Evolving Trends in Public Opinion on the Quality of Local Schools

Abstract

The ratings given by citizens to local public schools in the United States have been rising in the last decades. Using national public opinion surveys, this study seeks to understand the determinants of public evaluations of local schools across time. Aggregate trend analyses indicate that public evaluations of local schools are influenced not only by measures of educational performance but also by presidential discourse. Individual-level analyses suggest that minorities and individuals with children may have given higher evaluations in recent years. The evidence suggests that citizens in general have moved away from more negative assessments of their local public schools, possibly as a result of perceived and real educational advances.