Vol. 19, No. 28

April 20, 2000

Survey finds public, educators agree on accountability

About 80 percent of Delawareans believe that the purpose of the state accountability system should be to improve the quality of education rather than determine consequences (positive or negative) for teachers, according to the "1999 Public Poll on the Condition of Education in Delaware," released April 18 by the Delaware Education Research and Development Center at UD. The researchers polled Delaware's citizens about a number of ongoing and timely issues facing education in Delaware. According to Audrey Noble, director of the center, "The survey results confirm that both citizens and educators alike are committed to improving Delaware schools. Each group seems to believe that positive rather than negative approaches are the best way to reach this goal." Quality of education While most citizens (83 percent) and educators (91 percent) gave the public schools in Delaware a "B" or "C," parents view the public schools in a more positive light than nonparents do. For example, parents were more likely to give schools a higher grade than were nonparents. Parents (71 percent) also were more likely to have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of respect and confidence in the public schools, compared to nonparents (57 percent). Citizens who consider themselves well informed also are more likely to view schools in a more positive light, according to the survey. Those who reported feeling very well informed about schools in Delaware were more likely to give schools higher grades than citizens who felt less informed. Interestingly, fewer citizens (34 percent) felt well-informed in 1999, compared to those who felt well-informed (60 percent) in 1994. Accountability Asked about their views related to the educational accountability system, most Delaware respondents (80 percent) and educators (94 percent) alike said the purpose of the accountability system should be to improve the quality of education, not determine positive or negative consequences for teachers. Even though most systems in place across the nation focus less on improving instruction and more on rewarding or sanctioning schools and districts, education experts conclude that the unintended negative effects of high-stakes accountability systems often outweigh the intended positive effects. Only about half of Delaware citizens and about one-third of educators said they believe the accountability system should be used to determine if a student graduates from high school or advances to the next grade level. This is a substantial change from a 1997 survey, in which more than 80 percent believed an accountability system should be used to make graduation decisions and more than 70 percent believed such a system should be used to make promotion decisions. Discipline For Delaware citizens, student behavior was the most important factor in determining their perception of the quality of Delaware's public schools. National data reveal that surprisingly little has changed since 1985 with respect to methods for improving student behavior. Classes for parents and teachers on how to deal with problem children were, and still are, viewed as the best solutions. According to the survey, nearly all Delaware citizens also said they believe that classes for students on how to solve problems in a constructive manner would be most helpful. Parent Involvement A majority of educators and parents agree that Delaware schools welcome family involvement and make it easy to be involved, but only a small percentage of Delaware educators (3 percent) and parents (8 percent) reported that parents in Delaware are very involved in children's education. Research indicates that parent involvement improves student achievement. Children whose parents provide help at home and are in touch with the school perform better than children of similar ability and family background whose parents are not involved. These effects are not limited to early childhood, but persist throughout the high school years. The survey is the sixth in a program of annual polls designed to track the perceptions of Delaware's citizens regarding schools in the state. From Oct. 3 through Jan. 27, telephone interviews were conducted with 919 citizens throughout the state, including 324 individuals from Kent County, 312 from New Castle County and 283 from Sussex County. The R&D Center analyzed the data and adjusted it from the county samples to reflect the relative size of each, in terms of the statewide population. From Jan. 3-13, telephone interviews were conducted with 301 educators throughout the state. The educator poll included teachers, building administrators and district administrators and used a simple random sampling design. The full text of the report, which is supported by funding from the Delaware State Legislature, is available from the Delaware Education Research and Development Center, 305 Willard Hall, or at [http://www.rdc. udel.edu]. The R&D Center is a nonpartisan, independent center supported by the University, the state and private resources. Research is devoted to efforts that explore the consequences of state policy and reform efforts, including the development of coherent standards for student achievement, student assessment and educational accountability, professional development and credentials, curriculum design and educational finance.