MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Preparing Students for College and Careers

Posted by on March 20, 2011

College- and career-readiness are paramount

According to the 27th annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, a majority of teachers, parents, and Fortune 1000 executives believe readying all students for college and careers is of the highest priority, though not everyone prioritizes in the same way. Parents (73 percent) are most likely to say the goal “must be accomplished as one of the highest priorities in education,” in contrast to about half of teachers (54 percent) and executives (48 percent). The survey also examines the attitudes toward common education reform proposals, including potential elements of the reauthorization of the ESEA. These include measuring teacher effectiveness, increasing the ability of schools to remove teachers not serving students well, the redesign of the school day and calendar, the expansion of public school choice, and strengthening assistance for diverse learners. Stakeholders also differ widely on which proposals should take precedence over others, given limited resources. Parents (75 percent) and executives (83 percent) place the strongest emphasis on “giving schools more ability to remove teachers who are not serving students well.” Teachers are most likely to rate “strengthening programs and resources to help diverse learners with the highest needs meet college- and career-ready standards” as a top priority, 59 percent. Additional views from secondary school teachers on how to best address the needs of students with diverse learning issues will be addressed in Part 2 of the survey, which will be released on March 23.

See the survey: http://tinyurl.com/yeygrcw