ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND EDUCATIONAL ISSUES SURVEY June 1997
1.) How knowledgeable do you consider yourself to be on the subject of academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Very Knowledgable | 30% | 32% | 41% | 35% | 26% | 23% |
| Fairly Knowledgable | 64% | 68% | 55% | 63% | 65% | 69% |
| Not Very Knowledgable |
5% | — | 4% | — | 9% | 8% |
| Know Nothing | 1% | — | — | 2% | — | — |
2.) Should your school district utilize prescribed academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 83% | 62% | 93% | 82% | 84% | 79% |
| No | 10% | 24% | 3% | 14% | 13% | 9% |
| No Answer | 7% | 14% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 12% |
3.) Should your Intermediate Unit (IU) utilize prescribed academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 67% | 50% | 71% | 63% | 65% | 72% |
| No | 22% | 35% | 20% | 29% | 24% | 16% |
| No Answer | 11% | 15% | 9% | 8% | 11% | 12% |
4.) Should the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania develop and implement a set of academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 78% | 67% | 81% | 78% | 77% | 78% |
| No | 17% | 29% | 16% | 16% | 20% | 13% |
| No Answer | 5% | 4% | 3% | 6% | 3% | 9% |
5.) Do you endorse the concept of Outcomes Based Education (OBE)?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 53% | 50% | 64% | 71% | 49% | 42% |
| No | 37% | 41% | 24% | 20% | 43% | 49% |
| No Answer | 10% | 9% | 12% | 9% | 8% | 9% |
6.) Do you approve of the Commonwealth’s current prescribed educational standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 42% | 48% | 49% | 49% | 41% | 31% |
| No | 45% | 43% | 43% | 45% | 40% | 53% |
| No Answer | 13% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 19% | 16% |
7.) Do you understand the differences between the Commonwealth’s “outcomes” and the concept of “standards” that the Commonwealth is currently developing?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 70% | 80% | 71% | 80% | 67% | 64% |
| No | 24% | 14% | 28% | 16% | 22% | 30% |
| No Answer | 6% | 4% | 1% | 4% | 11% | 6% |
8.) Should students statewide have to pass an examination to demonstrate that they have met all of the state’s academic standards before they are awarded their diplomas and graduate?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 66% | 65% | 66% | 60% | 55% | 78% |
| No | 28% | 30% | 30% | 36% | 34% | 17% |
| No Answer | 6% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 11% | 5% |
9.) If the Commonwealth were to require students to pass an examination and demonstrate that they have met all of the state’s academic standards. should the exam be developed and administered by the State Education Department or by individual school districts with state oversight?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Education Dept. | 37% | 45% | 31% | 37% | 30% | 45% |
| School Districts | 59% | 50% | 61% | 57% | 67% | 54% |
| No Answer | 4% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 3% | 1% |
10.) Do you think a majority of the general public want prescribed statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 68% | 61% | 78% | 69% | 62% | 66% |
| No | 23% | 39% | 19% | 24% | 24% | 22% |
| No Answer | 9% | — | 3% | 7% | 14% | 12% |
11.) Should statewide academic standards apply to college bound students only?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 5% | 9% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 8% |
| No | 92% | 91% | 94% | 94% | 93% | 90% |
| No Answer | 3% | — | 3% | 2% | 5% | 2% |
12.) Should remediation assistance be made available to those students who do not meet statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 89% | 87% | 95% | 96% | 88% | 82% |
| No | 6% | 4% | 1% | — | 6% | 12% |
| No Answer | 5% | 9% | 3% | 4% | 6% | 6% |
13.) If remediation assistance is made available to those students who have not met state academic standards, how should this remediation be funded and administered?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Funded & Administered by the state | 23% | 19% | 16% | 12% | 25% | 31% |
| Funded & Administered by the school districts | 5% | — | 3% | 6% | 6% | 7% |
| Funded by the state and Administered by the school districts | 66% | 71% | 76% | 80% | 66% | 49% |
| Funded by the school and Administered by the Intermediate Unit | 6% | 10% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 13% |
14.) Do you believe that the Commonwealth’s teachers have played a significant role in developing Pennsylvania’s new statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 23% | 32% | 24% | 32% | 16% | 22% |
| No | 59% | 45% | 62% | 62% | 59% | 57% |
| No Opinion | 18% | 23% | 14% | 6% | 25% | 21% |
15.) Should the general public have input in the development of statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 72% | 91% | 78% | 70% | 71% | 64% |
| No | 25% | 9% | 17% | 24% | 24% | 36% |
| No Opinion | 3% | — | 5% | 6% | 5% | — |
16.) Should the business community play a role in the development of statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 83% | 91% | 84% | 86% | 83% | 78% |
| No | 14% | 9% | 12% | 12% | 15% | 19% |
| No Opinion | 3% | — | 4% | 2% | 2% | 3% |
17.) If the general public is permitted to have input in the development of statewide academic standards, what form should this participation take?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Statewide public hearings | 6% | 5% | 1% | 21% | 4% | 4% |
