PDK/GALLUP POLL ARCHIVE

What is the PDK/Gallup Poll Archive:
• For almost four decades, Phi Delta Kappa International and the Gallup Organization have been surveying Americans about their attitudes toward the public schools, and the results are published in the Phi Delta Kappan. Each year, education policy makers use the poll's findings to inform their decisions, and educators across the country use the results to guide planning and action in their communities. The PDK/Gallup poll results provide researchers with some of the finest longitudinal data on how the public feels about the nation's schools and education policies. This PDK/Gallup Poll Archive integrates all of the questions that have been asked in current and past polls (over 800 questions at this time).

Navigating the PDK/Gallup Poll Archive:
• Below are categories of issues. Clicking on a category name in this list takes you to a list of the subcategories, topics, and subtopics in that category. "Section" links within the category listing connect to web pages that first list the questions in that section of the category and then present the questions with the poll results (national totals only) for every year in which the question was asked.
• At the top right of the questions pages is a link back to this page.
• The right hand columns of the table below list each individual poll. Clicking on the poll link will initiate the download of a pdf copy of that poll.

Search tip: Use your browser's "find" function (PC: control-f or MAC: command-f) to search for a key word on this page.

Do you have questions or feedback?
• Because of the nature of this project, many subjective decisions have been made about how best to categorize and present this information, and there may be errors. We invite you to send your comments, corrections, and feedback to kappan@pdkintl.org. Please note "PDK/Gallup Poll Archive" in the subject line.


QUESTION CATEGORIES POLLS IN PDF FORMAT
Click on a category to see question subcategories and topics: Download pdf copies of past polls:

Achievement Gap
Choice
Curriculum/Instruction
Finances/Funding
Government and Politics
Higher Education
Knowledge of Schools
Miscellaneous
National Goals
No Child Left Behind Act
Operation of Schools
Parent Issues
Purposes/Goals of Public Schools
Quality of Education
Race Issues in Schools
Special Populations
Standards
Social Issues
Student Issues
Teachers and Teaching
Technology
Testing
Urban Schools

Poll 01 1969
Poll 02 1970
Poll 03 1971
Poll 04 1972
Poll 05 1973
Poll 06 1974
Poll 07 1975
Poll 08 1976
Poll 09 1977
Poll 10 1978
Poll 11 1979
Poll 12 1980
Poll 13 1981
Poll 14 1982*
Poll 15 1983

Poll 16 1984
Poll 17 1985
Poll 18 1986*
Poll 19 1987
Poll 20 1988
Poll 21 1989
Poll 22 1990*
Poll 23 1991
Poll 24 1992*
Poll 25 1993*
Poll 26 1994
Poll 27 1995*
Poll 28 1996*
Poll 29 1997*
Poll 30 1998

Poll 31 1999
Poll 32 2000
Poll 33 2001
Poll 34 2002
Poll 35 2003
Poll 36 2004
Poll 37 2005
Poll 38 2006
Poll 39 2007

*PDF versions
of these polls
available courtesy
Matthew Laliberte.

----------
Thanks to Jenny Bushaw for her assistance with this project.


The Achievement Gap
       SECTION 1
            Closing the Achievement Gap
                        Funding Efforts to Close Gap
                        Importance
            Factors Related to Achievement Gap
                        Importance of Other Factors
                        School or Other Factors
                        Specific Other Factors
            Overall Knowledge
                        Identificaton of Gap
            Responsibility
                        Government
                        School                                        (Return to top of page)

Choice
       SECTION 1
            Charter Schools
                        Accountability
                        Approval of
                        Authority to Establish
                        Exemptions from Requirements
                        Funding
                        Knowledge of
                        Online Charters
       SECTION 2
            Other Categories
                        Cyber Schooling
                        Home Schooling
       SECTION 3
            Public/Private
                        Accountability
                        Factors in Choosing
                        Good or Bad?
                        If Cost No Factor
                        Impact
                        Increase in Nonpublic Schools
                        Interest in Sending Children to Private/Parochial Schools
                        Private School at Government Expense
                        Private School Choice

