Phi Delta Kappa International
Project Title
For a project to expand the impact of the 2019 PDK poll of the public's attitudes toward public schools
Date
Jun. 13, 2019
Duration
9 months
Description
There is an important need to engage the public in conversations about public schools and to include a more diverse set of voices that includes families and communities across the country. Without hearing the voices of parents and communities, state, local and district policies that directly affect students may not fully address or reflect students’ needs. While there are many surveys that gather information on the public’s views of education, often these surveys are partial or conducted by interest groups with particular agenda. Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) was founded in 1906 with a mission to engage the public at large in order to improve schools so that every student thrives. Since its founding, PDK has engaged and connected different stakeholders who are committed to improving public education with its rigorous research and reports. With support from the Corporation, PDK will expand its national sample size of its annual poll of the public’s attitudes toward public schools, extend the poll to include focus groups, and disseminate the results of its national poll and focus groups more broadly in order to inform policies and practice.
Website
Project Title
For the development of a state-level poll of the public's attitudes toward public schools
Date
Sep. 08, 2016
Duration
12 months
Description
Under the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), significant responsibility is devolved to the state level, along with the explicit expectation that the opinions of key stakeholders – including parents and communities – will be solicited and incorporated into state plans. Given this, and the increase in survey data and information available today, policymakers at the local and state level need a source of insight into their communities’ perspectives. Founded in 1906, Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) is a professional membership association that strives to provide educators with access to information, support, and resources they need to improve teaching and learning. For 48 years, their national poll of the public’s attitudes toward public schools has helped provide a measure of stakeholder opinions about American education. With this grant, PDK plans to develop a state-level poll that builds off their national poll, to provide trustworthy information to state and local decision-makers about what the public wants from public schools.