NCLB may not be universally winning the hearts and minds of educators, but it鈥檚 made substantial gains in how the public views it, according to a survey released this week.
Public awareness of the legislation has virtually doubled since 2001, with 61 percent of the general public saying they鈥檝e now heard a 鈥済reat deal鈥� or a 鈥渇air amount鈥� about NCLB, according to an sponsored by the Educational Testing Service released on June 22. What鈥檚 more, 45 percent of those surveyed said they held a favorable opinion of the legislation.
Small wonder why: According to the ETS survey, for which Republican and Democratic pollsters worked together to query 2,250 adults, only 9 percent of the general public believes that high schools 鈥渟et high academic expectations for students.鈥� On average, the public gives the nation鈥檚 schools a C average, though parents polled gave their children鈥檚 own schools grades averaging to a B, the survey said. And for that reason, it seems, the public is supportive of change in many forms: Some 48 percent of those polled say schools need either 鈥渕ajor changes鈥� or a 鈥渃omplete overhaul.鈥�
is available from .
鈥淭he States of NCLB,鈥� from the October issue of Teacher Magazine, examines legislative challenges to the NCLB.
The offers a on NCLB.
In January, the nation鈥檚 governors, along with business and education leaders, convened a .
In a January , researchers at Ball State University found that states requiring high school graduation exams have lower college-entrance-exam scores.
a report by the , looks at attempts to make secondary schools more responsive to students鈥� needs.
Beyond such vague terms, the survey found wide public support for a variety of NCLB-like propositions, including ensuring that teachers are experts in the subjects they teach (74 percent) and requiring students to pass statewide graduation tests (80 percent). A majority support a 鈥渞igorous course of study鈥� for all students, including computer science, four years of English, three years of history/civics and science, and two years of a foreign language, and 55 percent say all schools, students, and teachers should be held to the same performance standards regardless of students鈥� backgrounds.
鈥淎mericans believe in standards and accountability,鈥� says ETS president and CEO Kurt Landgraf, whose organization, it goes without saying, put the word 鈥渟tandard鈥� into standardized testing. 鈥淎nd they want reform efforts expanded to address pressing quality issues with our nation鈥檚 high schools.鈥�
Not surprisingly, teachers were far less likely to favor the one-size-fits-all approach to performance standards, 26 percent to the public鈥檚 55 percent. And only one-quarter of high school teachers hold favorable opinions about NCLB, a disconnect with public opinion that Republican pollster David Winston called 鈥渨orrisome.鈥�
鈥擬ark Toner
