Parents Support Education Standards

Parents believe the educational standards movement is improving the teaching of math and reading in public schools, according to a national survey by the nonpartisan research group Public Agenda.

In its fourth annual survey on the effect of the national effort to raise standards, the New York-based group found that parents see a significant change and now rate public schools about the same as private schools.

In the first survey, only 22% said public schools had higher standards than privates; 42% said private schools had higher standards. The 2001 survey showed that the gap had narrowed to 34% who believed public schools had higher standards compared with 35% who think private schools’ standards are higher.

The survey also showed, however, that employers and college professors find significant deficiencies among public high school graduates. Students showed little resentment or anxiety over testing, and teachers say standardized tests can motivate students and help them diagnose problems.