CHOICE
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Section 3:
Accountability
Question 1: Do you think private or church-related schools that accept government tuition payments should be accountable to the state in the way public schools are accountable? (Asked in: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001.)
[Code: 20-ChoPA-1]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 2001 | 82 |
16 |
2 |
| 2000 | 76 |
21 |
3 |
| 1999 | 77 |
21 |
2 |
| 1998 | 75 |
20 |
5 |
Question 2: Do you think private schools that accept government tuition payments for these students should be accountable to public authorities or not? (Asked in: 1993, 1995.)
[Code: 21-ChoPA-2]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Yes, Should Be Accountable % |
No, Should Not Be Accountable % |
Don't Know % |
| 1995 | 73 |
24 |
3 |
| 1993 | 63 |
34 |
3 |
Question 3: Do you think that the nonpublic schools should or should not be required to meet the same teacher certification and accrediting standards as the public schools? (Asked in: 1985.)
[Code: 22-ChoPA-3]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Should % |
Should Not % |
Don't Know % |
| 1985 | 90 |
6 |
4 |
Factors in Choosing
Question 4: Here are different factors that might be considered in choosing a public school for a child, assuming free choice of public and private schools were allowed in this community. As I read off each of these factors, would you tell me whether you consider it very important, fairly important, not too important, or not at all important in choosing a local school? Quality of the teaching staff; Maintenance of student discipline; Curriculum (i.e. the courses offered;) Size of classes; Extracurricular activities, such as band/orchestra, theater, clubs; Proximity to home; Size of the school (number of students); Reputation or prestige of school; Having your child exposed to a more diverse student body; Athletic program; Proximity to the parent's workplace; Having your child exposed to a less diverse student body (Asked in: 1999, 2015.)
[Code: 23-ChoPF-4]
2015
National Totals |
|
Very important % |
|
Quality of the teaching staff |
94 |
Curriculum (ie, the courses offered)? |
84 |
Maintaining student discipline |
74 |
Size of the classes |
61 |
Variety of extracurricular activities (i.e., music, theatre, clubs) |
47 |
Reputation of the school |
47 |
Proximity to home |
25 |
Size of the school (i.e. the number of students enrolled) |
22 |
Student achievement on standardized tests |
15 |
Success of athletic programs |
9 |
Proximity to the parent's workplace |
5 |
1999 National Totals |
|||||
Very % |
Somewhat/ Quite/Fairly % |
Not very/ not too % |
Not At All % |
Don't Know % |
|
Quality of the teaching staff |
98 |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Maintenance of student discipline |
89 |
10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Curriculum (ie, the courses offered)? |
89 |
10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Size of classes |
75 |
19 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Extracurricular activities, such as band/orchestra, theater, clubs |
51 |
40 | 7 | 2 | - |
Proximity to home |
47 |
40 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
Size of the school (number of students) |
46 |
33 | 15 | 6 | 0 |
Reputation or prestige of school |
45 |
35 | 12 | 7 | 1 |
Having your child exposed to a more diverse student body |
41 |
38 | 12 | 4 | 5 |
Athletic program |
34 |
46 | 13 | 7 | 0 |
Proximity to the parent's workplace |
22 |
38 | 26 | 12 | 2 |
Having your child exposed to a less diverse student body |
17 |
28 | 28 | 21 | 6 |
Good or Bad?
Question 5: In recent years, the number of nonpublic schools, that is, private and church-related schools, has increased in many parts of the country. In general, do you think this increase in non-public schools is a good thing or a bad thing for the nation? (Asked in: 1981, 1985.)
[Code: 25-ChoPG-5]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Good Thing % |
Bad Thing % |
No Opinion % |
| 1985 | 55 |
27 |
18 |
| 1981 | 49 |
30 |
21 |
If Cost No Factor
Question 6: If you could send your oldest child to any school and cost was not a factor, would you send the child to the school he/she now attends or to a different school? (Asked in: 1996, 2010.)
