The third in our Lessons Learned series of reports on new teachers finds two specific areas in which teacher training may be lacking: preparedness for the diversity of the contemporary American classroom and teaching students with special needs.
Research Studies: Education
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Lessons Learned, Issue No. 3: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges and Long-Range Plans: Teaching in Changing Times
A Mission of The Heart: Leaders in High-Needs Districts Talk about What It Takes to Transform a School
What does it really take to transform a troubled school into one where students thrive? What do principals actually do during the school day? What traits and skills do they consider essential to turning a struggling school around?
Out Before the Game Begins: Hispanic Leaders Talk About What’s Needed to Bring More Hispanic Youngsters Into Science, Technology and Math Professions
This Public Agenda report, prepared for IBM's summit on "America's Competitiveness: Hispanic Participation in Technology Careers," is based on in-depth interviews with 19 key leaders from vastly different fields and backgrounds. Nearly all of the interviewees said that when it comes to Hispanic and Latino students, the education pipeline is all but broken.
A Matter of Trust: Ten Key Insights From Recent Public Opinion Research on Attitudes About Education Among Hispanic Parents, Students and Young Adults
This Public Agenda report, prepared for IBM's summit on "America's Competitiveness: Hispanic Participation in Technology Careers," indicates that Hispanic families share the aspirations and anxieties of many other families nationwide, and yet also describe concerns, ideas, approaches and relationships with the public school system in ways that are sometimes distinctive.
Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges and Long-Range Plans, Issue No. 2: Working Without a Net: How New Teachers from Three Prominent Alternate Route Programs Describe Their First Year on the Job
The second in the series of Lessons Learned reports on new teachers raises questions about the support given to new teachers who come to teaching through "alternate routes." Issue No. 2: Working Without a Net focuses on new teachers in high-needs schools, comparing the perspectives of those from traditional teacher education versus those from three alternate-route programs: Teach for America, Troops to Teachers and The New Teacher Project.
Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges and Long-Range Plans, Issue No. 1: They're Not Little Kids Anymore: The Special Challenges of New Teachers in High Schools and Middle Schools
This new report by Public Agenda and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality finds new teachers in middle and high school feel most vulnerable to challenging teaching conditions.
Reality Check 2006, Issue No. 4: The Insiders: How Principals and Superintendents See Public Education Today
The fourth in a series of Reality Check reports finds that most public school superintendents -– and principals to a lesser extent -– think local schools are already in pretty good shape. In fact, more than half of the nation's superintendents consider local schools to be "excellent." Most superintendents (77%) and principals (79%) say low academic standards are not a serious problem where they work. Superintendents are substantially less likely than classroom teachers to believe that too many students get passed through the system without learning.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Full Questionnaire
Reality Check 2006, Issue No. 3: Is Support for Standards and Testing Fading?
The third in a series of Reality Check reports finds that five years into the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and over a dozen years into the so-called standards movement in American education, the public now sees these reforms as "necessary, but not sufficient." This is consistent across a number of indicators among all groups surveyed by Public Agenda – parents, students, teachers and administrators.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Full Questionnaire
Reality Check 2006, Issue No. 2: How Black and Hispanic Families Rate Their Schools
The second in a series of Reality Check reports finds that black and Hispanic students are more likely than their white counterparts to report "very serious" problems in their schools on both academic and social dimensions. Three in 10 black youngsters report very serious levels of disruption and unrest in their schools – not just "somewhat serious," but "very serious." Black students are twice as likely as white students to say that schools not getting enough money is a very serious problem in their community.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Full Questionnaire
Reality Check 2006, Issue No. 1: Are Parents and Students Ready for More Math and Science?
The first in a series of Reality Check reports finds that parents and students do not share the concern of business and government leaders about flagging math and science skills. In fact, parents' concern about math and science achievement has actually declined since the mid-1990s. Only one quarter of high school students say lack of emphasis on science and math is a problem in their own school.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: New England Report | Issue No. 1 Full Questionnaire
Teaching Interrupted: Do Discipline Policies in Today's Public Schools Foster the Common Good?
