Uses question-and-answer format to report results of Public Agenda survey of 510 parents of special-needs students about their experiences with special education. Survey obtained parents' perspectives on topics such as the quality of special-education teachers and programs, the evaluation process, mainstreaming, and standards. Finds that a…

Despite unfavorable publicity concerning public education's performance, 42 percent of Gallup Poll respondents give the schools in their community an A or B, and 33 percent assign them a C. Only 5 percent feel that schools are failing. Parents of public school students rate the schools even higher. Half of those surveyed would pay higher taxes to…

Of 27 countries in a World Health Organization survey, American children report the most physical complaints, Portuguese children are most kind to one another, and Lithuanians watch more TV. U.S. and Czech teens are great dieters. Northern Irish, Scottish, and Finnish youngsters love computer games. (MLH)

The Virginia General Assembly is concerned that "there remains a significant gap between the best- and poorest-performing schools." Even as it acknowledged that most elementary and secondary schools are meeting academic achievement goals, the Assembly proceeded to request that information be collected on best practices used in…

In its 2003 report, School Survey on Crime and Safety, the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) found that, during the 1999-2000 school year, 29% of schools reported having more difficulty with student bullying than with any other single discipline problem. A similar 2004 NCES report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, found that, in…

Rose and Gallup report on the results of the 38th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitude Toward the Public Schools. This year's survey examined No Child Left Behind and the public's perception of the law, the appropriate role of standardized testing, the achievement gap between white students and black and Hispanic students, the…

Briefly reviews some of the findings of the 1984 survey of public attitudes toward the provincial education system conducted by Prince Edward Island's School System Review Commission and discusses some of the commission's resulting 94 recommendations for improvement. (PGD)

A survey of vice presidents of major midwest public universities reveals concern about rising costs in higher education. Administrators favored financial aid partnerships between federal and state governments and business and industry. Although enrollments are steady and public support high, legislators tend to ignore higher education. (PB)

An examination of the origins and significance of the 15 years of surveys reveals enduring public faith in education, a need for an informed public, and considerable stability in public attitudes. Two tables identify public estimations of biggest school problems and attitudes toward change and innovation. (PB)

Conducted during May 15-22, 1983 in the United States, this survey of 1,540 adults, age 18 and older, provides tables and figures that alert decision makers to overall public reactions to a variety of school programs and policies and serves as a national benchmark against which local attitudes can be measured. (PB)

A survey of 381 female college students with interests or majors in elementary- or secondary-level teaching found that college experience did not change or broaden their career goals. Further, the percentage who expected career goals to become secondary to familial goals increased the farther ahead they predicted their futures. (RW)

Introduces articles in the special "Kappan" section drawing primarily on data from an ongoing longitudinal study (the Illinois Middle Grades Network), Indiana's middle Grades Improvement Program, the national Middle Grade School State Policy Initiative, and Michigan's Middle Start Initiative. Each project used Robert Felner's Middle…

According to the 21st annual Gallup/Phi Delta Kappa poll, the public favors school choice, a more standardized national curriculum, improvement of public school quality in poorer and innercity areas, reduction of class size in early grades, afternoon school and summer programs for children of working parents, and increased state and federal…

Education majors need an updated field experience aimed at studying adolescents from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Visiting a local shopping mall on a Friday night to observe teens in their natural habitat is entertaining and enlightening. By surveying kids, college students can find out what teens value and examine their own…

Interviews with over 100 middle-school youngsters reveals these adolescents' rich, multidimensional understanding of caring. However, classroom observations showed that most teacher/student interactions were neutral. Students defined caring teacher behaviors as helping with schoolwork, valuing individuality, showing respect, being tolerant,…