© Copyright 2013. The Associated Press and NORC August 2013 1 The Associated Press-NORC Center or Public Afairs Research Research Highlights PARENTS’ ATTITUDES ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN THE UNITED ST A TES © 2013. AP Photo/Craig Ruttle Trevor Tompson, Jennifer Benz, and Jennifer Agiesta INTRODUCTION Between America’s long-standing national objective o improving the strength o the public school system to prepare students or college and careers and the ocus o the Obama administration on education as a pathway to economic security or the middle class and improving the economy , education issues and policy are in the spotlight. A central ocus o the policy discussion is the measurement o quality and the utilization o quality data to improve student outcomes. This quality-ocused policy agenda covers a range o high-prole issues, rom standardized testing to teacher evaluation to early childhood education, and involves a range o stakeholders. While regular survey research is conducted with a variety o stakeholders, including teachers, very ew nationally representative surveys o parents have been conducted recently. Oten cited as a key determinant o student outcomes, parents represent an important perspective that policymakers need to understand in the design, articulation, and implementation o quality-ocused education initiatives . This study provides a comprehensiv e description o parents’ perspectives on education in America today , with a specic ocus on understanding what quality education and teaching means to parents and how it should be measured and rewarded. With unding rom the Joyce Foundation, the Associated Press-NORC Center or Public Aairs Research conducted a national survey o 1,025 parents or guardians o children who completed a grade between kindergarten and 12 th during the 2012-2013 school year. The key ndings rom the study, summarized below, provide much-needed inormation or policymakers and school ocials across the country to better understand the perspectives and opinions o one o their key constituencies—parents. ¬ Parents report generally avorable views o their local schools, but when asked specically about outcomes, less than hal think the schools do a good job preparing students or the workorce or giving students the practical skills they will need as adults. Just over hal o parents believe that their local schools are doing a good job preparing students or college and to be good citizens. ¬ Parents generally believe their child’ s teachers are high quality , and they rate teachers who are passionate, eective, and caring especially high. Signicantly ewer parents rate a teacher’s experience and expertise as important characteristics or a teacher. ¬ Not all parents are satised with the quality o teaching at their child’s school. Signicant minorities report that nding and retaining good teachers is a serious problem, as is the overall quality o instruction. And 17 percent o parents report that their child had a poor perorming teacher in at least one subject this past year. Additionally, nearly three-quarters o parents avor making it easier or school districts to re teachers or poor perormance.

AP_NORC - Parents Attitudes on the Quality of Education in the US - 2013

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