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Statewide Survey Reveals Opinions of NJ Residents on Topic of Public Involvement in Education

Statewide Survey Reveals Opinions of NJ Residents on Topic of Public Involvement in Education

Published 02-26-03

Submitted by New Jersey United for Higher School Standards

Newark, NJ – A coalition of more than 120 New Jersey-based education stakeholder organizations today released the results of a survey entitled Building Strong Bridges—A Report on Public Engagement in New Jersey Education. The research report, commissioned by New Jersey United for Higher School Standards, sheds new light on the issue of involvement in education from the perspective of the parent, teacher and non-parent.

New Jersey United Co-Chairs Arthur F. Ryan, chairman and CEO, Prudential Financial, Inc.; Retired General Alfred Cade, former chairman, New Jersey Commission on Higher Education; and Edwina Lee, executive director, New Jersey School Boards Association, were on hand to present the results of this survey at their annual public meeting at Prudential’s headquarters in Newark. Members of the New Jersey Parent Teacher Association (NJPTA), State of New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) and many other education associations were also in attendance.

Points of interest revealed by the telephone survey of 600 New Jersey residents include (research methodology available upon request):

- Most (86%) of New Jersey residents agree (strongly agree or agree) that schools are doing a good job educating children. However, suburban residents are twice as likely to agree "strongly" that schools are doing a good job (43%) as compared to urban residents (21%).

- Urban parents are more than twice as likely (44%) than are suburban parents (20%) to feel unwelcome in their children’s schools.

- More than seven out of 10 parents and eight out of 10 teachers surveyed believe that children with uninvolved parents are shortchanged.

- Parents who are involved are significantly more likely to feel that schools are doing a good job (57%) than uninvolved parents (20%). Involved parents are also more likely to feel that their child is doing well in school (60%) than uninvolved parents (39%).

- A gap exists between the types of activities that parents and the community are very comfortable with doing in the schools and what teachers are very comfortable having parents and the community involved in. For example, 68% of teachers surveyed were “very comfortable” with having parents and community members run for school board, while only 15% of parents and community members felt very comfortable with this activity.

- More than seven in 10 parents feel that they are asked to do menial tasks when they volunteer in their child’s school. The same number of parents also indicated that they would like a more significant role in helping their child’s school achieve its goals.

“New Jersey United recognizes the importance of involving parents, educators and community members in New Jersey’s education system,” said New Jersey United Co-Chair Arthur Ryan, chairman and CEO, Prudential Financial. “The data uncovered in Building Strong Bridges—A Report on Public Engagement in New Jersey Education can help concerned parties to understand the challenges surrounding public engagement in our schools.”

New Jersey United was created to provide a forum for open discussion of New Jersey’s standards-based public education system, Core Curriculum Content Standards and assessment program. To accomplish this, the statewide nonprofit has been hosting community meetings throughout New Jersey. The themes and issues uncovered in New Jersey United’s community meetings provided the basis for the questions asked in Building Strong Bridges—A Report on Public Engagement in New Jersey Education.

“The intent of this research is to help answer the question asked so often at PTA, Home/School Nights and school board meetings: Where is everyone?” said New Jersey United Executive Director Mary O’Malley. “Our hope is that public engagement groups can use this objective information to understand the intentions and aspirations of their constituents.”

New Jersey United also announced the complete redesign of its Web site, www.newjerseyunited.org. The newly enhanced capabilities of the Web site include the ability to search for statewide education organizations and resources by keyword, access New Jersey United’s written resource materials and research documents, read daily education newsfeeds, obtain information on the organization’s upcoming events, and more.

Since its inception, New Jersey United’s membership has grown from 57 to 122 member organizations representing a wide variety of interests and opinions. New Jersey United has testified at the New Jersey State Senate Education Committee hearing on the ESPA and the GEPA and has assumed a leadership role in the Core Curriculum Content Standards review process, participating in the Standards Revision Advisory Committee and on all Standards Revision Content Committees.

New Jersey United, formed in 1999, intends to educate parents on New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards and the assessment system, provide information on the tools that can help all children reach higher standards, and build a broad constituency in support of the continuous improvement of public education. In addition, New Jersey United acts as an advocate for the policies, resources, and programs necessary to provide a world-class, standards-based education for all New Jersey children. For more information, visit www.newjerseyunited.org.

New Jersey United for Higher School Standards

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