| Statewide citizen questionnaires | 13% | 23% | 14% | 4% | 11% | 17% |
| Statewide citizen focus groups | 10% | — | 14% | 9% | 13% | 8% |
| Public input through calls & letters to Education Department | 4% | — | 4% | 2% | 6% | 3% |
| All of the above | 67% | 72% | 67% | 64% | 66% | 68% |
18.) Which group should have the most influence over the final development of statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| School Administrators | 7% | 9% | 7% | 9% | 11% | 1% |
| School Directos | 2% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 1% | — |
| Public | 2% | — | 7% | — | 1% | 1% |
| Teachers | 25% | 5% | 17% | 26% | 19% | 43% |
| Business | — | — | — | 2% | — | — |
| All Play = Role | 63% | 81% | 66% | 59% | 68% | 55% |
19.) How much time do you believe is necessary to develop appropriate and effective statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| 6 Months | 2% | 5% | 3% | 4% | — | — |
| 1 Year | 20% | 32% | 16% | 20% | 22% | 20% |
| 1½ Years | 7% | 18% | 12% | 6% | 3% | 4% |
| 2 Years | 49% | 41% | 47% | 38% | 56% | 53% |
| Other | 11% | — | 9% | 20% | 9% | 11% |
| No Opinion | 11% | 4% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 12% |
20.) Does a majority of your local school board support statewide academic standards?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 34% | 48% | 55% | 47% | 20% | 21% |
| No | 16% | 24% | 15% | 18% | 11% | 17% |
| No Opinion | 50% | 28% | 30% | 35% | 69% | 62% |
21.) Do you think statewide academic standards have proven to be workable and successful in other states?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 47% | 55% | 53% | 57% | 33% | 48% |
| No | 17% | 14% | 17% | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| No Opinion | 36% | 31% | 30% | 21% | 50% | 38% |
22.) Are national academic standards a good idea?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 56% | 50% | 61% | 64% | 48% | 57% |
| No | 35% | 40% | 34% | 30% | 42% | 29% |
| No Opinion | 9% | 10% | 5% | 6% | 10% | 14% |
23.) Do you think national academic standards have proven to be workable and successful in other nations?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 36% | 32% | 43% | 45% | 22% | 39% |
| No | 23% | 32% | 28% | 18% | 24% | 18% |
| No Opinion | 41% | 36% | 29% | 37% | 54% | 43% |
24.) Are you in favor of Act 84, which mandates “Agency Shop” — requiring non- union members to pay union fees as a condition of employment — as a negotiating item?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 32% | 10% | 12% | 24% | 29% | 58% |
| No | 60% | 86% | 86% | 60% | 59% | 35% |
| No Opinion | 8% | 4% | 2% | 16% | 12% | 7% |
25.) Do you believe that elected school board directors should give union officials the right to demand fees from non-union school employees as a contracted condition of employment?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 26% | 5% | 10% | 18% | 22% | 51% |
| No | 63% | 86% | 89% | 64% | 66% | 37% |
| No Opinion | 11% | 9% | 1% | 18% | 12% | 12% |
26.) Do you believe that Act 84, the “Agency Shop” law, should be repealed?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 58% | 76% | 88% | 55% | 56% | 34% |
| No | 29% | 5% | 11% | 23% | 26% | 55% |
| No Opinion | 13% | 19% | 1% | 22% | 18% | 11% |
27.) Do you believe that unions should be required to represent all members of a school bargaining unit, even those who are not union members?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Yes | 52% | 38% | 50% | 39% | 54% | 60% |
| No | 37% | 48% | 46% | 41% | 31% | 31% |
| No Opinion | 11% | 14% | 4% | 20% | 15% | 9% |
28.) Do you believe that Act 195, the school bargaining law, and Act 84, the “agency shop” forced dues law, are working to the detriment or support of Pennsylvania’s system of education?
| Codes | Agg | SD | SV | CC | P | T |
| Detriment | 45% | 75% | 69% | 40% | 37% | 28% |
| Support | 28% | 5% | 13% | 27% | 26% | 48% |
| No Opinion | 27% | 20% | 18% | 33% | 37% | 24% |
CODE:
Agg = Aggregate/Total of all categories of responses
SD = School Board Presidents
SV = Superintendents
CC = Curriculum Coordinators
P = Principals
T = Teachers
The Lincoln Institute’s Academic Standards and Educational Issues Survey was mailed on May 23, 1997 to 4,000 Pennsylvania educators. As of the survey response deadline of June 16, 1997, 343 total responses were received including questionnairs from 23 school board presidents, 78 superintendents, 51 curriculum supervisors, 89 principals and 102 teachers.
THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL QUESTION WAS ASKED OF SUPERINTENDENTS ONLY:
1.) During the past five years, has your district contracted out any of the following services and, if YES, what percentage of the services were contracted out?
(The following is a compilation of those answering YES)
A.) Transportation: 40 – 100%
2 – 98%
4 – 95%
4 – 90%
1 – 80%
1 – 50%
B.) Janitorial Services: 1 – 100%
1 – 50%
1 – 5%
C.) Building Maintenance: 1 – 100%
1 – 75%
1 – 50%
1 – 20% 1 – 15%
2 – 10%
D.) Food Services: 11 – 100%
1 – 90%
E.) Administrative Support: 1 – 90%
1 – 20%
2 – 10%
1 – 5%
©Copyright 1997 the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.
Permission to utilize information contained within this survey is granted provided the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc. is credited as the source.
