Idaho mirrors the nation on school choice perceptions: 70% of parents say they feel they have a choice in where to send their child to school, according to the State of Educational Opportunity in America survey released this month.
The survey, conducted by Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group 50CAN, polled just over 23,000 parents and guardians nationwide on topics including school quality and opportunity, tutoring, mental health, extracurricular activities, and college and career readiness.
Of the 425 Idaho families surveyed, 48% are very satisfied with their child’s school, slightly above the national average of 47%.
That satisfaction increased 9% in Idaho over last year’s survey.
Idaho trails the national average in tutoring participation, with 15% enrolled compared to 24% nationwide.
Idaho parents also fall behind the national average in areas of school engagement.
- 22% reviewed their school’s performance (26% national average)
- 22% felt they were very familiar with how budget decisions are made (22% nationwide)
- 17% attended parent organization meetings (26% nationwide)
The report looks at a variety of education issues that face Idaho families, Bluum, a nonprofit that supports Idaho charter schools, said in a news release. For the second year in a row, Bluum helped share the survey with Idaho parents.
“The report provides one of the most comprehensive looks at educational opportunity in America, measuring not just school satisfaction but also tutoring access, summer programs, extracurricular participation, parent engagement, and college and career readiness,” a news release from Bluum reads.
Surveyed Idaho parents support additional programs:
- 86% favor free tutoring for students performing below grade level
- 80% favor free summer programs
They also support a variety of school choice programs:
- 77% favor open enrollment
- 77% favor education savings accounts
- 69% favor school vouchers
Disclosure: Bluum and Idaho Education News are both funded by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. The foundation does not take part in EdNews’ editorial decisions or content.
