S tat e o f A m e r i c a’ s

Schools
T h e Pat h T o W i n n i n g A g a i n i n E d u c at i o n
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2 
About this
report
The State of America’s Schools: The Path to
Winning Again in Education report highlights
findings from Gallup’s research in education. Citing
data from numerous sources — from the largest
annual survey of fifth- to 12th-graders in the U.S., to
Gallup’s decades-long study of exceptional teachers
and principals — the report contains a wealth of
knowledge. This information can help educators
prepare all students to learn by elevating their
sense of hope for the future and increasing their
emotional investment in the education process.
The report provides anyone concerned about the
future of America’s schools with insights about what
leaders can do to improve engagement and student
achievement in their schools.

A B OUT THI S RE P ORT 1

 From Gallup’s Vice
Chair of Education

Providing every child in the U.S. with a high-quality

education is more important than ever as the global
competition for good jobs increases. From Gallup’s State of
the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S.
Business Leaders report released in 2013, we know that we need
more engaged, talented workers in this country. The state and
fate of the American workplace ultimately depend on what
our schools produce. Young Americans’ ability to find good
jobs drives economic activity and helps determine their quality
of life. Long-term unemployment shreds an individual’s
emotional well-being and sense of self-worth.

This report on the state of American schools highlights the

need to give the U.S. a sustainable economic advantage by
helping young people find jobs that make the most of their strengths. We need
ways to tap the human talent and energy that exist in every corner of our society.

Right now, our schools are not set up to match students’ talents with college and
career paths they find fulfilling and on which they excel. The current focus on
standardized testing assumes that all students should have a similar educational
experience. We leave little time for students to figure out what they love to do
and where their greatest talents lie. We waste time and talent.

But talented, engaged teachers and principals can guide students to brighter
futures. Gallup’s decades of research on teacher talent reveal that the best
educators cultivate their students’ strengths, learn about their hopes and dreams,
and constantly let them know that educational goals will help them achieve those
aspirations. Dr. Don Clifton, former Gallup chairman, brought this mission to

2 FROM GA L L U P ’ S V ICE CHAIR OF EDUCATION

Gallup when the company began to identify teacher talent in the early 1970s:
“Our greatest contribution is to be sure there is a teacher in every classroom
who cares that every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real
human being.”

Excellent teachers, supported by gifted and visionary school leaders, keep

students engaged in the learning process and hopeful about their own
futures — two of the crucial outcomes the Gallup Student Poll measures.
More than 600,000 students took this brief, simple survey in 2013. One of the
key findings is that students who strongly agreed that their school is committed
to building students’ strengths and that they have a teacher who makes them
excited about the future are almost 30 times as likely to be engaged learners as
their peers who strongly disagreed with both statements.

What if schools prioritized these principles of talent exploration and engagement

in the learning process?

An education that makes students hopeful and prepared to find or create good
jobs isn’t just important to America’s future — it should be a fundamental right
of every student in the country.

Connie Rath, Ed.D.

Vice Chair, Gallup Education

Connie Rath, Ed.D., is Vice Chair of Gallup Education. Dr. Rath leads Gallup’s
Education Practice, which serves school districts, states, and institutions of higher
education. Under her leadership, Gallup helps K-12 school districts to facilitate student
success through selection, strengths development, and measurement. Prior to assuming
her current role, Dr. Rath managed Gallup’s selection and development services and led
Gallup’s human resources efforts for 20 years. She received her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her doctorate in education and
leadership from the University of Southern California.

FROM GA L L U P ’ S V ICE CHAIR OF EDUCATION 3

 6 Executive Summary
Gallup’s research on student achievement demonstrates the importance of “human”
elements such as self-discovery and emotional engagement in the learning process. Failing
to focus on these fundamental aspects of human nature will leave U.S. schools struggling to
help students achieve their full potential.

10 Introduction
Americans have lost faith that increasing testing is helping their local schools. It’s time for a
new approach to improving student achievement.

12 2013 Gallup Student Poll: One in Three Participants Are

“Success-Ready”
Just 33% of the more than 600,000 students who participated in the 2013 Gallup Student
Poll scored highly on all three factors linked to success at school and beyond: hope,
engagement, and well-being.

16 Emotional Engagement: The Heartbeat of the

Education Process
Gallup studies have revealed a powerful link between students’ levels of engagement with
the learning process and their academic achievement.

