CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION
POLL RESULTS
Censorship
Question 1: When parents object to books or material in textbooks on grounds of religion, politics, race or sex discrimination, how much consideration should be given to the parents' views in deciding whether to keep these books in the school -- a great deal, some, little, or none? (Asked in: 1975.)
[Code: 70-CurCX-1]
National Totals |
|||||
| Year | A Great Deal % |
Some % |
Little % |
None % |
Don't Know % |
| 1975 | 33 |
43 |
12 |
7 |
6 |
Character/Moral Education
Question 2: Would you favor or oppose instruction in the schools that would deal with morals and moral behavior? (Asked in: 1975, 1980.)
[Code: 79-CurCX-2]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 1980 | 79 |
16 |
5 |
| 1975 | 79 |
15 |
6 |
Character/Values Education
Question 3: Would you favor or oppose instruction in the schools that would deal with values and ethical behavior? (Asked in: 1981.)
[Code: 80-CurCX-3]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 1981 | 70 |
17 |
13 |
Question 4: It has been proposed that the public schools include courses on "character education" to help students develop personal values and ethical behavior. Do you think that courses on values and ethical behavior should be taught in the public schools, or do you think that this should be left to the students' parents and/or the churches? (Asked in: 1987, 1994.)
[Code: 77-CurCX-4]
National Totals |
||||
| Year | Yes, Schools % |
No, Parents and Churches % |
Both (Volunteered) % |
Don't Know % |
| 1994 | 49 |
39 |
12 |
* |
| 1987 | 43 |
36 |
13 |
8 |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
Question 5: Do you think that it would be possible or not possible to develop subject matter for a character education course that would be acceptable to most of the people in this community? (Asked in: 1987.)
[Code: 73-CurCX-5]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Possible % |
Not Possible % |
Don't Know % |
| 1987 | 62 |
23 |
15 |
Question 6: If courses about values and ethical behavior were required in the local public schools, who do you think should have the most to say about the content of the courses? The federal government in Washington, the state government, the local school board, the school administrators, the teachers, or the parents? (Asked in: 1987.)
[Code: 75-CurCX-6]
National Totals |
|||||||
| Year | Parents % |
Local School Board % |
Teachers % |
School Administrators % |
State Government % |
Federal Government % |
Don't Know % |
| 1987 | 42 |
24 |
14 |
10 |
9 |
5 |
12 |
| Figures add up to more than 100% because of multiple answers. | |||||||
Question 7: If students or their parents objected to what was taught in these classes, do you think the students should be excused from these classes or not? (Asked in: 1987.)
[Code: 76-CurCX-7]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Yes, excused % |
No, not excused % |
Don't Know % |
| 1987 | 52 |
37 |
11 |
Question 8: Do you think it would be possible, or not possible, to get people in your community to agree on a set of basic values, such as honesty and patriotism, that would be taught in the local public schools? (Asked in: 1993.)
[Code: 72-CurCX-8]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Yes, possible % |
No, not possible % |
Don't Know % |
| 1993 | 69 |
27 |
4 |
Question 9: I am going to read a list of different values that might be taught in the public schools. For each one, please tell me whether you think it should be taught, or should not be taught, to all students in the public schools of your community? Honesty (Asked in: 1993, 1999.)
[Code: 74-CurCX-9]
National Totals |
||
1999 % |
1993 % |
|
| Honesty | 97 |
97 |
| Democracy | 93 |
93 |
| Acceptance of people of different races and ethnic backgrounds | 93 |
93 |
| Caring for friends and family members | 90 |
91 |
| Moral courage | 90 |
91 |
| Patriotism/love of country | 90 |
91 |
| The Golden Rule | 86 |
90 |
| Acceptance of people who hold different religious beliefs | - |
87 |
| Acceptance of people who hold unpopular or controversial political or social views | 71 |
73 |
| Sexual abstinence outside of marriage | 68 |
66 |
| Acceptance of people with different sexual orientations; that is, homosexuals or bisexuals | 55 |
51 |
| Acceptance of the right of a woman to choose abortion | 48 |
56 |
Question 10: Now, here is a list of personal traits or virtues that might be taught in the public schools in your community. As I read off each item, would you tell me whether you think it should be taught or should not be taught in the local public schools? Respect for others Industry or hard work Persistence or the ability to follow through Fairness in dealing with others Compassion for others Civility, politeness Self-esteem High expectations for oneself Thrift (Asked in: 1994.)
[Code: 78-CurCX-10]
National Totals |
|
1994 % |
|
| Respect for others | 94 |
| Industry or hard work | 93 |
| Persistence or the ability to follow through | 93 |
| Fairness in dealing with others | 92 |
| compassion for others | 91 |
| Civility, politeness | 91 |
| Self-esteem | 90 |
| High expectations for oneself | 87 |
| Thrift | 74 |
College Preparation
Question 11: Some high school districts are now requiring all high school graduates to complete a curriculum that prepares them to attend a four-year college whether or not they plan to attend college. Would you favor or oppose such an assignment for all of the students in the high schools in your community? (Asked in: 2006, 2008.)
