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Quality of Education
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Section 2

Grading the Schools (Continued)

General Attitude
Question 1: In recent years has your overall attitude toward the public schools in your community become more favorable or less favorable? (Asked in: 1973.)
[Code: 509-QuaGG-1]

Is Education Today Better or Worse?
Question 2: As you look on your own elementary and high school education, is it your impression that children today get a better -- or worse -- education than you did? (Asked in: 1973, 1979, 1988, 1998, 2009.)
[Code: 516-QuaGI-2]

How Prepared Are Graduates Today?
Question 3: As you consider your own elementary and high school education, do you believe that graduates today are better, less, or equally prepared for work or college than they were when you were in school? (Asked in: 2010.)
[Code: 904-QuaGH-3]

How Effective for Jobs (School Oldest Child Attends)
Question 4: In your opinion, how effectively is the education that your oldest child now in school is receiving preparing him or her for tomorrow's job market -- very effectively, somewhat effectively, not very effectively, or not at all effectively? (Asked in: 1999.)
[Code: 514-QuaGH-4]

How to Earn an A
In your opinion, what are the main things a school has to do before it can earn an A? (Asked in: 1979, 2010.)
[Code: 515-QuaGH-5]

Rating the School on Success Characteristics
Question 6: This card lists some of the characteristics of good schools. As I read off each item by letter, would you tell me how accurately you feel it describes the school your oldest child attends -- very accurately, fairly accurately, not very accurately, or not at all accurately? A. Safe, orderly school environment; B. Principal helps teachers; C. Staff has high expectations, demand achievement; D. Staff, parents agree on school goals; E. Student progress measured, reported. (Asked in: 1986.)
[Code: 529-QuaGR-6]

Child's Experience
Question 7: Now, think about your oldest child as you respond to the next seven statements (in 2012, 'oldest' child was not designated):
I know my child will graduate from high school;
I know my child will find a good job after he or she graduates;
My child's teachers make schoolwork relevant with real-world examples;
At school, my child has the opportunity to do what he or she does best every day;
I feel that my child is safe at school.
Received praise from a teacher. (not asked in 2010; in 2012, asked as: In the last seven days, a teacher has given my child recognition or praise for doing good schoolwork.)
Received praise from me. (not asked in 2010; in 2012, asked as: In the last seven days, I have give my child recognition or praise for doing good schoolwork.)
In 2015, the question was asked as follows: Please think about your oldest child in kindergarten through 12th grade as you respond to the following items. On a five point scale, where 5 mean strongly agree and 1 means strongly disagree, please think about your level of agreement with the following statements:
It is easy to communicate with my child's teachers.
I feel that my child is safe at school.
At school, my child has the opportunity do what he or she does best every day.
In the last seven days, a teacher has given my child recognition or praise for doing good schoolwork.
(Asked in: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015.)
[Code: 907-QuaGH-7]

Question 8: Now, think of your oldest child in your response to the next questions. On 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 items: my child has substantially higher well-being because of the school he or she attends; my child's school encourages him or her to build stronger relationships with friends and family members; my child's school teaches him or her to manage finances more effectively; my child's school does things to help him or her become more healthy; my child's school encourages him or her to be more involved in the community. (Asked in: 2011, 2013, 2014.)
[Code: 926-QuaGH-8]

What's Good About Schools
Question 9: In your own opinion, in what ways are the local public schools particularly good? (Asked in: 1973.)
[Code: 535-QuaGW-9]

Reasons for Higher Local Grade
Question 10: To indicate why you grade the public schools in your community higher than the public schools nationally would you say whether you agree or disagree with the following statements? The local schools: Place more emphasis on high academic achievement; Have better discipline and less crime and violence; Have fewer racial and ethnic disturbances involving students; Provide better programs for slow learners and the physically handicapped; Send a higher percentage of their graduates to college; Have better, more varied academic courses; Have fewer dropouts; Have better teachers; Offer better sports and athletic and extracurricular programs; Provide better programs for the gifted; Have more money to spend per pupil. (Asked in: 1995.)
[Code: 530-QuaGR-10]

Question 11: On a five-point scale where 5 is extremely likely and 1 is extremely unlikely, how likely are you to brag about your child’s school to friends or relatives who are visiting your community? (Asked in: 2014.)
[Code: 989-QuaGX-11]

Question 12: Americans tend to grade the public schools in their community higher than the public schools in the nation as a whole. Why do you think this is? (Asked as an open-ended question.) (Asked in: 2011.)
[Code: 929-QuaGR-12]

School Boards
Question 13: Now, a question about the local school board. . . . Does it work hard to improve the quality of education? (Asked in: 1972.)
[Code: 531-QuaGS-13]

Schools Over Time (Community)
Question 14: Just your own impression, would you say that the public schools in your community have improved from, say, five years ago, gotten worse, or stayed about the same? (Asked in: 1988, 1990, 1994.)
[Code: 523-QuaGS-14]

Schools Over Time (Nation)
Question 15: What about public schools in the nation as a whole? Would you say they have improved from five years ago, gotten worse, or stayed about the same? (Asked in: 1994.)
[Code: 524-QuaGS-15]

Schools Over Time (Oldest Child's)
Question 16: Would you say the public school your oldest child attends has improved from five years ago, gotten worse, or stayed about the same? (Asked in: 1994.)
[Code: 525-QuaGS-16]

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Last modified May 31, 2016
k_q_quality_2.htm