Market Research
An independent market research company conducted a survey of a representative sample of households in Bucks and Montgomery counties on behalf of the Council for the Advancement of Public Schools in February 2006.
- A majority of survey respondents (89%) in Bucks and Montgomery counties agreed that having good public schools in their communities had a positive effect on property values.
- 72% of Bucks and Montgomery county residents graded their local public school teachers as worthy of an A+/A or B.
- 88% of survey respondents agreed that a good public school system is essential to maintaining a strong economy in the Delaware Valley.
- Of Bucks and Montgomery County residents surveyed, 90% agreed that public education is very important and must be strongly supported by the community.
- When asked about the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), 86% of survey respondents disapproved of NCLB's requirement that if any group - such as students for whom English is a second language, those in special education, etc. - in any grade fails to meet the targets for progress the entire school faces penalties.
- 86% of survey respondents said that public education will either stay the same (47%) or improve (39%) in the next three to five years.
- Of Bucks and Montgomery County survey respondents, 76% graded their local public education system as worthy of an A+/A or B. Only 32% gave the United States public education system a B or above.
- Almost all (95%) of survey respondents rated a strong academic program as either extremely important (87%) or important (8%) to a quality education. Similarly, 87% rated programs for students with special needs as either extremely important (62%) or important (25%).
- 89% of survey respondents rated classroom technology as either extremely important (54%) or important (35%) to a quality education. Similarly, 89% rated career and technical education programs as either extremely important (52%) or important (37%).
