Center for American Progress
Common Core Survey of Parents
Prepared by Purple Strategies
September 2014
Methodology:
• Purple Insights completed 827 interviews with parent* voters nationwide
• 480 landline phone interviews
• 160 cell interviews
• 187 online
• Interviews were conducted from September 17-22, 2014.
• Margin of error: +/- 3.4%
*Parents includes parents, stepparents, foster parents, and legal guardians of
children under the age of 18.
Not all numbers may add up to 100% due to computer rounding.
Most parents who have heard something about the Common
Core claim to understand the standards well
How much have you heard about the
Common Core?
28
A great deal
Net Don’t
Understand
64
35
46
15
18
Not at all
Net
Understand
28
Some
Not too much
How well would you say you understand the
Common Core? Among parents who have heard
“not too much” or more about the Common Core
26
22
12
I understand it I understand it
I don’t
I don’t
very well
somewhat well understand it understand it at
that well
all
Yet parents believe many Common Core myths
Based on what you know or have heard about the Common Core, please tell me whether you think that is a true or
false statement about the Common Core, or if you aren’t sure.
True
Will result in a shared curriculum and…
SPLIT B: A federal government initiative
Limits teacher independence/flexibility…
Will lead to more teacher testing and…
Requires more school testing
50
5
49
45
40
40
11
49
40
12
48
Disadvantaged students will be further…
35
Specifies a reading list for each grade
33
Adopted by politicians in Washington…
33
Mandatory for all states
43
15
36
Displaces classic books and replaces…
Don’t Know
45
8
Teachers were not involved enough in…
SPLIT A: An Obama Administration…
False
15
48
19
46
9
57
17
25
50
20
16
16
55
27
58
35
49
All Common Core characteristics and goals enjoy
widespread support
I’m going to read you some things people have proposed to improve public school education standards and evaluation.
After each, please tell me whether you favor or oppose that proposal. Showing Net Favor (Strongly + Somewhat)
Provide teachers and schools flexibility to develop a
curriculum that works in the classroom
69% Strongly Favor
91
Develop standards with the input of teachers and educators,
and not the federal government
70%
90
Reform testing so it provides clear feedback to teachers and
parents on student strengths and weaknesses
70%
90
Develop standards based on conceptual understanding, skills,
and problem-solving, rather than memorization
59%
Raise national standards so the U.S. can be more competitive
with other countries
59%
84
Make education standards more rigorous to prepare kids for
college and jobs of the future
52%
84
Create voluntary national education standards establishing
shared goals and expectations for students across states
41%
Reduce the number of standardized tests students take in
schools
43%
Reform testing so it includes more essays and fewer multiplechoice tests
30%
88
74
68
61
Local schools fare better than schools
nationwide
Overall, how would you grade K-12 public schools in the United States as a whole –
would you grade them an A, B, C, D, or F?
A
4%
B
27%
C
46%
31% A or B
D
11%
F
6%
DK
6%
63% C or below
On the same scale, how would you grade public schools in your own community?
A
20%
B
38%
58% A or B
C
25%
D
F
11% 5%
41% C or below
DK
2%
Local messengers trump national ones
How trustworthy would you find each of the following people, organizations, or groups on the issue of public education in
the United States? Showing Very + Somewhat Trustworthy
Public school teachers
88
40% Very Trustworthy
Public school principals
32%
Your local PTA
36%
Your local school board
23%
Teachers’ unions
17%
Your Member of Congress
11%
The Democratic Party
13%
The Republican Party
9%
Barack Obama
18%
The Tea Party
9%
82
78
71
55
53
52
51
48
36