       SECTION 4
                        Public School Choice
       SECTION 5
                        Range of Students Accepted
                        Replacing System
                        Students Most Likely to Move
                        Support for the $3,500 Voucher
                        Tax Credits
                        Tax Support for Parochial Schools
                        Tax Support for Private School
       SECTION 6
                        Vouchers                                        (Return to top of page)

Curriculum/Instruction
       SECTION 1
            Censorship
            Character/Moral Education
            Character/Values Education
            College Preparation
            College Versus Work
            Course Credit for Community Service
       SECTION 2
            Emphases
                        Appropriateness to Today
                        Basic Subjects
                        Beyond the Basics
                        Breadth Versus Basics
                        Career Education
                        Emphases on Student Skills
                        Emphasis on the Basics
                        Essential Subjects
       SECTION 3
            Foreign Language
            Government Influence
            Homosexuality in the Curriculum
            Independent Study
            Learning About Other Nations
            Math/Science Learning
            Minimum Requirements for Graduation
            Multiculturalism
       SECTION 4
            National Curriculum/Assessment
            Open Education
            Parental Input
            Religious Education
            Required Community Service
            Required Core Courses
            Requiring a National Curriculum
            Satisfaction with Curriculum
       SECTION 5
            Stricter Requirements
            Subjects -- Most Useful
            Training for Citizenship
            Values                                                        (Return to top of page)

Finances/Funding
       SECTION 1
            Cap on School Budgets
            Equity of Funding
            Federal Aid for the Public Schools
            Funding and Achievement
            Funding Men's vs. Women's Sports
            Government-Mandated Programs
            Higher Taxes?
            Knowledge About Federal Aid
            Local Control of Federal Programs
       SECTION 2
            Per-Pupil Costs
            Quality Related to Funds
            Sources of Funding/Revenue
       SECTION 3
            Sources of Funding/Savings
            Specific Revenue Sources
            State/Federal Influence
            Use of Additional Funds
                                                                      (Return to top of page)

Government and Politics
       SECTION 1
            Accountability
            Constitutional Amendments Affecting the Schools
            Faith-Based Programs
            Federal Budget
            Federal Department of Education
            Federal Role in Education
            Federal/State/Local Government
            Funding Priorities
            National Goals
                       Grading Government Officials
            Other National Education Proposals
       SECTION 2
            Political Parties
            Presidents' Education Programs
                       Bush Proposals
                       Clinton Proposals
            President and Education
                       Elections: 1984, 1992, 2000, 2001
                       President Clinton v. Republican Congress
            Specific School Improvement Plans
            State and Local Officials
            State Takeovers
            Voting
                                                                      (Return to top of page)

Higher Education
       SECTION 1

            Desire for College
            Entrance Requirements
            Importance of College Education
            Paying for a College Education
            Reasons for Attending College
            Will Your Child Attend College?

Knowledge of Schools
       SECTION 1

            Awareness of National Issues
            Concern About Issues
            Information About Education
            Local School Personnel
                        Principal (Elementary)
                        Principal (High School)
                        School Board
                        Superintendent
            Local Schools
                        Desire for More Information
                        Extent of Interest
                        Extent of Knowledge
                        High School Drop-outs
                        Knowledge of Cost per Child
                        Knowledge of Curriculum
                        Shortage of Space
            Media Coverage
                                                   (Return to top of page)

Miscellaneous
       SECTION 1

            America's Future Strength
            Confidence in American Institutions
            Dropouts: Driver's Licenses and Dropouts
            Financing After-School and Summer Programs
            Health and Social Services in Schools
            History: Adequately Taught?
            History: Taught in a Balanced Way?
            Personal Information About Students
            Predictions
            Private Contracting
            Student Activities: Time Spent on Four Activities by Better Versus Poorer Students
            Student Success
            Working Students: Part-Time Work
           

