The 2017 edition of our annual Schooling in America Survey project is finally out, and we made it easier than ever for you to learn and share our results. Short on time? Flip through this Slideshare to get the key findings from EdChoice’s annual survey of Americans on K–12 education issues and more, with a special focus on small town and rural families as well as new questions about the role of the federal government. For the full report, visit https://www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017.

1. edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017
BREAKING DOWN
EDCHOICE’S 2017
NATIONAL SURVEY
with a special focus on small town
and rural residents

2. K–12 educational choice policies
have been in the national spotlight
like never before since last
year’s election.

3. The debate has been loud and
emotional and, at times, highly
partisan. But the underlying issues—
parental preference and access to
opportunity—haven’t changed.

4. That political discourse is why it’s
more important than ever to know
how Americans actually feel about
their schools and schooling options.

5. For this year’s Schooling in
America Survey, we interviewed a
representative national sample of
1,000 American adults about K–12
education, educational choice and—
for the first time —the role of the
federal government.

6. WHAT WE
FOUND

7. Current school parents are more likely to give
their school district positive ratings, but at least
one-third gave low marks.
Keeps Parents Informed of Activities
Communicates Effectively with Parents
Provides School Counseling Services
61
32
55
40
52
39
52
41
Is Proactive/Responsive to Situations
Current and Former Parents' Ratings of Local Public School Districts
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q4.
49
44
Provides Academic Supports Outside
the Classroom
Excellent/Good Fair/Poor
(Percentage of Current and Former School Parents, N = 544)

8. Current and former school parents are about
twice as likely to give "A" grades to their local
private schools than their local district
or charter schools.
Current School Parents Grade Their Local Schools
(Percentage of Only Current School Parents That Gave Grades)
Public District School (N = 483)
Private School (N = 437)
Public Charter School (N = 418)
Note: Volunteered "Don't Know" and "Not Applicable" responses not shown nor reflected in this chart.
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q15.
A B C D F
18 32 28 14 7
19 42 26 9 5
37 38 18 5 3

9. As in previous years, most Americans think
K–12 education is on the wrong track,
and uncertainty is on the rise.
The Public's Views on the Direction of K–12 Education, 2013–2017
(Percentage of All Respondents)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
20142013 2015 2016 2017
Notes: Responses within parentheses were volunteered. "DK" means "Don't Know." "Ref" means "Refusal."
Sources: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q2; EdChoice, 2016 Schooling in America Survey (conducted
April 30–May 26, 2016), Q2; Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, Schooling in America Survey, 2013–2015.
Wrong Track (DK/Ref)Right Direction
12
8 8
14
27
55
62
24
60
3233
58
26
62
18

10. Yet most parents expressed satisfaction with the
schools their children have attended.
Parents' Satisfaction with Schools
(Percentages of Current and Former School Parents who have enrolled a child in a given school type)
Public District School (N = 485)
Private School (N = 122)
Public Charter School (N = 59)
73
Home School (N = 47)
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q6, Q8, Q10, and Q12.
93
75
90

11. Clearly, we could be doing a better job at
helping families access the different educational
opportunities they say they prefer.
Parents' Schooling Preferences by School Type
(Percentage of Current and Former School Parents, N = 544)
Current/Former School Parents
(Composite A/B)
Actual Enrollments
Q16-Split A. If it were your decision and you could select any type of school, what type of school would you select in order to
obtain the best education for your child?
Q16-Split B. If it were your decision and you could select any type of school, and financial costs and transportation were of no
concern, what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?
Notes: The percentages in this chart reflect a composite that averages split samples' responses to two slightly different versions of this question (16A/B). Responses
within parentheses were volunteered: "DK" means "Don't Know." "Ref" means "Refusal." For enrollment data sources, see National K–12 Profile and Context on p. 9.
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q16A and Q16B.
Public District School Public Charter School Private School Home School (DK/Ref)
33 15 42 7 3
83 4 10 3

12. We know that many Americans support school
choice opportunities, but just as many are unsure
until they learn more.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
VouchersESAs Charter Schools
Initial Support or Uncertainty with School Choice Policies
Support with No Information Don’t Know/Didn’t Answer
43%45% 39%37%
26%
50%
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q18, Q20, and Q22.

13. The good news: Americans’ support for educational
choice options increases dramatically
when you inform them.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
VouchersESAs Public Charter Schools
Change in Support for School Choice Policies
Baseline With Information
71%
45%
62%
37%
61%
50%
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q18, Q19, Q20, Q21, Q22, and Q23.

14. Either way, opposition to school choice
policies is weak.
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
VouchersESAs Charter Schools
Change in Opposition to School Choice Policies
Baseline With Information
19%
12%
31%
24% 29%24%
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q18, Q19, Q20, Q21, Q22, and Q23.

