Quincy, MA -- As the math and science achievement of American students continues to lag behind the international competition, business leaders, educators and President Bush in his State of the Union address are all launching major campaigns to improve math and science education in public schools. But where American leadership sees a crisis, parents and students think that on the math/science front, things are just fine, thank you.

These are some of the findings of a new national survey of parents and high school students from the nonpartisan research organization Public Agenda which found that American parents and students do not share business and government leaders' worries that flagging math and science skills are a threat to both students' and the nation's future. Public Agenda also conducted a special survey of New England parents and students for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

In the first of a series of reports, Reality Check 2006: Are American Parents and Students Ready for More Math and Science?, Public Agenda found that while, in general, New England parents support proposals to make high schools globally competitive, most (61%) also say the amount of science and math their child studies now is about right. In fact nationally, Public Agenda notes, parents' concern about math and science achievement has actually declined since the mid 1990s. In 1994, 48% of parents thought their children were not getting enough math and science compared to only 32% of parents thinking the same in 2005.

New England kids aren't too worried either. Only one quarter say lack of emphasis on science and math is a problem in their own school. And, despite widely publicized predictions about the role science and technology will play in the economy of the future, nearly five in 10 students say they would be quite unhappy if they ended up in a career with a math or science focus.

Just four in 10 New England students (37%) say having great skills with computers and technology is essential and half (50%) say that understanding science and having strong math skills are essential.
New England parents are also less likely than to say that kids need to study more math and science. When asked which comes closer to your view?:

According to Public Agenda President Ruth Wooden, Those who know most about the economy and workplace of the future realize that the U.S. public schools, especially high schools, are not imbuing students with the science and math skills that will be essential in the 21st century. But until recently, most leadership initiatives had been focused on revamping and strengthening college-level math and science degree programs. But if the demand side is weak, if 12th graders continue to rank near the bottom internationally on math and science, and if too few students and parents are interested in these offerings it will not make even a dent in the problem.

About 'Reality Check 2006'

Reality Check 2006 is a set of public opinion tracking surveys on important issues in public education. From 1998 through 2002, Public Agenda conducted an annual survey of parents, teachers, students, employers and college professors covering standards, testing and accountability. In 2005 and 2006, Public Agenda revised and updated these surveys to cover a broader range of issues, including high school reform, school leadership, teacher preparation and quality, school funding and other issues. The tracking survey will be repeated periodically as a service of Public Agenda's Education Insights initiative.

Funding for Reality Check was provided by the GE Foundation, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and The Wallace Foundation.

For the full report go to http://www.publicagenda.org/reports/reality-check-2006-issue-no-1

Methodology

The findings in Reality Check 2006: Are Parents and Students Ready for More Math and Science? are based on two focus groups with parents and telephone interviews with a national random sample of 1,379 parents of children now in public school and 1,342 public school students in grades 6 through 12. Interviews were conducted between October 30 and December 29, 2005. The margin of error for the sample of parents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points; the margin of error for the sample of students is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. It is higher when comparing percentages across subgroups.

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is New England's largest public charity dedicated exclusively to improving academic achievement for the region's underserved communities.

The Foundation provides grants and technical assistance to programs that concentrate on academic enrichment, college planning, advising, preparation and retention support for low-income, under-served students in grades 5 through 14, and adult learners. It also sponsors research projects and conferences that examine critical issues in education.

Public Agenda is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research. Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion polls and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inform leaders about the public's views and to educate citizens about government policy.