News Alert
(September 11, 1996) The Center for Education Reform (CER) today released the results of a nationwide poll which shows strong public support for school choice options, including tax-funded scholarships to allow poor parents to send their children to a private, public or parochial school of their choice. "The results are dramatic," said CER President Jeanne Allen, "and challenge recent surveys which have purported to show public opposition to reform."
The CER-commissioned Survey of Americans' Attitudes Toward Education and School Reform was conducted by International Communications Research (ICR) of Media, Pennsylvania. The telephone survey of 1017 individuals represents a scientific sampling of a cross section of Americans and is 95 percent accurate (± 3 percent).
Among its most notable findings, the survey found that 70 percent of the public supported policies to help children in failing schools attend a public, private or parochial school of their parents' choice. Seventy percent also supported giving poor parents tax dollars to send their children to a private, public or parochial school.
"The questions were clear and unambiguous," Allen said. "No negative buzz words, no skewed phrasing, no leading inferences, just straight-up questions that brought straight-up answers."
On the policy question, the survey asked: "Should your state legislators adopt a policy to assist children in failing schools to opt out of that school and attend an alternative school, either public, private, or parochial, of the parents' choosing?" Of the 1017 respondents, 70 percent said yes and 24 percent said no.
On the use of publicly-funded scholarships, the survey asked: "How much in favor are you of allowing poor parents to be given the tax dollars allotted for their child's education, and permitting them to use those dollars in the form of a scholarship to attend a private, public or parochial school of their choosing? Are you strongly in favor of it? Somewhat in favor of it? Somewhat against it? Or strongly against it? More than 70 percent of respondents were strongly or somewhat in favor of such a plan, while only 26 percent opposed it.
CER's survey confirms data released earlier this year by the Public Agenda Foundation. CER's finding challenge, however, the results of recent NEA and Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) polls which purported to show public opposition to school choice and support for a federal role in education. "We asked about that too," Allen said. "The question was, 'Do you believe the federal government should play a major role, a minor role, or no role at all in making policy decisions for schools?' Fifty percent of respondents said a minor role and 24 percent said no role at all."
CER's survey also probed public satisfaction with schools (a major focus of the PDK survey, which found high satisfaction). When asked, "Do you think all children, particularly those in America's inner-cities, are receiving the education they need?" 79 percent said no. When asked, "Do you think the quality of your public school could be improved a great deal, somewhat, or not at all?" 43 percent said a great deal and 50 percent said somewhat.
"When 80 percent of the public doesn't believe America's children are getting the education they need, and 43 percent of parents believe their schools could be improved a great deal, you have to recognize that something is very, very wrong," Allen said. "The numbers also define the true nature of the drive for education reform," Allen concluded. "These people aren't radicals who are out to destroy public education. They're average citizens and average parents who see a critical need for change and who are willing to take the steps necessary to ensure that all of America's children get the education they need and deserve."
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CER's National Survey of Americans' Attitudes Toward Education and School Reform results are available on our Web Site. For additional information or demographic breakouts concerning the CER/ICR survey, please call (202) 822-9000 or (800) 521-2118, or send e-mail to cer@edreform.com.