Education

Have any of your school-aged children expressed any worry or concern about feeling unsafe at their school when they go back to school this fall?

Based on K-12 parents

	Yes	No	No opinion
	%	%	%
2023 Aug 1-23	14	86	*
2022 Aug 1-23	20	80	--
2019 Aug 1-14	12	88	--
2018 Aug 1-12	20	79	1
2017 Aug 2-6	6	94	--
2016 Aug 3-7	13	87	--
2015 Aug 5-9	10	89	*
2014 Aug 7-10	8	92	--
2013 Aug 7-11	10	89	1
2012 Aug 9-12	12	85	3
2009 Mar 27-29^	10	90	--
2008 Aug 7-10	8	91	1
2007 Aug 13-16	12	87	1
2006 Oct 6-8 ^	12	88	--
2007 Aug 7-10	11	87	2
2004 Aug 9-11	10	89	1
2003 Aug 4-6	8	91	1
2001 Mar 9-11 #	22	77	1
2000 Aug 24-27	8	92	*
1999 Aug 24-26	18	82	*
* Less than 0.5%; ^ WORDING: Have any of your school-aged children expressed any worry or concern about feeling unsafe at their school?; # WORDING: Have any of your school-aged children expressed any worry or concern about feeling unsafe at their school when they go to school?
Gallup

How would you rate the performance of your children's teachers -- as excellent, good, fair or poor?

Based on K-12 parents

	Excellent	Good	Fair	Poor	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2023 Aug 1-23	36	37	20	7	1
2018 Aug 1-12	35	36	22	6	*
1981 Mar 11-17	29	45	19	5	2
* Less than 0.5%
Gallup

What are some of the reasons you are dissatisfied with the quality of education that students in this country receive? [OPEN-ENDED]

Asked of those dissatisfied with K-12 education

	2022 Aug 1-23
	%
Poor/Outdated curriculum	15
Poor quality education/Outranked by other countries	12
Lack of teaching basic subjects (reading, writing, arithmetic)	11
Political agendas being taught	10
Students not learning life skills	9
Unequal access/opportunity for low-income students	8
Lack of funding, resources	6
Lack of care, empathy, attention, support for students	6
Sex education/Transgender/Gender identity education	4
History not being taught	4
Teacher pay/Low salaries/Underpaid	4
Not enough quality teachers/Underqualified	4
Lack of teachers/understaffed/Too much turnover	4
Too much emphasis on standardized testing	3
Teaching methods/Way teachers teach/On computers too much	3
Little discipline with students/Low accountability	3
Critical race theory agenda	3
Schools are not safe/Violence/Bullying	2
Poor response to COVID-19 situation/Home schooling/Lack of teaching	2
Need more involvement, input from parents	2
Lack or preparedness for workforce, careers	2
Students not taught to think critically	2
Schools are overcrowded/Large class sizes/Teachers overworked	2
Students not challenged/Not pushed to their capabilities	2
Teachers not allowed to teach/Not supported enough	1
Too much government interference	1
Students not taught basic civics	1
No Child Left Behind agenda	1
Other	10
No opinion	1
Gallup

Next, we'd like to ask you about racial concentration, sometimes referred to as racial segregation, in U.S. public schools. This occurs when students in a school are predominantly from one racial group, such as mostly white or mostly black. Do you feel racial concentration or segregation in U.S. public schools is a very serious problem, a moderately serious problem, not too serious a problem or not a problem at all?

	Very serious	Moderately serious	Not too serious	Not a problem	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2019 Jul 15-31	21	36	22	19	2
Gallup

Just your best guess, do you think U.S. public schools are now -- [ROTATED: more racially segregated than they were 20 years ago, has there been no change, (or are U.S. public schools) less racially segregated than they were 20 years ago]?

	More segregated	No change	Less segregated	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2019 Jul 15-31	23	20	54	3
Gallup

Do you think the federal government should or should not take additional steps to reduce racial concentration or segregation in U.S. schools?

	Yes, should	No, should not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2019 Jul 15-31	53	45	2
Gallup

Do you favor or oppose each of the following proposals to reduce racial concentration or segregation in U.S. public schools? [RANDOM ORDER]

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
	%	%	%
Creating more regional magnet schools that offer specialized courses or curriculum	79	18	3
Initiating policies to promote more low-income housing in suburbs and other higher-income areas	66	32	2
Redrawing school district boundaries to create more racially diverse school districts	60	38	2
Requiring school districts to bus a certain percentage of students to a neighboring school district to make schools more racially diverse	43	55	2
Gallup, July 15-31, 2019

How important is a college education today -- very important, fairly important or not too important?

