Quincy, MA -- If an adult were forced to work in an environment where disrespect, bad language, fighting, drug and alcohol abuse and other bad behaviors are inflicted by a relative few, but tolerated or winked at by management, it might be considered a hostile workplace, a report released today by the nonpartisan research organization Public Agenda points out.

Yet, substantial numbers of the nation's black and Hispanic students report conditions like these in their schools according to a Public Agenda national survey of parents, middle and high school students and teachers. Public Agenda also conducted a special survey of New England parents and students for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Asked to rate their schools on key academic and social dimensions -- resources, promotion policies, dropout rates, truancy, fighting, drug and alcohol abuse and others -- black and Hispanic students are more likely than their white counterparts to report very serious problems in nearly every category, both in New England and across the nation.

In Reality Check 2006: How Black and Hispanic Families Rate Their Schools (the second report issued this year in the Reality Check 2006 series), Public Agenda found that American students have much in common regardless of racial or ethnic background. Majorities of all students back higher standards, say their teachers do a good job in most respects, and express some level of concern about lack of respect, profanity, and drugs and alcohol abuse in their schools. But for minority kids, academic problems like high dropout rates and kids getting passed through the system without learning, and social issues like profanity, disrespect for teachers and drug and alcohol abuse are far more prevalent and serious in their schools.

Public Agenda's research on New England schools finds that about 3 in 10 black youngsters attend schools with considerable turmoil:

• 32% of New Englands black students report that teachers spend more time trying to keep order than teaching
• 39% say their school has very serious problems with drug and alcohol abuse
• 43% report very serious problems with fighting and weapons
• 45% say their school has a very serious problem with kids cutting class
• 55% say their school has a very serious problem with kids who lack respect for teachers and use bad language

One in four of New England's black students (25%) say their school is not consistent in enforcing discipline and behavior rules.

Young people of color are among our fastest growing populations, yet, as these statistics make clear, many of them live and go to school in environments that are not conducive to learning, said Blenda J. Wilson, President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. It is in everyone's best interest that we reevaluate our priorities and provide all students, regardless of color or family income level, with a fair chance to achieve at high levels academically.

Jean Johnson, Executive Director of Public Agendas new initiative Education Insights and an author of the report said, This is not grumbling from a group of easily-shocked adults who haven't been inside a school in years and still haven't come to grips with today's teen fashions. These are the judgments of young people themselves who say problems like truancy and disrespect for teachers are very serous in their schools -- not just 'somewhat serious,' but 'very serious.' A lot of these kids are highly aware that their schools are not serving them well, and that has to be discouraging.

New England's minority parents are also more likely to report serious academic and social problems in their schools. Forty-three percent of black parents and 49 percent of Hispanic parents say that it is a very serious problem that local schools are not getting enough money to do a good job, compared to less than a third of white parents (31%). Minority parents are also twice more likely than white parents to say fighting and weapons are very serious issues and twice as likely to question whether local school district superintendents do enough to ensure that schools are safe and orderly. Teachers in minority schools are more likely to complain about large classes, poor teaching conditions and lack of parental support.

When Will We Listen?

Much of the testing and standards debate has focused on disparities between minority students and others, but this research shows, yet again, that just looking at curriculum and testing while ignoring basic conditions in schools not only puts the cart before the horse, but leaves the horse unshod, unfed and wandering through the fields, Public Agenda President Ruth A. Wooden said. These findings suggest very strongly that rowdy, unsettled schools are a significant hurdle to learning for far too many minority youngsters. What we have here is the unambiguous testimony of students, parents and teachers in minority schools -- they want policymakers to make addressing the school environment a major priority.

About Reality Check 2006

Reality Check 2006 is a set of public opinion tracking surveys on important issues in public education. From 1998 through 2002, Public Agenda conducted an annual survey of parents, teachers, students, employers and college professors covering standards, testing and accountability. In 2005 and 2006, Public Agenda revised and updated these surveys to cover a broader range of issues, including high school reform, school leadership, teacher preparation and quality, school funding and other issues. The tracking survey will be repeated periodically as a service of Public Agenda's Education Insights initiative.

Funding for Reality Check was provided by the GE Foundation, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and The Wallace Foundation.

For the full report go to: http://publicagenda.org/reports/reality-check-2006-issue-no-2

Methodology

The findings in Reality Check 2006: How Black and Hispanic Families Rate Their Schools are based on two focus groups with parents and telephone interviews with a national random sample of 1,379 parents of children now in public school, 1,342 public school students in grades 6 through 12, and 721 public school teachers. Interviews with parents and were conducted between October 30 - December 18, 2005, interviews with students were conducted between October 30 - December 29, 2005 and interviews with teachers were conducted between November 19, 2005 - March 7, 2006. The margin of error for the sample of parents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points; the margin of error for the sample of students is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points; the margin of error for the sample of teachers is plus or minus 4 percentage points. It is higher when comparing percentages across subgroups. Full survey results can be found at www.publicagenda.org.

Public Agenda is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research. Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion surveys and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inject the public's voice into crucial policy debates. Public Agenda seeks to inform leaders about the public's views and to engage citizens in discussing complex policy issues.