Proceed With Caution: Using Polling Data in Education Reporting
On Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. EDT, I’ll be chatting live with Bill Bushaw, executive director of Phi Delta Kappa, about the new Gallup poll findings. You can use this link to ask questions in advance of the conversation.
The annual PDK/Gallup education poll comes out Wednesday, and policymakers, analysts and pundits will be busy parsing the findings on perceptions of the nation’s public schools – from campus safety to high-stakes testing to the new Common Core State Standards.
We can also expect comparisons to be made to the recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, which covered some similar territory. You can read the AP’s story on the findings, including the conclusion that the surveyed parents were in favor of high-stakes testing, here.
However, it’s important to remember that polls are snapshots, not definitive
The annual PDK/Gallup education poll comes out Wednesday, and policymakers, analysts and pundits will be busy parsing the findings on perceptions of the nation’s public schools – from campus safety to high-stakes testing to the new Common Core State Standards.
We can also expect comparisons to be made to the recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, which covered some similar territory. You can read the AP’s story on the findings, including the conclusion that the surveyed parents were in favor of high-stakes testing, here.
However, it’s important to remember that polls are snapshots, not definitive