PHOENIX, ARIZONA (ANS) -- Results from a recently released study show the vast majority of Americans have significant doubts about the quality of a public school education, and believe other options generally are better for children.

The findings are from a study independently designed, funded, and conducted by Arizona-based Ellison Research among a representative sample of over 1,000 American adults. Ellison Research is a marketing research firm.

According to a news release from Ellison Research, the study asked Americans to rate the overall quality of education students get from public schools, home schooling, charter schools, and three types of private schools: non-religious, Catholic, and Christian (non-Catholic), and then to decide which option is the best for students in a number of different ways.

Just 6 percent of all Americans rate the quality of education students receive through public schools as excellent. On a five-point scale (1 = poor and 5 = excellent), the average rating a public school education gets is just 3.0. In fact, Americans are about as likely to have a negative impression of public school education (28 percent) as they are to have a positive impression (31 percent).

The average rating for home schooling quality of education is 3.14, with 11 percent calling it excellent, 37 percent having a positive impression of it, and 25 percent a negative impression.

Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, said in a news release that the study helped explode a few myths about home schooling. “Although we weren't particularly focusing on home schooling, this research did show just how far home schooling has come in the public eye, as well as how far it still has to go.”

Sellers added, “On the negative side for home schooling, this option was consistently at or near the bottom when compared against other educational options. But on the positive side, more Americans believe it's giving children a good education than a poor one. In addition, home schooling actually has a slightly better reputation than public schools. And even though home schooling is often stereotyped as primarily a choice of religious conservatives, the unchurched gave the quality of a home school education a higher overall rating than a public school education, and political liberals rated the two about equally.”

Sellers also pointed out in the news release that religious schools are generally held in high regard even among people who are not particularly religious, or from a different religious background.

He said, “Protestants in general, and evangelicals specifically, give Catholic schools high ratings. Catholics largely view Christian (non-Catholic) schools in a very positive light. And even people who aren't involved in a church of any type rate the quality of education at religious schools very highly.”

Sellers said in the news release that the study's findings may be disconcerting to many educators.

He said, “Undoubtedly, different types of educators generally feel their way of doing things is the best, and many will be less than thrilled to learn that Americans don't necessarily share their feelings. However, it's critical that they think about why this is, rather than just being unhappy with these perceptions.”

For example, Sellers said, “Charter school educators need to consider why their own rankings don't come remotely close to those of private non-religious schools, even though they share some similarities. Home schoolers should think about why home schooling still isn't accepted by many people. Public school educators need to think about why eight out of ten Americans think other options provide a better education for the nation's children. Religious educators need to consider why Americans often think public schools do a better job preparing kids for life after graduation, even though they think the quality of education, and the ability to teach morals, values, and citizenship, are both much lower in public schools than in religious schools.”

Sellers said, “ Hopefully, this study will give educators of all types – as well as parents making decisions about their children's education – plenty to think about.”

The Ellison study showed that the average rating for charter schools is 3.41, with 10 percent calling the quality of education excellent. Overall, 43 percent have positive impressions of the education at charter schools, with only 10 percent having a negative impression.

Private Christian (non-Catholic) schools are rated at 3.69, with 22 percent saying the education is excellent, six out of ten giving these schools a positive rating, and just 9 percent rating them negatively. Very similar are the ratings for private Catholic schools (average of 3.74, 22 percent excellent, 62 percent positive overall, and 8 percent negative).

At the top of the ratings are private non-religious schools, with an average rating of 3.86. Twenty-three percent call these schools excellent, and 69 percent are positive toward the quality of education in them overall. Just 5 percent feel negatively toward the quality of education at private non-religious schools.

Ratings of different educational options vary more by religious and political perspectives than by demographics such as age, education, or gender. In fact, throughout this study, there are very few differences in perception between people who currently have children under the age of 18 in their household, and those who don’t.