20 Want to Help Students Race to the Top? Teach Them to

Start With Their Strengths
Less than half of students strongly agree that they get to do what they do best every day,
leading to boredom and frustration as their greatest talents go undeveloped.

22 U.S. Schools Must Attract and Retain — Rather Than

Hinder — Teacher Talent
Within the first five years on the job, between 40% and 50% of teachers leave the
profession. A lack of autonomy needed to effectively use their talents plays a significant role
in teacher turnover rates.

4 
26 Nearly 70% of K-12 Teachers Are Not Engaged in Their Work
Teachers compare favorably to other U.S. workers in agreeing that they are able to do what
they do best every day — but they are last among 12 occupational groups studied when it
comes to feeling their opinions count at work.

30 Many Americans Doubt High School Graduates Are

Prepared for College or Work
Just 29% of Americans agree that the country’s high school graduates are ready for college,
and 17% say graduates are prepared to join the labor force.

33 Great Principals Foster Engagement Among Teachers,

Students, and Parents
Just as exceptional teachers help students stay emotionally invested in the learning process,
great principals provide the support that teachers and other staff members need to achieve
high levels of performance.

36 Beyond the Principal: U.S. Education System Needs

Visionary Leaders
Many U.S. school districts struggle with a lack of adequate school board leadership; 37% of
superintendents strongly agree that their districts are well-governed at the board level.

39 Building a Workforce for the 21st Century

Young adults who say they had frequent opportunities in their last year of school to develop
real-world problem-solving skills are about twice as likely as those who disagree to report
higher-quality work lives.

42 A Bill of Rights for All Students in America’s Schools

Securing three simple rights for students can change the trajectory of their lives.

 5
 STATE OF AMERICA’s Schools
Th e Path To Wi n n i n g Agai n i n E d u cati o n

Executive Summary

Thirty years after the publication of A Nation at Risk, the landmark report that concluded the country’s
schools were failing and touched off a series of massive reform efforts, fears that the U.S. education
system is outdated remain widespread. A 2013 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll found that fewer than three
in 10 Americans feel high school graduates are prepared for college, and that fewer than two in 10 say
graduates are ready to enter the labor force.

Recent years have seen growing concern among U.S. employers that schools in America are not
adequately equipping students with “21st-century skills” — real-world problem-solving, critical thinking,
and skilled communication. Gallup’s 2013 research with Microsoft Partners in Learning and the Pearson
Foundation supports the importance of developing such skills in school, as young adults who say they
had opportunities to develop such skills report higher-quality work lives.

This report presents results from Gallup’s research on the conditions that lead to high-quality learning
environments and promote student achievement. It features several data sources, including results from
the 2013 Gallup Student Poll, administered to more than 600,000 students in grades 5 through 12, as
well as larger-scale studies on the central role of emotional engagement in the learning process.

Through decades of research on the characteristics of high-performing teachers, principals, and schools,
Gallup has gained unparalleled expertise on the “human” elements — including a focus on strengths
development and engagement in the classroom — that drive student success. These elements are often
overlooked in the effort to “fix” America’s education system, but there is growing recognition that unless
U.S. schools can better align learning strategies and objectives with fundamental aspects of human
nature, they will always struggle to help students achieve their full potential.

6 
 STATE OF AMERICA’s Schools
Th e Path To Wi n n i n g Agai n i n E d u cati o n

Some of Gallup’s most important findings include:

Among more than 600,000 Gallup Student Poll Hope and engagement predict students’
participants in 2013, one-third were found to academic achievement.
be “success-ready.”
•• A 2010 Gallup study of 148 schools in a large urban
•• In 2013, 33% of the students in grades 5 through school district found that students’ average levels of
12 who took the Gallup Student Poll (GSP) were hope and engagement were significant predictors of
classified as “success-ready.” These students scored academic achievement.
highly on all three dimensions that the assessment
measures: hope, engagement, and well-being. •• In 2009, Gallup conducted an in-depth study of
more than 78,000 students in 160 schools across
•• The GSP’s hope dimension addresses students’ belief eight states and found that a one-percentage-point
that they can — and will — succeed at school and increase in a school’s average student engagement
beyond, making them more likely to bring positive score was associated with a six-point increase in
energy and creativity to the learning process. The reading achievement and an eight-point increase in
2013 results found that 54% of students surveyed math achievement.
are hopeful, while 32% are “stuck” and 14% feel
discouraged about the future.

