National Survey Shows Strong Support For Common Core State Standards  

Significant increases in teacher awareness and support; voter support is steady but awareness lags   
 

June 29, 2012 - A new national poll [1] released by Achieve - Growing Awareness, Growing Support: Teacher and Voter Understanding of the Common Core State Standards & Assessments - shows teachers are increasingly knowledgeable about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) - and that they like what they see.

"The more teachers know about the Common Core State Standards, the more supportive they are of implementing the standards, including new assessments," said Sandy Boyd, Achieve's Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. "These findings demonstrate the importance of communicating with educators, especially as the task at hand moves from broad awareness of the standards to the deep understanding necessary for the CCSS to be taught in every classroom. Ongoing professional learning opportunities and support will be key."

At the same time, voter awareness of the standards remains flat with less than a quarter of voters knowing some or a lot about the standards. Just a brief description of the CCSS produces broad and deep support for the standards with 77% favoring implementation. "Voters support the implementation of the CCSS but they too will need more information about the CCSS and what it means as the standards move from being an idea to a reality in schools," said Boyd.

Major findings from the nation-wide survey include:

• There has been a significant increase in awareness of the Common Core State Standards among teachers from 68% in August 2011 to 87%, while awareness of the CCSS continues to be very low among the voting public with 79% having heard not much or nothing at all about them.
• Of teachers who have seen, read or heard about the CCSS, 68% have a favorable impression of the standards, which is up from 59% in August 2011.
• A majority of voters (77%) and teachers (72%) support implementing the CCSS with 45% of voters and 33% of teachers strongly supporting implementation.
• Voter support of CCSS remains strong regardless of age, education level, race, ethnicity, or party affiliation with every subgroup registering a 70% or better favorability rating.
• A majority of voters (74%) and teachers (64%) support CCSS assessments with 40% of voters and 25% of teachers strongly supporting them.
• Support holds when more information on the assessments and their components is provided.  Components tested were those being contemplated by the PARCC assessment consortium (www.parcconline.org [2]).
• There are mixed reactions to some specific components of the new assessments, however, voters and teachers are fairly consistent in their views on the highest and lowest rated assessment components. The highest rated assessment components were that test results are available within 1-2 weeks, the first optional test will be diagnostic, and tests would be the same across states.  The lowest rated assessment components were that required tests will be for accountability purposes, tests will be given throughout the year, and students will take all tests on the computer.  Voters' and teachers' ratings of components are at times inconsistent, such as giving high marks to test results being returned quickly, but ranking the necessary computer administration to get the quick turnaround in the bottom three.

Growing Awareness, Growing Support: Teacher and Voter Understanding of the Common Core State Standards & Assessments shows that there is broad teacher and voter support for implementation of the CCSS, including common assessments.  The results also signal the importance of robust communications efforts to build and maintain lasting support.

On behalf of Achieve, Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research completed a national survey of 1000 registered voters and 500 K-12 teachers May 6-10, 2012. The poll has a margin of error of +3.1% among voters and +4.4% among teachers.

The report and PowerPoint are at http://www.achieve.org/growingawarenessCCSS [3]. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Chad Colby (202) 419-1570, ccolby@achieve.org [4] 

ABOUT ACHIEVE

Created in 1996 by the nation's governors and corporate leaders, Achieve is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit education reform organization based in Washington D.C. that helps states raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. Achieve is leading the effort to make college and career readiness a national priority so that the transition from high school graduation to postsecondary education and careers is seamless. In 2005 Achieve launched the American Diploma Project Network, which has grown to include 35 states educating nearly 85 percent of all U.S. public school students.  Through the ADP Network, governors, state education officials, postsecondary leaders and business executives work together to improve postsecondary preparation by aligning high school standards, assessments, graduation requirements and accountability systems with the demands of college and careers. In addition, Achieve partnered with NGA and CCSSO on the Common Core State Standards Initiative; was selected by the states to manage the PARCC assessment consortium  creating tests in math and English aligned to the CCSS and is managing the development of the Next Generation Science Standards. For more information about the work of Achieve, visit www.achieve.org [5]