[Code: 826-CurCX-11]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 2008 | 51 |
45 |
4 |
| 2006 | 56 |
42 |
2 |
Public School Parents |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 2008 | 57 |
40 |
3 |
| 2006 | 62 |
37 |
1 |
College Versus Work
Question 12: Some people feel that too much emphasis is placed in the high schools on preparing students for college and not enough emphasis on preparing students for occupations that do not require a college degree. Do you agree or disagree? (Asked in: 1971.)
[Code: 81-CurCX-12]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Agree % |
Disagree % |
Don't Know % |
| 1971 | 68 |
23 |
9 |
Course Credit for Community Service
Question 13: A plan has been suggested to enable all juniors and seniors in high school to perform some kind of community service for course credit -- such as working in a hospital or recreation center, beautifying parks, or helping law enforcement officers. Would you like to have such a plan adopted in this community, or not? (Asked in: 1978, 1984.)
[Code: 82-CurCX-13]
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Yes, would like plan % |
No, would not % |
Don't Know % |
| 1984 | 79 |
16 |
5 |
| 1978 | 87 |
8 |
5 |
Earning College Credits in High School
Question 14: Some students are earning college credits while still in high school through programs such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment or middle college programs. How much, if anything, would you say you know about these programs: A great deal, a fair amount, not much, or nothing at all? (Asked in: 2008.)
[Code: 857-CurCX-14]
National Totals |
|||||
| Year | A great deal % |
A fair amount % |
Not much % |
Nothing at all % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 18 |
35 |
29 |
17 |
1 |
Public School Parents |
|||||
| Year | A great deal % |
A fair amount % |
Not much % |
Nothing at all % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 20 | 40 |
27 |
12 |
1 |
Question 15: In general, do you favor or oppose allowing students to earn college credits while still in high school? (Asked in: 2008.)
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 87 |
11 |
2 |
Public School Parents |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 90 |
9 |
1 |
Senior Year Not Productive
Question 16: Some observers claim that the senior year of high school is not academically productive for many students. How do you feel about this claim? Do you strongly agree, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat, or disagree strongly? (Asked in: 2008.)
[Code: 859-CurCX-16]
National Totals |
|||||
| Year | Strongly agree % |
Agree somewhat % |
Disagree somewhat % |
Disagree strongly % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 18 |
40 |
23 |
13 |
6 |
Public School Parents |
|||||
| Year | Strongly agree % |
Agree somewhat % |
Disagree somewhat % |
Disagree strongly % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 22 |
39 |
22 |
13 |
4 |
Question 17: Which one of the following proposals do you think would best deal with the lack of academic productivity in the senior year of high school: encourage students to graduate early from high school in order to enroll in college or begin working, offer students opportunities for unpaid internships or community service instead of attending classes in high school, encourage students to take college-level classes while in high school? (Asked of those who strongly agree or agree somewhat with the question: Some observers claim that the senior year of high school is not academically productive for many students. How do you feel about this claim? Do you strongly agree, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat, or disagree strongly?) (Asked in: 2008.)
[Code: 860-CurCX-17]
National Totals |
||||
| Year | Encourage to graduate early % |
Offer unpaid internships or community service % |
Encourage students to take college-level classes in high school % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 17 |
21 |
56 |
6 |
Public School Parents |
||||
| Year | Encourage to graduate early % |
Offer unpaid internships or community service % |
Encourage students to take college-level classes in high school % |
Don't know % |
| 2008 | 14 |
20 |
61 |
5 |
Question 18: Now, using a five-point scale, where 5 means strongly agree and 1 means strongly disagree, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements about public schools in this country. a. All high school students should have their own computer or tablets to use at school. b. High school students should be allowed to earn credits toward graduation from instruction they received outside of school. c. High school students should be required to participate in at least one volunteer or paid internship during high school. d. High school students should have more opportunities to earn credits through online courses. (Asked in: 2014.)
[Code: 987-CurCX-18]
National Totals | ||||||
| Year | Strongly agree (5) % |
(4) % |
(3) % |
(2) % |
Strongly disagree (1) % |
Don't know/ refused % |
| a. All high school students should have their own computer or tablets to use at school. | ||||||
| 2014 | 32 |
22 |
24 |
12 |
11 |
- |
| b. High school students should be allowed to earn credits toward graduation from instruction they received outside of school. | ||||||
| 2014 | 34 |
30 |
19 |
8 |
8 |
1 |
| c. High school students should be required to participate in at least one volunteer or paid internship during high school. | ||||||
| 2014 | 40 |
22 |
16 |
11 |
10 |
1 |
| d. High school students should have more opportunities to earn credits through online courses. | ||||||
| 2014 | 32 |
28 |
20 |
9 |
10 |
1 |
Question 19: Would you favor or oppose having all high school students in this community participate in at least one internship during high school? (Asked in: 2015.)
[Code: 1006-Cur1CI-19] Online poll
National Totals |
|||
| Year | Favor % |
Oppose % |
Don't Know % |
| 2015 | 80 |
9 |
11 |
View more questions related to CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION
Last modified
May 25, 2016
k_q_curriculum_1.htm