National Goals
       SECTION 1
            Accountability Measures
            Candidate's Support
            Do Standards Differ?
            Do Testing Programs Differ?
            Does Curriculum Differ?
            Knowledge of Schools: Sources
            Likelihood of Reaching National Goals
            National Report Card
            Prioritizing National Goals
            Progress
            Progress Toward Specific Goals
            Recognition of National Goals
            Support for Goals/Standards
            Who Should Set Goals?                                (Return to top of page)

No Child Left Behind Act
       SECTION 1
            General Impressions
                        Favorable/Unfavorable
            General Impressions
                        Federal Involvement
       SECTION 2
            The Strategies Used by NCLB
                        Evaluation/Testing
                        Highly Qualified Teachers
                        Not Meeting Standards
                        Tutoring
                        Evaluation/Testing
       SECTION 3
            The Strategies Used by NCLB (Continued)
                        Governance
                        Special Education
                        Student Transfers
            The Information People Have About NCLB
                        How Much Knowledge                     (Return to top of page)

Operation of Schools
       SECTION 1
            Class Size
                        Impact on Achievement
                        Small Classes
                        Willingness to Support
            Community Relations
                        Effectiveness of Communication
            Control of Schools
                        Alternative Schools
                        Citizen Advisory Committees
                        Local Control
                        Management Experts
                        Parental Influence
       SECTION 2
             Control of Schools (continued)
                        Performance Contracts
                        School-Site Management and Accountability
                        Selection of Books
                        Separating Vocational Education
                        State/Federal Regulations
                        Teacher Strikes
            Dealing with Drugs and Weapons
                        Education Versus Penalties
                        Satisfaction with Drug Policies
                        Zero Tolerance for Drugs/Alcohol
                        Zero Tolerance for Weapons
       SECTION 3
            Declining Enrollments
                        Reducing Service
            Early Care and Education
                        Federal Subsidies
                        Part of Public Schools
                        Publicly Supported Preschools
                        Taxes for Low-Income Students
                        Value for Low-Income Students
            Extracurricular Activities/Sport
                        Importance of Extracurriculars
                        Role of Interscholastic Sports               (Return to top of page)
            Live-in Boarding Schools
       SECTION 4
            Personnel Matters
                        Guidance Counselors
                        Preference for Men Versus Women Principals
                        Retired General as Superintendent
            Physical Plant
                        New Uses for School Buildings
                        Seriousness of Problems
            Privatization of School Services
                        Contracting
            Programs for Latchkey Children
                        Before/After School
                        Financing
                        Summer
            Schedule
                        College Courses in High School
                        Early Graduation
                        Early School-Leaving Age
                        Meeting Energy Shortages
                        Rearranging School Hours/Working Parents
                        Year-Round School
       SECTION 5
            School Size
                        Effect on Achievement
                        High Schools
                        Ideal Elementary School
                        Ideal High School
                        Ideal Middle School
                        Too Big/Too Small
            School-Starting Age
                        4-Year-Olds
                        Impact on Achievement
                        When Should Children Begin School?
       SECTION 6
            Student Matters
                        Compulsory Attendance
                        Criteria for Leaving School
                        Nongraded Schools
            Time in School
                        Extended Day
                        Increasing Time
                        Lengthening Year
                        Shortening Time
                        Year-Round School                           (Return to top of page)

Parent Issues
       SECTION 1
            Adult Education
            Citizen Involvement
            Courses on Children's Problems
            Courses To Help Parents Help Their Children in School
            Expectations on Communication
            Expectations Regarding Achievement
            Fund Raising in the Public Schools
       SECTION 2
            Homework
            Increasing the Child's Interest in School
            Juvenile Courts
            Parent Accountability
            Parent Involvement
            Parent/Teacher Conferences
       SECTION 3
            Parental Control of Public Schools
            Parental Rights
            Parents Responsible for Vandalism
            Preparing for One-Parent Families
            Reasons for Moving to the Suburbs
            Reporting Student Progress
            Responsibility for Moral Behavior
            Right to Sue
            Satisfaction with Subjects Taught
            Support for Teachers and Principals
            Television Viewing
            Time Spent with Schoolchildren
            What Parents Like About the Schools
            What Parents Like Best
            What Parents Like Least
            Willingness to Volunteer                                (Return to top of page)

