, employers and professors, they "should be required to pass a basic skills test." Yet few believe that testing should be the only gauge of student, teacher or school success. All groups think schools should use "standardized test scores and teacher evaluations as basis for promotion." Teachers support high standards but believe the problems facing schools and children will never be solved by tests and standards alone. More than half of high school students say that "teachers in their school spend more time trying to keep order in the classroom than teaching students," and many high school teachers agree. This report is a useful compilation of the attitudes and views of groups toward education and learning at the dawn of the 21st century. It is worthy reading. To check it out, go to: http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/wherewearenow/wherewearenow.htm.