[Code: 26-ChoPI-6]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Present (public) School % |
Different School % |
Don't Know % |
| 2010 | 58 |
41 |
1 |
| 1996 | 55 |
44 |
1 |
Question 7: Would you send your child to a private school, a church-related school, or to another public school? [Asked of those who answered, “Yes,” to the question “If you could send your oldest child to any school and cost was not a factor, would you send the child to the school he/she now attends or to a different school?”] (Asked in: 1996, 1998, 1999.)
[Code: 27-ChoPI-7]
National Totals |
||||
Year |
Private School % |
Church-related School % |
Another Public School % |
Don't Know % |
| 1999 | 22 |
17 |
5 |
1 |
| 1998 | 22 |
17 |
6 |
1 |
| 1996 | 19 |
17 |
8 |
0 |
Impact
Question 8: What effect do you think allowing students and their parents to choose the students' schools would have on the public schools of this community? Do you think it would improve all schools, hurt all schools, or would it improve some and hurt others? (Asked in: 1989, 1993.)
[Code: 28-ChoPI-8]
National Totals |
||||
| Year | Improve all Schools % |
Hurt All Schools % |
Improve Some, Hurt Others % |
Don't Know % |
| 1993 | 21 |
6 |
69 |
4 |
| 1989 | 21 |
14 |
51 |
14 |
Increase in Nonpublic Schools
Question 9: In recent years the number of nonpublic schools, that is, private and church-related schools, has increased in many parts of the nation. Why do you think this has happened? (Asked in: 1981.)
[Code: 29-ChoPI-9]
| Year | Open-ended Responses |
| 1981 | 1. Poor educational standards in the public schools. Education in nonpublic schools is superior. 2. Integration/forced busing/racial problems. 3. Greater discipline is found in nonpublic schools 4. More attention is given to religion in nonpublic schools. 5. Too many drug and alcohol problems in the public schools. 6. Overcrowding in the public schools. |
Interest in Sending Children to Private/Parochial Schools
Question 10: If you had the means, would you send any of your children to a private or church-related school? (Asked in: 1986.)
[Code: 30-ChoPI-10]
National Totals (Public School Parents) |
|||
| Year | Yes % |
No % |
Don't Know % |
| 1986 | 49 |
46 |
5 |
Private School at Government Expense
Question 11: Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at government expense? [1997 poll published table showing split sample -- “at government expense” compared to “at public expense.”] (Asked in: 1997.)
[Code: 31-ChoPP-11]
1997 National Totals |
|||
Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
|
| Responding to the question phrased"at government expense" | 48 |
48 |
4 |
| Responding to the question phrased "at public expense" | 44 |
52 |
4 |
Private School Choice
Question 12: (Asked of those in favor.) Which of the following statements comes closest to indicating why you favor permitting parents to choose a private school at public expense? [Asked in 2005 as a follow-up to the question “Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense?”] (Asked in: 2005.)
[Code: 812-ChoPP-12]
National Totals |
||||
| Year | Student Achievement Will Be Better in Private Schools % |
Private Schools Are Safer % |
Private Schools Are More Receptive To Religious Practices % |
Don't Know % |
| 2005 | 49 |
18 |
25 |
8 |
Question 13: Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense? (Asked in: 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017.)
[Code: 32-ChoPP-13]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 2017 | 39 |
52 |
9 |
| 2015 | 31 |
57 |
12 |
| 2014 | 37 |
63 |
0 |
| 2013 | 29 |
70 |
1 |
| 2012 | 44 |
55 |
1 |
| 2011 | 34 |
65 |
1 |
| 2008 | 44 |
50 |
6 |
| 2007 | 39 |
60 |
1 |
| 2006 | 36 |
60 |
4 |
| 2005 | 38 |
57 |
5 |
| 2004 | 42 |
54 |
4 |
| 2003 | 38 |
60 |
2 |
| 2002 | 46 |
52 |
2 |
| 2001 | 34 |
62 |
4 |
| 2000 | 39 |
56 |
5 |
| 1999 | 41 |
55 |
4 |
| 1998 | 44 |
50 |
6 |
| 1997 | 44 |
52 |
4 |
| 1996 | 36 |
61 |
3 |
| 1995 | 33 |
65 |
2 |
| 1993 | 24 |
74 |
2 |
Question 14: Suppose you had a school age child and were given a voucher covering full tuition that would permit you to send that child to any, public, private, or church-related school of your choice. Which kind of school do you think you would choose? (Asked in: 1982.)
