Center releases poll on public education attitudes

Both educators and the public favor reducing class size in Delaware's public schools even if it translates into higher costs. That's one of the findings on the opinions of Delaware educators and the public at large summarized in the new 1998 Public and Educator Poll on the Condition of Education in Delaware, released March 17 at the University of Delaware.

Poll highlights are listed in four areas of educational reform in Delaware's public schools: school finance, school climate, professional development and assessment and accountability.

In the area of school finance, results show that 98 percent of Delaware's educators and 89 percent of the public strongly favor reductions in class size. Of those polled, more than 90 percent support class size reduction even if it translates into higher costs.

In other financial areas, 69 percent of educators and 56 percent of citizens do not favor providing monetary awards to school districts for meeting an absolute standard of student performance. Eighty percent of Delaware residents who were polled and 66 percent of educators support rewarding and compensating teachers for demonstrated competence.

In the area of school climate, Delaware educators report that students not doing homework is a serious problem facing Delaware public schools. Members of the public state that student use of illegal drugs is a serious problem facing Delaware schools.

Across the poll results, Delaware residents and educators agree that corporal punishment and out of school suspension are ineffective methods for reducing student misbehavior in public schools. Delaware educators believe that alternative schooling is an effective method for reducing student misbehavior.

In the area of assessment and accountability, more than two-thirds of Delaware educators and citizens agree that the Delaware state test should be only one of many measures used to determine school graduation. Nearly as many agree that more than one measure should be used to determine whether a student progresses to the next grade level.

A majority of Delaware educators and members of the public support the training and development of school professionals. While the poll indicates that a majority of teachers have some opportunity to meet and collaborate with colleagues on instructional practices, results also indicate that beginning teachers are rarely given the opportunity to observe other teachers' classrooms.

Pamela Brown, educational researcher at the Delaware Education Research and Development Center, released the results and provided a short summary on what the latest research says about each.

For more information, contact Brown at 831-4433 or visit the center's web site at <http://www.rdc.udel.edu/>.

--Beth Thomas

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