Purposes/Goals of Public Schools
       SECTION 1
            Objectives: Relatives Ratings
            Primary Purpose
                        Academic/Nonacademic
                        College/Work/Citizenship
                        Goals as Seen by Students
                        Specific Programs
                        Why People Prize Education
            Qualities Most Important in Development of a Child
                        Most Important Quality
                        Most Neglected by Schools
                        Most Neglected by Parents
            Scope of School Responsbilities
                        Environmental Education
                        Extracurricular Activities
                        Job Training for Out-of-School, Out-of-Work Students
                        Rating Schools' Success
                        Specific Goals
                        Specific Nonacademic Areas
                        Specific Purposes
                        Academic/Nonacademic
                                                                            (Return to top of page)

Quality of Education
       SECTION 1
          Grading the Schools
                        Community                                 
                        Neighborhood
                        Nation
                        Oldest Child Attends
                                  Elementary
                                  High
                                  Nonpublic
          Grading Teachers
                        Elementary
                        High School
          Grading Principals/Administrators
                        Local Elementary
                        Local High School
          Grading School Boards
          Grading Parents
          Grading Specific Subjects
          Grading How Effective for Jobs
          Grading Aspects of Public Schools
      SECTION 2
            Grading the Schools (Continued)
                        General Attitude
                        Is Education Today Better or Worse?
                        How Effective for Jobs
                        How to Earn an A
                        Rating the School on Success Characteristics
                        What's Good About Schools
                        Reasons for Higher Local Grade
                        School Boards
                        Schools Over Time
                                   Community
                                   Nation
                                   Oldest Child’s
       SECTION 3
           Problems Facing Schools
                       Biggest Problem
                                  Identifying
                                  School Oldest Child Attends
                       Absenteeism
                       AIDS
                       Assigning Blame
                       Confidence in School Boards
                       Dealing with Teen Pregnancy
                       Decline in National Test Scores                          (Return to top of page)
       SECTION 4
            Problems Facing Schools (Continued)
                        Discipline
                        Discipline Defined
                        Dress Code
                        Solutions to Discipline Problems
                        Who Should Deal with BehavProblems
                        Why a Discipline Problem
                        Dropouts
                                   Estimated Dropout Rates
       SECTION 5
            Problems Facing Schools (Continued)
                        Drugs/Alcohol
                                   Support for Anti-Drug Measures
                        How Serious
                        Improvement
                                   Ideas for Improvement
                                   Obstacles
                        Physical Punishment5
                        Poor Performance
                                   Placing the Blame for Poor School Work
                        Reasons for Decline in National Test Scores
       SECTION 6
            Problems Facing Schools (Continued)
                        Safety and Order
                                   Problems
                                   Problems/Security
                                   Problems/Solutions
                                   Safety of neighborhood
                                   Safety of schools
                                   Theft
       SECTION 7
            Problems Facing Schools (Continued)
                        Safety and Order (Continued)
                                   Violence
                                   Violence/Gangs
                        Sexual Harassment
                        Small Versus Large Communities
                        Student Demonstrations
                        Time Spent in School
                        Urban Schools
                        What's Good About the Local Schools?
       SECTION 8
            School Improvement/School Reform
                        A Nation at Risk
                        Educational Innovation
                        Factors Related to Quality
                        Improvement
                                   Ways to Improve Education
                        Measuring Effectiveness
                        Progress
                                   Above-Average Students
                                   Average Students
                                   Below-Average Students
                        Reform Existing System or Vouchers          (Return to top of page)