[Code: 33-ChoPP-14]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Public School % |
Private School % |
Don't Know % |
| 1982 | 45 |
47 |
8 |
Reasons for Choice
Question 15: Why do you say that? [Asked of those responding “Private School” to the Question “Suppose you could send your eldest child to a private school, tuition free. Which would you prefer -- to send him or her to a private school or to a public school?”] Higher standard of education; Better discipline; More individual attention; Smaller class size; Better curriculum; Quality of teachers; Religious/moral reasons; Parents have more input; Miscellaneous; Don't know. (Asked in: 1982.)
[Code: 47-ChoPR-15]
1982 National Totals (Public School Parents) % |
|
| Higher Standard of Education | 28 |
| Better Discipline | 27 |
| More Individual Attention | 21 |
| Smaller Class Size | 17 |
| Better Curriculum | 12 |
| Quality of Teachers | 11 |
| Religious/moral reasons | 5 |
| Parents have more input | 3 |
| Miscellaneous | 10 |
| Don't Know | 1 |
Question 16: I have a question about four types of schools. One is traditional public schools. Another is charter schools, which are publicly funded but run outside of the public school system. The third is parochial or religious schools. And the fourth is private schools. Imagine you could send your child to any one of these four kinds of schools, and cost and location were not an issue. All things equal, which would you pick . . . public, charter, religious, or private? (Asked in: 2017.)
[Code: 1045-Cho3TX-16]
National Totals |
|||||
| Year | Public % |
Charter % |
Religious % |
Private % |
Don't Know % |
| 2017 | 34 |
17 |
37 |
47 |
1 |
Question 17: As far as you are aware, are there any charter, religious, or private schools in your community where your child could go or not? (Asked in: 2017.)
[Code: 1046-Cho3TX-17]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Yes % |
No % |
Don't Know % |
| a. Charter schools | |||
| 1982 | 52 |
31 |
17 |
| b. Religious schools | |||
| 1982 | 73 |
18 |
8 |
| c. Private schools | |||
| 1982 | 64 |
25 |
11 |
Question 18: Say parents in your community could use public funds to send their children to either public, private, or religious schools. Public schools would receive funding only for students who continue to attend them. Do you think this would make your local public schools better, make them worse, or make no difference in their quality? (Asked in: 2017.)
[Code: 1049-Cho3IX-18]
National Totals |
||||||
| Year | Much better % |
Somewhat better % |
Somewhat worse % |
Much worse % | No difference % |
Don't Know % |
| 2017 | 23 |
21 |
9 |
12 |
37 |
9 |
Question 19: If you were offered public funds to send your child in public school to a private or religious school instead, do you think you probably would keep them in public school, or would you probably send them to a private school or to a religious school? (Asked in: 2017.)
[Code: 1050-Cho3IX-19]
National Totals |
||||||
| Year | Public % |
Religious % |
Private % |
It depends (vol.) % | None available (vol.) % |
Don't Know % |
| 2017 | 54 |
12 |
28 |
- |
- |
6 |
Question 20: What if the money this program made available paid no more than half of the private or religious school tuition, and you had to make up the rest -- in that case do you think you probably would keep your child in public school, or would you probably send them to a private or religious school? (Asked in: 2017.)
[Code: 1051-Cho3IX-20]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Keep in public school % |
Send to private/religious school % |
Don't Know % |
| 2017 | 45 |
52 |
2 |
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Last modified
June 26, 2018
k_q_choice_3.htm