In the first of a series of annual "Reality Check" reports on the state of the standards movement, Public Agenda conducted a nationwide survey of people involved with the public schools in association with Education Week and with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Setting tougher standards for schools and higher expectations for students has become a major theme of education reform in the U.S., and nearly every state has made at least some effort to upgrade academic standards.

To find out how standards are perceived and implemented, Public Agenda asked 700 public school teachers, 700 parents, 700 middle- and high-school students, as well as 250 employers and 250 college professors to evaluate their local schools. We found:

	Every group surveyed said there are visible efforts to raise standards in their communities.
	Teachers, parents and students report positive results in many areas – communications, emphasis on academics and advanced placement work.
	Most teachers say they feel little or no pressure to promote unqualified youngsters.
	But four in ten teachers have not changed their methods in response to new standards and half still grade students based on effort rather than skills.
	Students report that most classmates only do the bare minimum to get by and fewer than half say a majority of their teachers are tough graders.
	Employers and professors are far more skeptical than teachers, parents and students about the value of a high school diploma.
	Employers and professors report recent graduates lack the basic academic skills needed for success at work or in college, although they rate graduates more highly on people skills.
	Teachers in urban areas are more critical of their schools.
	Most parents do not know how their child's skills compare with those of children in other cities, states or countries.
	All parties – teachers, students, parents, employers, and professors – give schools good marks on the use of computers.

For additional information about Public Agenda and the Reality Check project, read our press release.