Abstract:

For the past 37 years, Phi Delta Kappa and the Gallup Organization have conducted a nationwide survey to determine the American public's attitudes toward public schools. Among the highlights of the latest study: "The public approaches consensus on the importance of closing the achievement gap, attributes the gap to factors other than schooling, believes parents and students have more to do with whether students learn than teachers, but still believes that it is the responsibility of the schools to close the gap." And: "The public believes that the achievement gap can be substantially narrowed while maintaining high standards for all students." The poll revealed that a majority of Americans know little or nothing about No Child Left Behind (59%). However, when pollsters asked interviewees about specific features of NCLB, they found that "NCLB strategies are frequently out of step with approaches favored by the public." Visit this page to review the executive summary, examine the data in detail, and read commentaries by several experts, including former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley.

Retrieved June 2, 2008 from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0509pol.htm

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