The 2015 EdNext Poll on School Reform
This online report provides findings from the ninth annual Education Next survey, administered in May and June 2015. The survey was given to a nationally representative sample of some 4,000 respondents, including oversamples of roughly 700 teachers, 700 African Americans, and 700 Hispanics. The large number of survey respondents enabled researchers to ask alternative questions on the same topic in order to determine the sensitivity of opinion to new information and particular wording. In addition, new questions posed in 2015 facilitated the exploration of opinion on curricular and other issues that had not previously been examined in a nationally representative survey of the American public. Survey questions focused on a variety of topics related to testing, accountability, the Common Core State Standards, school reform, school expenditures, racial disparities in suspension rates, union fees, and academic emphasis on reading and math.
This resource provides perceptions and opinion data on a variety of topics related to education standards, assessment, funding, and practices. Findings are online and presented in a concise manner with easy-to-read representative graphics. An interactive chart of the survey findings allows readers to easily review information by scrolling over questions and data. Readers also have the option of printing out PDF versions, sharing the report with others, and downloading the report’s full results. At a time when vocal advocates color the perception of “public opinion,” this study provides valuable data relative to the actual feelings of respondents represented in this national survey.