Recent studies of the guidance system as it operates in public schools today indicate that counselors are often overworked and underprepared when it comes to helping students make the best decisions about their lives after high school. This survey of young adults aged 22 through 30 conducted by Public agenda for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation…

Are parents an untapped resource in improving and reimagining K-12 education in Kansas City? What do they think would enhance student learning and what are they willing to do to help their children get the education they deserve? These are among the questions explored in an in-depth survey of 1,566 parents with children now in public school in the…

A study conducted by Public Agenda Foundation, in partnership with the National Constitution Center, examined what typical adults know and believe about the U.S. Constitution, probed what they understand their rights and civic responsibilities to be, and reported their views on the document's importance and relevance in their lives today. The…

How people treat each other in their daily interactions seems to be profoundly important and even central to the definition of a "civilized" society. This nationwide survey examined what Americans are thinking about courtesy, manners, rudeness, and respect. Data were gathered through a random sample telephone survey of 2,013 adults…

This report gives the results of a study that probes how typical individuals think about religion, faith, and personal morality. Alongside their belief in the power of religion to help individuals become better people, most people are also instinctively wary about injecting religion directly into politics, the public schools, and public life in…

This is a large scale examination of the aspirations and experiences of America's young adults ages 18 through 25. It is an in-depth study based on a national random sample telephone survey of young adults, along with focus groups in California, New Jersey, Texas and Wisconsin. [Additional support for this report was provided by the GE Foundation.]

Recognizing that knowing what parents value most provides insights into what society values and what can be expected of future generations, this report details a study exploring parents' goals in raising their children and focusing on parents' attitudes regarding the difficulty of raising children of integrity and character in America today. Data…