WHAT PARENTS WANT: Education Preferences and Trade-Offs Edited by Dara Zeehandelaar and Amber M. Northern Data collection and analysis by Harris Interactive January 27, 2014 Portfolio Meeting Houston 2014

Questions and Answers

• What are K-12 parents’ priorities? • Do groups of parents share priorities?

• Study used innovative methods to parse rankings • 2,007 participants nationwide, all K-12 parents • 30 school characteristics and 17 educational goals

Ranking Example

Non-Negotiables and Must-Haves 1 Offers  a  strong  core  curriculum  in  reading  and  mathematics 222

2Emphasizes  science,  technology,  engineering,  and  math  (STEM)  education

203

3 Learns  good  study  habits  and  self-­‐discipline 1814 Develops  strong  critical  thinking  skills 178

5Offers  a  strong  education  in  life  skills  (e.g.,  money  management,  nutrition,  etc.)

173

6 Learns  strong  verbal  and  written  communication  skills 1727 Holds  students  to  extremely  high  academic  standards 1679 Has  high  standards  for  student  behavior 15511 Emphasizes  character  development,  ethics,  and/or  morality 154

Desirables 13 Is  prepared  for  college 142

14 Develops  strong  social  skills  (e.g.,  respect,  conflict  resolution,  ability  to  make  friends)

132

16 Develops  strong  self-­‐esteem 12817 Develops  a  love  of  learning 12520 Offers  vocational  classes  or  job-­‐related  programs 11423 Offers  a  variety  of  extracurricular  activities  other  than  sports 97

25Learns  to  work  with  people  from  diverse  racial,  ethnic,  or  socio-­‐economic  backgrounds

95

27Emphasizes  instruction  in  citizenship,  democracy,  and  leadership

91

30 Has  high  test  scores 82

Expendables 33 Emphasizes  arts  and  music  instruction 6635 Is  accepted  at  a  top  tier  college 4436 Has  a  small  total  student  enrollment 4437 Is  close  to  home  (or  workplace/other  convenient  location) 44

40Has  a  strong  athletic  program,  offering  a  variety  of  sports  with  successful  teams

38

41 Has  updated  building  facilities 3043 Offers  longer  school  day  or  school  year  of  instruction 2545 Develops  fluency  in  a  foreign  language 20

Slight differences by race/ethnicity • White parents prioritize good study habits higher than other

groups of parents

• African American, Hispanic, and Asian parents prioritize acceptance into a top-tier college

• African American and Hispanic parents value high test scores, preparing students for state tests, and stressing the importance of going to college

• African American and Hispanic parents value athletics and after school programs

• African American parents value diversity

Slight differences by household income • Higher income groups prioritize developing strong

critical thinking skills, an emphasis on STEM, and schools with high academic standards

• The lowest income group prioritize students

understanding how important it is to go to college and finishing high school with job skills

• Lower income groups prioritize schools that offer job-

related programs and programs for struggling students

Slight differences by school attendance

• Private school parents prioritize schools with a curriculum compatible to personal beliefs, small student enrollment, and that students develop a strong moral code of conduct

• Charter school parents prioritize that students finish high school with job skills and are accepted into a top-tier college

Slight differences by political ideology

• Conservatives prioritize traditional approaches to learning more than moderates or liberals. • Liberals prioritize a diverse student body, arts

and music instruction. • Conservatives are more interested in a school that

has a strong code of moral conduct and that develops patriotism/love of country. • Liberals value an appreciation for nature and

fluency in a foreign language more than their moderate/conservative brethren.

Single-preference “niche” markets

So what do parents want? • To fulfill their educational “hierarchy of need”

• A diverse portfolio with a strong basic core and varied bells and whistles

• Recognition of their different signals for quality and definitions of success

Full report and findings: www.edexcellence.net/publications/what-parents-want.html

Questions: anorthern@edexcellence.net

Discussion

• Really do need portfolio of options: Importance of CTE with college-for-all pushback • Civic education, arts education, STEM programs • More non-profits, CMOs, etc. offering high

quality schools and programs for families • Examples of schools meeting these needs? • Importance of conducting your own survey even

though parents don’t “segment”; we will share our survey tools and methods