Political liberals, moderates, and conservatives all feel about the same regarding charter schools, private non-religious schools, and public schools. However, on home schooling, conservatives are twice as likely to be positive as negative (44 percent to 22 percent), moderates are somewhat more likely to be positive than negative (34 percent to 25 percent), and liberals are divided (30 percent positive, 30 percent negative). Liberals are also more likely than others to be negative toward the quality of a Catholic school education (15 percent, compared to 6 percent of moderates and 5 percent of conservatives).

But the biggest difference, Ellison Research asked, is in how people of different political perspectives rate the quality of education at private Christian schools. Among conservatives, 70 percent have a positive view of the quality, while only 5 percent have a negative view. Moderates are similar – 62 percent positive, 6 percent negative. Liberals are more likely to be positive than negative, but the gap is much smaller: 43 percent positive, 18 percent negative.

Overall, conservatives rate all three private school options about equally high on the scale, followed by home schooling and charter schools, with public schools distantly last. Liberals clearly put private non-religious schools at the top of the heap, followed by Catholic schools, then charter and private Christian (non-Catholic) equally rated, with home schooling and public schools equally tied at the very bottom.

Ellison Research said that religiously speaking, it’s no surprise that each group thinks very highly of “its own” type of education. Among practicing Catholics, 82 percent rate the quality of a Catholic school education highly, with only 1 percent saying the quality is not good. But 58 percent of Catholics still think highly of the quality of education from non-Catholic Christian schools.

Among people who attend a Protestant church, 72 percent give a positive rating to the education at Christian (non-Catholic) schools, but this rating is equal to the rating for private non-religious schools, and just a little above that given to Catholic schools (63 percent).

The study showed that evangelicals are the religious group most likely to give a high rating to the quality of education at Christian (non-Catholic) schools (85 percent), although they also rate private non-religious schools (78 percent) and Catholic schools (58 percent) highly. Evangelicals are also very likely to give a high quality rating to home schooling (55 percent), and their ratings of public school education are among the lowest in the study (only 23 percent positive, with 35 percent negative).

Even among people who do not attend religious worship services at all, religious schools are rated highly for quality of education. Among the unchurched, the most likely to get a positive rating are private non-religious schools (69 percent), followed by Catholic and Christian (non-Catholic) schools (58 percent and 51 percent, respectively). Religious schools are much more likely to be seen by the unchurched as providing a good education than are charter schools (42 percent), home schooling (34 percent), or public schools (30 percent).

Ellison Research said where the religious schools really shine, according to Americans, is in providing a strong foundation of morals, values, and citizenship. Thirty-eight percent said the best option for this is Christian (non-Catholic) schools (38 percent), followed by Catholic (26 percent), public (12 percent), private non-religious (11 percent), home schooling (10 percent), and charter schools (3 percent).

Where public schools have a decided advantage is in extracurricular activities, such as cheerleading, sports, band, and drama. Seventy-three percent of Americans say public schools provide the best opportunities in this area, with only private non-religious schools also reaching double digits (11 percent).

According to the study, although only two out of ten Americans believe public schools offer the best quality of education, twice as many (42 percent) believe public schools are the most likely to prepare students for life after graduation. Second are private non-religious schools (22 percent), followed by Christian (12 percent), Catholic (10 percent), charter (7 percent), and home schooling (6 percent).

STUDY DETAILS

The study was conducted by Ellison Research, a marketing research company located in Phoenix, Arizona. The sample of 1,007 adults is accurate to within ±3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level with a 50 percent response distribution.

The study was conducted in all 50 states. Respondents’ age, household income, geography, racial or ethnic background, and gender were carefully tracked to ensure appropriate representation and accuracy.

More complete data from these questions, along with audio commentary files, is available at www.ellisonresearch.com/releases/20080424.htm. 

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "The Face of Homelessness." Additional details are available at http://www.HomelessBook.com He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at jeremyreynalds@comcast.net. Tel: (505) 400-7145. Note: A higher resolution JPEG picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com.