In August 2010, National Journal—in conjunction with the foundation—conducted a study of Washington insiders to inform the ongoing national dialogue on education policy. The study looked at perceptions of education policy at the federal level, as well as levels of awareness about facts and statistics related to the state of education in four areas: teacher effectiveness, academic standards, class size, and education spending. More than 300 respondents contributed to the online survey and ten additional respondents gave in depth interviews to solicit qualitative feedback on opinions shared in the survey. Some of the key findings released September 30, 2010 include:
- Washington insiders believe strongly that good teaching is critical, but they, like most of us, don’t yet have clear answers as to what makes a great teacher and how to take that information to scale.
- Despite strong support for standards, most Washington insiders acknowledge that they don’t understand much about how they operate, or their implications for teaching, assessments, etc.
- Washington insiders, like the broader population, continue to worry about class size; they assume classes are larger than they are, and believe the myth that reducing class sizes are a key to reform.
- Washington insiders assume less is spent on public education than is, and that the federal role in funding education is much larger than it actually is.
About the Report:
Title: National Journal Education Poll Overview (30 pages, 440KB, PDF)
Prepared by: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Date Published: September 2010