•• Students’ emotional engagement at school is the

noncognitive measure most directly related to academic
achievement. The 2013 GSP results indicated that
55% of students are engaged in the learning process,
while 28% are “not engaged” — i.e., mentally
checked out — and 17% are “actively disengaged,”
feeling negatively about school and likely to spread
that negativity.

•• The GSP’s well-being questions gauge how students

evaluate their lives and the extent to which they report
positive daily experiences. The 2013 GSP found that
66% of participants fall into the highest well-being
category, “thriving,” while 32% are “struggling” and
2% are “suffering.”

 7
 STATE OF AMERICA’s Schools
Th e Path To Wi n n i n g Agai n i n E d u cati o n

Student engagement Schools must improve their Talented principals are

is strongly related to ability to attract and engage crucial to building engaging
strengths development and talented teachers. learning environments.
teacher performance.
•• Gallup has studied the •• A 2012 Gallup study involving
•• The 2013 GSP found that characteristics of exceptional principals who had taken
participants who strongly agree teachers for four decades. Gallup’s PrincipalInsight, a
with these two statements These teachers’ most consistent talent assessment based on
are 30 times as likely to be common attributes include: years of studying outstanding
engaged at school as those who 1) having a strong achievement principals, found that schools
strongly disagree: drive; 2) balancing classroom that hired principals with high
structure and planning; and PrincipalInsight scores had
1. “My school is committed
3) building strong relationships teachers who were 2.6 times
to building the strengths of
with students and parents. more likely to have above-average
each student.”
teacher engagement scores.
•• Retaining great teachers means
2. “I have at least one teacher
ensuring they have a voice •• The engagement item most
who makes me excited about
in school-level decisions that clearly related to principal talent
the future.”
affect them, and that they is “In the last seven days, I have
•• A 2009 Gallup study also found are not subject to unrealistic received recognition or praise for
that teachers’ engagement levels expectations. Gallup’s 2012 doing good work.”
are directly related to those of Daily tracking research found
•• Gallup’s research on highly
their students — and thereby to that K-12 teachers are the least
effective principals has identified
student achievement outcomes. likely among 12 occupational
a set of common attributes:
groups studied to agree that,
1) a strong determination to
“At work, my opinions seem to
overcome adversity in achieving
count.” Further, 46% of K-12
performance outcomes; 2) an
teachers report high daily stress.
ability to maintain order and
•• Less than one-third of K-12 accountability in their schools;
teachers (31%) are engaged in and 3) a talent for building great
their jobs. Teachers’ average relationships with teachers,
engagement level drops students and parents.
significantly in their first few
years on the job, a likely factor
in low retention rates among
new teachers.

8 
 STATE OF AMERICA’s Schools
Th e Path To Wi n n i n g Agai n i n E d u cati o n

What Schools Can Do to Support Student Achievement

Measure the psychological factors affecting students’ Recognize the importance of teachers’ ability to connect
motivation. Understanding and measuring the emotional with students to help them envision their futures. Young
underpinnings of students’ performance can open up Americans who say they had teachers who “cared about
new strategies for raising achievement levels. The three my problems and feelings” and who “knew about my hopes
dimensions assessed by the Gallup Student Poll — hope, and dreams” are much more likely to have experienced
engagement, and well-being — offer important insights into 21st-century skills development while in school, and
factors that can fuel or detract from students’ motivation. therefore more likely to have higher-quality work lives.

Create a strengths-based strategy for personalizing Develop a talent-based leadership pipeline. Given
students’ education plans. Leaders of schools that focus the pivotal role of principals and other school leaders in
on students’ ability to discover and develop their strengths engaging teachers and leading their schools to higher
find ways to appeal to student interests during the school achievement levels, school districts should build leadership
week. Some schools offer numerous after-school activities pipelines for recruiting and filling roles based on talent.
and clubs, while others provide work experience at school Hiring decisions that are reactive rather than intentional
or in the community. School districts should expand on leave schools vulnerable to the pitfalls that come with a
these efforts by ensuring that students and educators know poor leadership fit.
their strengths and have plans to put them to use. Students
Help prepare the next generation of American
should have strengths advisers, clear goals, and access to
entrepreneurs. To meet the country’s need for job creation
various online educational resources and experiences that
and economic growth, the nation’s schools must build
complement their unique strengths.
alternative pathways through the education system that
Take three steps to improve teacher engagement. identify and develop entrepreneurial talent in the same way
To boost the overall engagement level of teachers in they identify and develop talent in academic areas.
their schools, principals are advised to: 1) Ask teachers
important questions about curriculum, pedagogy, and
schedules, and incorporate their feedback into the
decision-making process; 2) Partner their most engaged
administrators and teachers with new teachers; and
3) Remove the most disengaged teachers from the
classroom for a brief period, help them invest in what they
do best with continuing education, and eliminate major
barriers to their engagement.