Teachers and parents say too many students are losing critical opportunities for learning -- and too many teachers are leaving the profession -- because of the behavior of a few persistent classroom troublemakers. Teachers in particular complain about the growing willingness of some students and parents to challenge teacher judgment and threaten legal action.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Teaching Interrupted Executive Summary
Rolling Up Their Sleeves: Superintendents and Principals Talk About What's Needed to Fix Public Schools
Public school superintendents and principals say their biggest headaches are funding and the time it takes to comply with a blizzard of local, state and federal mandates. Some 93 percent of superintendents and 88 percent of principals say their district has experienced "an enormous increase in responsibilities and mandates without getting the resources necessary to fulfill them." While unhappy with some of the specifics of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, the vast majority of officials surveyed believe that the era of testing and accountability is here to stay.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Teaching Interrupted Executive Summary
Stand by Me: What Teachers Really Think About Unions, Merit Pay and Other Professional Matters
Public school teachers say they love their work and are confident in their ability to reach most students. But a majority feels that they are unfairly being held accountable when so much that affects learning is beyond their control. They acknowledge that some teachers shouldn't be teaching, but see unions and tenure as necessary protection against school politics and unfounded accusations by parents and students. Teachers are receptive to "merit pay" for those who work harder or in the most challenging schools, but not based on test scores or the subject they teach.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Teaching Interrupted Executive Summary
Where We Are Now: 12 Things You Need to Know About Public Opinion and Public Schools
A digest of a decade of Public Agenda opinion research on public education. Our review found that the standards movement is in full sway in American schools, and support for higher standards and accountability remains solid among teachers, parents and students. But beneath the surface, teachers are discouraged, administrators are besieged by politics and many teachers and students worry about an unruly, disrespectful and sometimes violent atmosphere in American high schools. Sponsored by Washington Mutual. Available for free download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
Attitudes About Teaching: Including the Views of Parents, Administrators, Teachers and the General Public
For this report, Public Agenda has reviewed and analyzed opinion research on teachers and teaching stretching back over the last decade. During this time, Public Agenda itself has conducted well over 20 major national opinion studies on public education, including over half a dozen examining teachers' views on their profession.
With Diploma in Hand: Hispanic High School Seniors Talk about their Future
Focus groups with Hispanic high school students suggest that some may be derailed on the road to higher education by low expectations from teachers, poor understanding of the admissions processes, and little adult support. The report is available through its sponsor, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. 2003.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Where We Are Now Complete Survey Results (Including Technical Appendix)
I'm Calling My Lawyer: How Litigation, Due Process and Other Regulatory Requirements Are Affecting Public Education
In this pilot study, many teachers and school administrators reported that the possibility of being sued or accused of abuse is ever present in their minds. Avoiding suits and fulfilling due process requirements is a time-consuming part of a principal or superintendent's job and many feel the requirements give unreasonable people a chance to get their way. Yet many educators say protecting children from abuse is a higher priority than reducing the threat of litigation.
When It's Your Own Child: A Report on Special Education from the Families Who Use It
The stigma once attached to children with disabilities is disappearing, according to parents of special education students. Majorities also give their local special education programs and teachers high marks. But parents offer mixed views on whether the right kids are getting the right services, with most saying too many special-needs children lose out because their parents aren't aware of what's available. Some 65 percent say some children with behavior problems get misdirected into special ed. Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Progressive Policy Institute and the Thomas B.
Reality Check 2002:
The fifth annual progress report on the academic standards movement finds widespread support among teachers and parents, while high school students seem to be adjusting comfortably to the new provisions. The report finds strong agreement on the role standardized tests can play and a broad consensus on how they should be used. But based on reports from teachers, parents and students, the impact of higher standards on promotion and graduation policies is mixed. Employers and college professors continue to voice considerable dissatisfaction with high school graduates' basic skills.
Sizing Things Up: What Parents, Teachers and Students Think About Large and Small High Schools
Parents whose children attend small high schools were more likely to praise academics and say struggling students get help, while parents whose children were in large schools reported more students falling through the cracks. Teachers say that large schools are more likely to be overcrowded but also provide more academic options. Students report many problems, such as drug and alcohol abuse, carry across large and small schools. But school size is not a major concern for any of the groups, and teachers say small class sizes are more important. 2002.
Trying to Stay Ahead of the Game: Superintendents and Principals Talk About School Leadership
School superintendents and principals say that good leadership can turn around even the most troubled schools, but that politics and bureaucracy too often stand in the way. Large majorities say they need more autonomy to reward good teachers and fire ineffective ones. More than half of superintendents say they have to work around the system to get things done, and more than half of principals say they feel so overwhelmed by day-to-day tasks that their ability to provide vision is stymied. 2001.
Reality Check 2001:
This fourth annual progress report on the academic standards movement finds that teachers, parents, students, employers, and college professors broadly endorse local initiatives to raise standards. Teachers report that social promotion is down and summer school attendance is up. And despite broad concern about a so-called backlash to standards and testing, Reality Check shows almost no desire to turn back the clock among parents and teachers.
