davis, hibbitts & midghall, inc. │ pfl 2007 voter survey 1 partnership for learning statewide...

Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, Inc. │ PFL 2007 Voter Survey1

Partnership For LearningStatewide Voter Survey

February 2007

Presented by

Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall, Inc.

www.dhmresearch.com


Telephone survey of 500 voters in WA state

Voted in at least one of the last four

primary and general elections

Margin of error plus or minus 4.4%

Conducted January 24-27, 2007

Averaged 15 minutes in length

Survey objectives

Assess voter perceptions of education

priorities

Test support level for increasing math

graduation requirement

INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY


General Attitudes About K–12 Education


Voters are split on whether or not K–12 education in

Washington is headed in the

right direction. Almost a quarter

don’t know.

Don't know21%

Wrong Track39%

Right Direction

40%

In general, would you say that Washington’s K–12 public education

system is headed in the right direction, or are things off on the wrong track?


The greatest concerns voters

have about public schools are:

preparation for college and the workforce, and

meeting academic standards

Most or second-most important concern facing public schools in Washington:

14%

18%

18%

22%

35%

38%

42%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Closing the achievement gap

Increasing funding to public schools

Improving safety in our schools

Raising teachers salaries

Making sure districts spend $$ wisely

Making sure students meet academicrequirements

Preparing students for college andthe workforce


Voters continue to believe that public school

expectations for student learning

are too low

Don't know11%

About right33%

Too little47%

Too much8%

Do public schools expect students to learn too much, too little, or [are

expectations] about right?

2007 Results

Don't know6%

About right39%

Too little49%

Too much7%

2004 Results


General Attitudes About Early Learning


Which Skills are the Most

Important to Develop Early in

Life?Motor Skills,

9%

Language Development,

18%

Don't know, 6%

Early Reading,

21%

Managing Feelings and

Relationships, 24%

Thinking Skills, 23%

Which of these aspects of a young child’s development do you feel is the most

important?


Voters’ Priorities for Early

Childhood Education

Which statement best describes your opinion of learning opportunities from birth to five

years old? (First or second choice)

16%

34%

36%

49%

50%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Children don’t really start formallearning until they enter pre-school

or kindergarten

Washington State should spendmore money improving the currentchild-care system from birth to five

years old

Washington State should spendmore money on providing early

learning education to low-incomechildren

Social and emotional development ismore important than building

academic skills in the early years

Early learning is best left to parentsand not child-care providers


Voters Narrowly Favor Full-Day Kindergarten

Remaining Optional

Don’t Know, 7%

State should pay for full-

day kindergarten for all, 28%

Half-day or full-day

kindergarten should be an

optional decision, 51%

Full-day kindergarten should cost extra, except

for low-income

parents, 15%

Currently, not all students in Washington attend full-day kindergarten. Which of the following statements best describes your

position on full-day kindergarten?


State Graduation Requirements


A majority of voters support

requiring students to pass the 10th grade

WASL

Don't know7%

Oppose32%

Support62%

Starting with the class of 2008, students will be required to demonstrate that they have met

the reading, writing, and math standards by passing the 10th grade WASL in those subjects.

Do you support or oppose the requirements?


Support has remained steady

since 20022002 Results

2007 Results

Oppose, 32%

Support, 62%

Don't know, 7%

Don't know5%

Oppose31%

Support64%

2005 Results

Oppose, 32%

Support, 63%

Don't know, 5%


Support climbs (as high as 86%) when we provide information about

alternatives to the test

Would you be more supportive if you knew students were given 4 opportunities to retake the test, as well as alternative means for demonstrating their

skills after retaking it?

28%

6%

66%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No

Yes

Don’t Know

Would you be more supportive if you knew that students with significant disabilities could be

exempted from the requirement?

25%

9%

67%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No

Yes

Don’t Know


Washington voters do not

support a delay in the

reading/writing WASL graduation

requirement

Starting in 2008, students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing, as measured by the 10th grade WASL Test, in order to

earn a diploma. Do you support or oppose maintaining the requirement for 2008, even if it means some students won’t graduate on time?

25%

8%

21%

40%

6%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Don't know

StronglyOppose

SomewhatOppose

SomewhatSupport

StronglySupport

Total Support 61%

Total Oppose 33%


Math Graduation Requirements


A majority of voters agree that

the graduation requirement of two years of un-specified math

should be raised to three or four

years

36%

12%

51%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Don't Know

I believe this requirement shouldbe increased to three or four years

I support maintaining thisrequirement as is (two years of

unspecified math)

Currently, Washington state requires two years of unspecified math to earn a high

school diploma. Unspecified math means that there is no required content for earning those two credits. Which statement best describes your feelings about the state’s current math

requirement?


Support for increasing math

requirement increases after learning about

university entrance

requirements and the high rates of

students that have to take

“remedial” math classes at the community college level

Support for increasing math requirement to three or four years.

75%

51%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

AfterInformation

BeforeInformation


Nearly 3 in 5 voters support limiting 40–50

math curricula to 3–5 research-

based curriculaYes, 57%

No, 21%

Don't know, 23%

Currently, there are about 40-50 math curriculums being used in Washington state. A

proposal from the State Board of Education would limit the options to 3-5 research-based math curriculums from which local districts

could choose. Would you support this move?


Preparation for Life After High School


Most voters say that the skills

needed to succeed at

college are the same skills needed to

succeed at work Somewhat,

31%

Strongly 15%

Strongly, 28%

7%

Somewhat, 19%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Agree (59%)

Disagree (34%)

Don’t Know

In the 21st century, [are] the skills and knowledge necessary for success at work after high school essentially the same as

those needed for success in college?


Voters support investments in

increasing bachelor’s degree

production in high demand

fields by a large margin.

Don’t know, 10%

Oppose, 21%

Support, 69%

[After being told about the shortfall in college degrees:] Would you support or oppose a $90

million proposal being considered by the legislature to expand capacity at our public

universities to produce 8,000 additional degrees in high-demand fields by 2010 and

2,000 more new degrees by 2020?


Teachers and Teaching


Voters support paying teachers on a basis other than

seniority

Reactions to the following statements:

6%

17%

6%

8%

16%

10%

10%

13%

9%

37%

32%

26%

35%

19%

47%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Teachers who earn a National BoardCertification after a rigorous two-year

peer review of their teaching skillsshould earn more pay

Teachers who teach “high needs”subject areas should be paid more than

teachers of other subjects

Significant increases in teacher salariesshould be based on performance, not

seniority

Disagree Strongly Disagree Somewhat Neutral

Agree Somewhat Agree Strongly Don’t Know


Voters want high job performance from teachers


12%

5%

8%

10%

7%

8%

13%

10%

7%

24%

26%

25%

35%

48%

49%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Principals should be able to removeteachers from their school or refuse to

accept transferring teachers

Significant increases in teacher salariesshould be accompanied by new policiesthat make it easier to fire bad teachers

All teachers should be periodicallytested to help assure good job

performance




Other voter reactions


9%

21%

14%

17%

13%

9%

38%

24%

19%

25%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Most teachershave the right

qualifications andtraining to teach

effectively

More experiencedand more qualifiedteachers should berequired to teach in

low-performingschools




Key findings about Washington voters:

Split on the direction K-12 education

is taking in the state

Concerned about preparing students

for college and the workforce and

making sure students meet academic

standards

Support the current WASL graduation

requirement

Support increasing math requirement

from 2 years to 3 or 4 years

OBSERVATIONS

davis, hibbitts & midghall, inc. │ pfl 2007 voter survey 1 partnership for learning statewide...

Documents