 9
 Introduction

Results from the OECD’s 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment, released in
December 2013, revealed that U.S. students’ performance remained flat compared with previous years,
even as students’ scores in several other countries improved. The U.S. scores were met with the usual
round of hand-wringing as analysts and policymakers reiterated now-familiar concerns that the U.S.
risks becoming less economically competitive if something is not done to “fix” the country’s schools.

In fact, the case for fundamental changes to how the U.S. measures educational effectiveness has become
virtually impossible to ignore. Employers and educators alike are increasingly concerned that too many
students graduate without the skills most relevant to 21st-century jobs, such as problem-solving, critical
thinking, and collaboration. Such skills require giving teachers more latitude to tailor instructional
content and techniques in ways that fully engage students in the learning process.

Unwillingness to adapt to changing workforce needs may force the U.S. education system to play catch-
up with other countries that are more successfully supporting job growth and economic productivity in
their schools. A 2012 report by Pearson and the Economist Intelligence Unit rated education systems
in 40 developed countries according to various educational and socio-economic outcomes, including
national unemployment rates and GDP. Finland, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan held the top
spots, while the U.S. ranked 17th. Leading countries maintain a “culture” of education, said Pearson’s
chief education adviser, and they afford teachers a high status to help attract top talent to the profession.

10 INTRODUCTION
Americans themselves commonly express frustration with the country’s education system. In 2013, the
annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll on public schools found that 22% of Americans believe increased
testing has helped the performance of their local public schools, while 36% say it has hurt those schools.
Asked to rate their level of agreement with the idea that high school graduates are ready for the world of
work, 17% agree (by giving a rating of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale). Further, 29% agree that America’s high
school graduates are ready for college.

What is the state of America’s schools? International rankings don’t tell a particularly optimistic
story, and neither does the country’s youth unemployment rate of 15%. However, this report focuses
on a different set of indicators — measures that address factors underlying students’ achievement,
including their awareness of their innate talents, their sense of hope for the future, and their emotional
engagement with the learning process.

As this report demonstrates, there is much room for improvement in these vital areas as well. The good
news is that teachers and school leaders can directly influence these factors. Effective principals and
teachers increasingly expect to be positioned to use their unique talents and expect to have engaging
workplaces. These priorities offer clear strategies for moving education forward at the local level,
helping students to achieve their full potential at a time of widespread uncertainty about national
reform strategies.

INTRODUCTION 11
 2013 Gallup Student Poll:
one in three Participants
Are “Success-Ready”

More than 600,000 students in grades 5 through 12 completed the Gallup Student Poll in the fall of
2013. For most, it was just one of a number of assessments they took that year — but this one was a
little different. It required no preparation, consisted of just 20 online questions, and typically took less
than 10 minutes to complete. More importantly, it wasn’t trying to gauge students’ knowledge or skill
levels. Instead, the Student Poll measured three factors linked to their success at school and beyond:
1) their hope for the future, 2) their engagement with school, and 3) the quality of their lives — i.e.,
their well-being.

Years of psychometric testing and validation prior to Dr. Shane Lopez has put it, one-third of students
the launch of the first Gallup Student Poll in 2009 are “success-ready.”
demonstrated that each factor — hope, engagement, and
Gallup offers public schools and school districts across the
well-being — is significantly related to student performance.
U.S. the opportunity to participate in the online poll each
And the combined measure of these factors is predictive
year, and releases the combined results from all schools
of student outcomes that parents and educators care
that elected to take part. Thus, although a large number
about, such as grades, credits earned, achievement scores,
of students take the poll each fall, the results are not
likelihood to stay in school, and future employment.
representative of the entire U.S. student population. But the
The 2013 Gallup Student Poll results indicated that 33% results do offer an illustrative look at how more than half
of those who took the assessment scored highly in all a million young people across the country feel about the
three dimensions. In other words, as the poll’s co-creator quality of their lives, their experiences at school, and their
own futures.