Race Issues in Schools
       SECTION 1
            Desirability of Integration
            Impact on Achievement
            Increase Emphasis
            Integration
            Integration and Quality
            Promoting Tolerance
            Race of Teachers
            Race Relations
Special Populations
       SECTION 1
            Bilingual Education
            Funding Levels
                        Gifted and Talented
                        Special Education
            Immersion/Special Placement
                        Children with Learning Problems
                        Effect on Other Students
                        Effect on Special Students
                        Gifted and Talented
                        Mental Handicapping Conditions
                        Physical Handicapping Conditions
            Immigrant Students
                        Children of Illegal Immigrants
            Minority Students
                        Opportunities and Achievement Levels
                        Rewarding Schools for Improving Minority
            Non-English Speaking Students
                        Best Approach
                        Instruction in Native Language
                        Require English Instruction
            Policies for Low-Income/Minority Students
            Special Education
                        Cost and Extent

Standards
       SECTION 1
            Do Standards Help or Hurt Quality?
            Higher Standards for Schools
            Higher Standards for Students
            Possible Effects of Higher Standards:Raising Standards
            Public Expectations
            Reasons for Student Problems
            Schools That Don't Make Progress
            Social Promotion
            Are Standards Too High or Too Low?                              (Return to top of page)

Social Issues
       SECTION 1

            AIDS
                        Attitudes About AIDS
            Firearms and School
            Gender Issues
                        Participation in Sports by Girls
                        Single-Sex Schools
            Prayer in School
       SECTION 2

            School Services
                        After-School and Summer Programs
                                Financing
                        Distribution of Condoms
                        Health and Social Services in Schools
                               School-Based Health Clinics
                      Services for Poor Children
           Sex Education
                      
Student Issues
       SECTION 1

           Academic
                        Ability and Achievement
                        Amount of Schoolwork Required
                        Amount of Schoolwork Required (Elementary)
                        Amount of Schoolwork Required (High School)
                        Attitude Toward Learning
                        Educational Influences on the Young
                        Motivation
                        Noninterested Students
       SECTION 2

            Nonacademic
                        Career Guidance
                        Enjoyment of School
                        Extracurricular
                        Future Success
                        General Attitude
                        Helping Students Get Jobs
                        National Youth Service
                        What Children Like
                        What Students Get Out of School
            Potential for Reaching High Levels of Learning
                        Influence of School/Parents
                        Influence of Teachers/Parents/Students
            Rights
                        Censoring Student Publications
                        General
                        High Court Ruling on Suspensions
                        Older Students
                        Searching Student Property
                        Student Power
                        Too Many/Too Few                   (Return to top of page)

Teachers and Teaching
       SECTION 1
            Attracting and Retaining Teachers
            Career Ladders
            Collective Bargaining
            Criteria to Be Used in Awarding Merit Pay
            Encouraging Bright People to Become Teachers
            Getting and Keeping Good Teachers
            Merit Pay
            Minorities and the Teaching Profession
            Personal Qualities Desired
       SECTION 2
            Qualifications
            Required Union Dues
            Scope of Collective Bargaining
            Seniority Rights for Teachers
       SECTION 3
            Teacher Burnout
            Teacher Compensation
       SECTION 4
            Teacher Quality
            Teacher Shortages
            Teacher Working Conditions
            Teacher/Administrator Accountability
            Teaching as a Career
       SECTION 5
            Tenure
            Testing Administrators
            Testing Teachers
            Training                                         (Return to top of page)

Technology
       SECTION 1
            Access to Global Electronics
            Channel One
            Investment in Computers
            Use of Computers
Testing
       SECTION 1
            Alternatives
            Decline in SAT Scores
            Dropouts and Testing for Promotion
            Emphasis on Testing
            Exemptions
            Grade Promotion
            High School Diploma
            International Comparisons
       SECTION 2
            Local Students
            Local, State, or National Tests
            National Testing
                        Specific Areas for National Test
                        Purposes
                        Comparing Communities
            Remediation
            Reporting Achievement for Comparison
            Students Who Fail
            Use of Tests
            Voluntary Testing Program              (Return to top of page)

Urban Schools
       SECTION 1
            Improving Urban Schools
            Taxes to Improve Urban Schools

 

Last modified: December 7, 2007
http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kgallup/kgallup_topics.htm