15. Curiously, only one in 10 Americans know
roughly how much we spend per student
on K–12 education today.
The Public's Awareness of K–12 Education Funding, 2013–2017
(Percentage of All Respondents)
All Respondents
Notes: Responses within parentheses were volunteered. "DK" means "Don't Know." "Ref" means "Refusal".
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q13.
Less Than $4,000 $4,001–$8,000 $8,001–$12,000 $12,001–$16,000 Over $16,000 (DK/Ref)
31 14 4 11 2911

16. When informed that we spend $11,392 per
student on average, Americans change their
opinions about whether that’s enough.
How Information Affects Americans' Views on K–12 Education Funding
(Percentage of Split-Sample Responses)
Split A/Without Information (N = 500)
Split B/With Information (N = 500)
Q14-Split A. Do you believe that public school funding in the United States is at a level that is:
Q14-Split B. According to the most recent information available, on average $11,392 is being spent per year on each student
attending public schools in the United States. Do you believe that public school funding in our country is at a level that is:
Notes: Responses within parentheses were volunteered. "DK" means "Don't Know." "Ref" means "Refusal".
Source: EdChoice, 2017 Schooling in America Survey (conducted August 18–September 2, 2017), Q14A and Q14B.
Too High About Right Too Low (DK/Ref)
11 5428 7
19 3832 11

17. At the time we conducted interviews in August and
September 2017, only 10 percent of Americans
said they could trust the federal government to do
what is right “always or most of the time.”
CIRCLE OF TRUST

18. Just 3 percent of Americans said
education should be a top priority
issue for the federal government…

19. …yet at least six out of 10 respondents said it
should play a major role in:
• providing funding so students in U.S. military families
can access a quality education (72%),
• providing funding so students with disabilities can
access a quality education (68%),
• ensuring students' civil rights are protected (66%),
• providing funding so all students can access a quality
education (64%),
• providing funding so low-income students can access a
quality education (61%) and
• providing funding to local and state education
agencies (60%).

20. This year, by way of oversampling, we
interviewed more small town and rural
residents. Here’s what we found.

21. Small town and rural residents are more than
twice as likely to say that K–12 education
is on the wrong track.
Where Small Town/Rural Americans Think K–12 Education is Headed
Wrong Track Right Direction
58%
24%
Source: Paul DiPerna, Michael Shaw, and Andrew D. Catt (2017), 2017 Schooling in America Survey: Public Opinion on K–12 Education, Parent Experiences,
School Choice, and the Role of the Federal Government (Polling Paper 31), retrieved from EdChoice website: www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017

22. Yet they report they are fairly satisfied with
their current schools.
Proportion of Small Town/Rural Families that Are Satisfied with their Current Schools
Source: Paul DiPerna, Michael Shaw, and Andrew D. Catt (2017), 2017 Schooling in America Survey: Public Opinion on K–12 Education, Parent Experiences,
School Choice, and the Role of the Federal Government (Polling Paper 31), retrieved from EdChoice website: www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017
Public District School (N = 255)
Private School (N = 44)
Public Charter School (N = 27) 58%
Home School (N = 34)
90%
67%
89%

23. That said, many still would prefer alternatives to
their district schools—homeschooling especially.
Reported Small Town/Rural
Schooling Experiences
28% 14% 35% 15%
Small Town/Rural Preferences
(Composite A/B)
90% 10% 16% 12%
Source: Paul DiPerna, Michael Shaw, and Andrew D. Catt (2017), 2017 Schooling in America Survey: Public Opinion on K–12 Education, Parent Experiences,
School Choice, and the Role of the Federal Government (Polling Paper 31), retrieved from EdChoice website: www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017
Public District School Public Charter School Private School Home School
Small Town/Rural Schooling Preferences vs. Actual Experiences

24. So it follows that small town and rural families’
prefer flexible education savings accounts
(ESAs), even more than vouchers or
tax-credit scholarships.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0
VouchersESAs Tax-Credit Scholarships
Residents That Favor Educational Choice Policies
Small Town/Rural Urban Suburban
72%74%
61%62% 60%
66%
60%
Source: Paul DiPerna, Michael Shaw, and Andrew D. Catt (2017), 2017 Schooling in America Survey: Public Opinion on K–12 Education, Parent Experiences,
School Choice, and the Role of the Federal Government (Polling Paper 31), retrieved from EdChoice website: www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017
61%
71%

25. Finally, very few have faith in the federal
government generally, but more are likely to
support its involvement in education.
Trust the Federal Government
All / Most / Some of the Time
Agree Federal Government Should Play
a Major Role in K–12 Education
Small Town/Rural Urban
38%
50%
Small Town/Rural Urban
42%
52%
Source: Paul DiPerna, Michael Shaw, and Andrew D. Catt (2017), 2017 Schooling in America Survey: Public Opinion on K–12 Education, Parent Experiences,
School Choice, and the Role of the Federal Government (Polling Paper 31), retrieved from EdChoice website: www.edchoice.org/NationalSurvey2017

26. For more from this report, visit
To contact the authors, email
paul@edchoice.org
WWW.EDCHOICE.ORG/NationalSurvey2017