New Gallup Poll Shows Increased Confidence in Public Schools

A new Gallup poll shows a significant increase in the number of U.S. adults who expressed a high level of confidence in public schools.

The 2017 Gallup poll showed 36 percent of those surveyed felt “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in public schooling, a 6 percent jump from last year and 10 percent higher than the 26 percent who expressed confidence in 2014, the lowest point in the annual survey.

Republicans led the boost in confidence, with 9 percent more expressing confidence than in 2016. Democrat numbers increased 5 points, but were higher to begin with (41 percent in 2017 vs. Republicans at 30 percent).

Another Gallup poll, its annual Work and Education survey conducted in August, had similar results, with 47 percent of adults saying they are “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied with education quality for K-12 students. This result was 4 percent higher than 2016.

Some reasons for the increase might be the increased autonomy and flexibility given to state and local agencies by then-President Barack Obama’s Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015 and the all-time high graduation rate of 83 percent nationwide, coupled with a lower dropout rate.

Eighty-five percent of U.S. superintendents were excited about their district’s future, although only 32 percent said they felt excited about the future of U.S. education generally.

Since 1986, when the annual poll began, confidence in U.S. public schools has dropped from a high of 50 percent in 1987 to a low of 26 percent in 2014.

The poll was conducted in June and included 1,009 telephone interviews.

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