12 2 0 1 3 GA L L U P S TUDENT P O L L : ONE IN THREE P ARTICI P ANT S ARE “ S UCCE S S - READ Y ”

Hope
When students have hope for the future, they take their education more seriously and bring positive ideas and lots of
energy into the learning process, which in turn makes emotional engagement in that process more likely. This dimension
also addresses students’ belief that they can — and will — succeed at school and beyond. The 2013 Gallup Student Poll
found that slightly more than half of students (54%) who took the survey are hopeful. One-third (32%) feel “stuck” — i.e.,
they find it difficult to overcome challenges in pursuing their goals. And 14% gave responses indicating that they feel
discouraged about the future.

The poll also suggested that teachers can affect student hope. A majority (63%) of students who strongly agreed that they
have at least one teacher who makes them excited about the future qualify as hopeful. Of these students, 70% are engaged
with school, and 72% are considered to be thriving. On the other hand, among students who said they do not have a teacher
who makes them excited about the
future, 42% are hopeful, 35% are Hopeful 54%
engaged, and 57% are thriving.
S T UC K 32%

DISCOU R AGE d 14%

Source: 2013 Gallup Student Poll, U.S. overall

Engagement
Students’ emotional engagement with school is the noncognitive measure most directly related to academic achievement.
Though education researchers have proposed various ways to measure student engagement for more than 20 years, Gallup is
the first to do so via a large-scale survey with results that correlate with educational outcomes.

The 2013 Gallup Student Poll found that slightly more than half of students surveyed (55%) are engaged with school.
The GrandMean for engagement (the average rating of the survey’s five engagement items on a five-point scale, where 1
is “strongly disagree” and 5 is “strongly agree”) falls steadily as students advance in school. While the GrandMean among
fifth-graders is 4.4 out
of 5, among 11th- and
12th-graders, it is 3.8. Engaged
55%
Not engaged
28%
A c t i v e ly d i s e n g a g e d
17%
Source: 2013 Gallup Student Poll, U.S. overall

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 Well-Being Gallup classifies respondents as thriving, struggling, or
Students’ levels of well-being — how they evaluate their suffering according to how they rate their current and future
lives and the extent to which they report positive daily lives on a ladder scale with steps numbered from zero to 10,
experiences — likely partly depend on factors beyond a based on the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. People
school’s control, including students’ socio-economic status, are considered thriving if they rate their current lives a 7
physical and emotional health, and familial relationships. or higher and their lives in five years an 8 or higher. People
are considered suffering if they rate their current lives and
However, a positive, strengths-focused school environment
future lives a 4 or lower.
can be a good source of emotional and physical well-being
for even the most disadvantaged students. In the 2013 Phi In addition to the survey questions based on the life
Delta Kappa/Gallup poll, 64% of parents with school-aged evaluation ladder scale, four questions on the Gallup
children said they strongly or somewhat agree with the Student Poll ask about students’ daily experiences at
statement, “My child has substantially higher well-being school. The questions ask students whether they were
because of the school he or she attends.” Another 56% treated with respect, smiled or laughed a lot, learned or did
agreed with the statement, “My child’s school does things to something interesting, and had enough energy to get things
help him or her become healthier.” done “yesterday.”

Unlike the PDK/Gallup poll, which tracks public opinion

Nearly four in 10 students (38%) reported having a “positive
about America’s public schools, the Gallup Student Poll
yesterday” — that is, they responded “yes” to all four daily
gathers opinions directly from students. In the 2013 Gallup
experience questions. These students were more likely to
Student Poll, two-thirds of participants rated their overall
be hopeful and engaged, and they were more likely than
lives positively enough to be considered “thriving,” while
their peers who reported negative experiences to evaluate
32% fell into the “struggling” category and 2% gave ratings
their overall lives positively. Together, these four well-being
low enough to be classified as “suffering.”
elements provide a useful gauge for leaders seeking to build
a positive school environment to help set students up for
long-term success.