Survey Finds Little Sign of Backlash Against Academic Standards or Standardized Tests:
Recent news reports have suggested a growing backlash by parents in many communities against tougher school standards and standardized tests. In a national national survey of parents, Public Agenda found scant evidence to substantiate a backlash, even among parents in districts that are actually implementing higher academic standards. Few parents say they want to abandon higher standards, and most support standards even if it means their own child is held back. 2000.
A Sense of Calling: Who Teaches and Why
At a time of intense concern over the quality of the teaching force, this study shows that individuals entering the profession are admirably dedicated to their craft. Nonetheless, they, as well as the school administrators who supervise them, find fault with the curriculum in place at the nation's teaching colleges. 2000.
Reality Check 2000:
This third annual survey on the state of school reform raises serious questions about what impact academic standards are having in classrooms nationwide. Published in the February 16, 2000, issue of Education Week. Full text available through the newspaper's Web site.
On Thin Ice: How Advocates and Opponents Could Misread the Public's Views on Vouchers and Charter Schools
The debate over alternatives to traditional public education is now at political center stage. Although advocates and opponents are passionate about these proposals, most people polled did not know enough about the options to give a strong opinion. After being supplied with more information, most people felt that the alternatives would neither save nor destroy the public schools. 1999.
Playing Their Parts: Parents and Teachers Talk about Parental Involvement in Public Schools
What exactly does parental involvement mean to teachers and parents? Where do parents and teachers agree and disagree over what activities parents should be participating in? This study is based on two national surveys, one with 1,000 public school teachers and the other with 1,220 parents of children in public schools. 1999.
Reality Check '99:
The second annual education survey contrasts the varying perspectives of teachers, parents, students and employers on the quality of public schools. A new section on ways to make schools more accountable to the amount of learning taking place in their classrooms suggests that teachers dislike some ideas of the school reform movement. Reality Check '99 is included in the latest edition of Education Week's annual report, Quality Counts '99. It is available on the Web at http://www.edweek.org or by calling 301/280-3100 for a copy.
A Lot To Be Thankful For: What Parents Want Children to Learn About America
What should public schools teach children about being an American today? This ground-breaking study investigates native-born and foreign-born parents' beliefs on whether a set of "American values" should be taught to kids by the public schools and, if so, what this would mean. Among the issues examined are conflicts over curricula – "mainstream" versus multicultural approaches to history and literature, and the teaching of science and religion; views about the responsibilities and rights of citizenship; and attitudes toward diversity. 1998. Technical Appendix: $40.00.
Time to Move On: African-American and White Parents Set an Agenda for Public Schools
This comprehensive national study takes an in-depth look at the views of black and white parents toward public school integration, academic standards, and student achievement as well as parental involvement, teacher quality, safety and discipline. 1998. Technical Appendix: $40.00.
Reality Check '98:
Surveys of 5 groups -- parents, students, K-12 teachers, employers and college professors -- find sharp differences on the impact of higher standards in the classroom. The debate about standards has caught hold, but has yet to produce results employers and college professors expect. Included in Education Week's Quality Counts '98. For copies call Education Week at (301) 280-3100 or visit their web site at http://www.edweek.org.
Reality Check '98 Fully Annotated Survey Results:
Technical appendix of Reality Check containing complete survey questions and results.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Where We Are Now Complete Survey Results (Including Technical Appendix)
Different Drummers: How Teachers of Teachers View Public Education
This is the first comprehensive survey of the views of education professors from United States colleges and universities. Their vision of education and the mission of teacher education programs are explored including their attitudes toward core curriculum, testing, standards, and the public's parameters. 1997.
Getting By: What American Teenagers Really Think About Their Schools
Public high school students are the focus of this national telephone survey that examines how teens view their schools, teachers and the learning process. Special sections on African-American, Hispanic and private high school students are included. 1997. Technical Appendices (Jefferson County; Bay Area) $25.00 each.
Given the Circumstances: Teachers Talk About Public Education Today
Public school teachers are the focus of this national study. Teachers' views on how the public schools are performing; what children need to learn; and what schools need to be effective are explored. 1996.
Assignment Incomplete: The Unfinished Business of Education Reform
This national study of the general public examines why support for public schools is in jeopardy; why Americans are so concerned with the basics; whether people are really committed to higher standards; and whether they value education in and of itself. 1995. Technical Appendix: $20.00
First Things First: What Americans Expect from the Public Schools
Based on an examination of the views of the general public, this national study looks at public attitudes toward values issues in the schools and toward education reform efforts. A special focus on the views of white and black parents, as well as parents identified as traditional Christians, is included. 1994. Technical Appendix: $20.00
Talk It Over