	Very important	Fairly important	Not important	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2019 Jun 19-30	53	35	11	*
2019 Jun 3-16	49	37	14	*
2013 Dec 5-8	70	23	6	*
1985 May 17-20 ^	64	27	7	2
1983 May 13-22 ^	58	31	8	3
1978 Apr ^	36	46	16	2
* Less than 0.5%; ^ Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa Survey of Attitudes toward Public Schools
Gallup

Please say whether you favor or oppose each of the following proposals. [RANDOM ORDER]

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
	%	%	%
Free tuition at community colleges for anyone who wants to attend	64	36	*
Free tuition at public four-year colleges for students from low- and middle-income families	63	36	*
Debt-free college education ^	61	38	1
^ FULL ITEM WORDING: Debt-free college education that would use government money to cover the cost of a student's college beyond what his or her family can afford; * Less than 0.5%
Gallup, June 19-30, 2019

How confident are you that federal and state governments would be able to cover the cost of free or debt-free college programs for students -- very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident or not confident at all?

	Very confident	Somewhat confident	Not too confident	Not confident at all	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2019 Jun 19-30	17	23	24	35	*
* Less than 0.5%
Gallup

Now, I'd like to ask you some questions about education beyond high school in the United States. By education beyond high school, I mean education available at colleges, universities, community colleges, online schools, technical/vocational schools and any place you could earn a degree or a professional certificate. Do you think education beyond high school is AVAILABLE to anyone in this country who needs it?

	Yes, is	No, is not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2019 Jun 3-16	60	40	--
2015 ^	59	41	*
2014 ^	61	39	*
2013 ^	67	32	1
2012 ^	68	32	*
2011 ^	71	28	*
* Less than 0.5%; ^ Gallup/Lumina Foundation surveys
Gallup

Do you think education beyond high school is AFFORDABLE for anyone in this country who needs it?

	Yes, is	No, is not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2019 Jun 3-16	27	73	*
2015 ^	24	76	1
2014 ^	21	78	<1
2013 ^	23	77	1
2012 ^	26	74	<1
* Less than 0.5%; ^ Gallup/Lumina Foundation surveys
Gallup

Next I'm going to read a list of ways in which children are educated in the U.S. today. As I read each one, please indicate -- based on what you know or have read and heard -- how good an education each provides children -- excellent, good, only fair or poor. How about ... ?

	Excellent	Good	Only fair	Poor	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
Public schools
2017 Aug 2-6	5	39	35	19	2
2012 Aug 9-12	5	32	42	19	2
Parochial or church-related schools
2017 Aug 2-6	21	42	21	9	8
2012 Aug 9-12	21	48	18	5	8
Independent private schools
2017 Aug 2-6	21	50	17	4	8
2012 Aug 9-12	31	47	13	2	7
Charter schools
2017 Aug 2-6	14	41	23	9	13
2012 Aug 9-12	17	43	23	5	13
Home schooling
2017 Aug 2-6	14	32	31	15	8
2012 Aug 9-12	13	33	30	14	9
Gallup

From what you know, how would you rate the quality of education offered by each of the following -- as generally excellent, good, only fair or poor?

	Excellent	Good	Only fair	Poor	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
Four-year colleges and universities
2015 Jun 2-7	22	48	24	5	2
2013 Oct 3-6	16	52	22	8	2
Community colleges
2015 Jun 2-7	18	48	27	4	2
2013 Oct 3-6	13	51	27	6	3
Internet-based college programs ^
2015 Jun 2-7	8	28	36	18	9
2013 Oct 3-6	5	29	34	18	13
^ FULL WORDING: Internet-based college programs, in which the courses are conducted entirely online
Gallup

Next I'm going to read a variety of proposals concerning religion and public schools. For each one, please tell me whether you would generally favor or oppose it. Making public school facilities available after school hours for use by student religious groups.

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
	%	%	%
2014 Aug 7-10	77	21	2
2001 Feb 9-11	72	26	2
1999 Jun 25-27	78	21	1
Gallup

Next I'm going to read a variety of proposals concerning religion and public schools. For each one, please tell me whether you would generally favor or oppose it. Allowing daily prayer to be spoken in the classroom.

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
	%	%	%
2014 Aug 7-10	61	37	2
2001 Feb 9-11	66	34	*
2000 Sep 11-13	68	30	2
1999 Jun 25-27	70	28	2
* Less than 0.5%
Gallup

Next I'm going to read a variety of proposals concerning religion and public schools. For each one, please tell me whether you would generally favor or oppose it. Allowing students to say prayers at graduation ceremonies as part of the official program.

	Favor	Oppose	No opinion
	%	%	%
2014 Aug 7-10	75	24	1
2001 Feb 9-11	80	20	*
2000 Sep 11-13	77	21	2
1999 Jun 25-27	83	17	*
* Less than 0.5%
Gallup

How much, if anything, have you heard about the new national standards for teaching reading, writing and math in grades K through 12, known as the Common Core State Standards -- a great deal, a fair amount, only a little or nothing at all?