2%

+
32% THRIVING Am o n g Stu d e nts R e po rti n g a “Po s itive Ye ste r day”:
71% H o pe fu l
STRUGGLING
78% e n gag e d
66% SUFFERING 80% th r ivi n g

-
Am o n g Stu d e nts R e po rti n g a “N egative Ye ste r day”:
21% H o pe fu l
Source: 2013 Gallup Student Poll, U.S. overall
9% e n gag e d
27% th r ivi n g

14 2 0 1 3 GA L L U P S TUDENT P O L L : ONE IN THREE P ARTICI P ANT S ARE “ S UCCE S S - READ Y ”

A New Take on Educational Improvement Giving Students a Voice
The Gallup Student Poll offers an alternative prescription Perhaps most importantly, the Gallup Student Poll provides
for improving educational outcomes: Strengthen the students with a way to convey their own perspectives about
focus on students’ readiness to learn, their interest in their educational experiences. Giving students a voice is
what happens in the classroom, and their recognition that crucial to a communitywide dialogue on student dropout
the effort they invest at school shapes their prospects for prevention, college readiness, and student improvement,
the future. and is a critical element long missing in evaluations of
educational effectiveness. Equipped with annual Gallup
Gallup quantified the relationships among students’
Student Poll results, school and community leaders will
economic status, their levels of hope and engagement,
have reliable and valid measures of students’ experiences
and their academic achievement in a separate, 2010 study
with which they can create data-driven strategies for
of 148 schools in a large urban school district. The study
improving individual schools and shaping broader
examined school level (elementary, middle, or high school);
community efforts for student success.
total school enrollment; percentage of students receiving
free or reduced lunch; and student hope, engagement, Gallup makes the Student Poll available at no cost to public
and well-being. schools in the U.S., and school administrators can easily access
their individual school’s results shortly after the survey is
Relationships Among Students’ Levels of Hope and Engagement completed. For information on how to register your school for the
and Their Academic Achievements
2014 poll, go to www.gallupstudentpoll.com.
Fi f th- to 11 th -Gr ad e Ec o n o m i ca lly
Leve l Stu d e nt E n r o llm e nts D i sadvantag e d

Stu d e nt H o pe

Stu d e nt
E n gag e m e n t

Math r 2 =0.46 S c i e n c e r 2 =0.34

R ead i n g r 2 =0.37
n=148 schools

The study showed that as school level increased, student

engagement diminished. The size of the school and the
percentage of students on free or reduced lunch had the
same negative relationships with hope. However, students’
levels of hope were positively related to their emotional
engagement with school, which in turn correlated positively
with their math, reading, and science performance.
And these relationships were not modest: The model
accounted for almost half of the variation in students’
math achievement and at least one-third of the variation in
reading and science attainment.

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 Emotional Engagement:
The Heartbeat of the
Education Process

Of the three factors the Gallup Student Poll measures — hope, engagement, and well-being —
engagement is the one on which teachers and schools have the greatest influence. Gallup’s research
focuses on students’ emotional engagement — simply put, their level of involvement in and enthusiasm
for school. This factor incorporates students’ perceptions of their teachers, classmates, and overall
learning environment. Emotional engagement is the heartbeat of the education process, pumping energy
and imagination into students’ day-to-day experiences at school.

It should come as no surprise, then, that students’ including a school’s level (elementary, middle, or high
engagement levels are directly related to their academic school), its size, the percentage of its students receiving
performance. In 2009, Gallup conducted an in-depth study free or reduced lunch, and — most importantly, from
of 78,106 students in 160 schools across eight states; the an education reform perspective — its teachers’ overall
results offered compelling evidence of a connection between engagement level.
engagement and achievement. Researchers statistically
The results were dramatic. A one-percentage-point
controlled for students’ average socio-economic status using
increase in a school’s student engagement GrandMean was
the percentage of students in each school receiving free or
associated with a six-point increase in reading achievement
reduced lunch.
and an eight-point increase in math achievement scores.
The resulting statistical model included several school-level
factors shown to be predictive of student engagement,

16 EMOTIONA L ENGAGEMENT : THE HEART B EAT OF THE EDUCATION P ROCE S S

Engagement and Reading Achievement Engagement and Math Achievement
Leve l Leve l

Number of Number of
stu d e nts stu d e nts
r 2 =0.58 r 2 =0.64

Teac h e r Stu d e nt R ead i n g Teac h e r Stu d e nt math

E n g ag e m e nt e n gag e m e n t ac h i ev e m e nt E n g ag e m e nt e n g ag e m e nt ac h i eve m e n t
SE GrandMean increase of SE Gra ndMe a n inc re a s e o f
1 point = 6.17-point increase 1 po int = 8-po int inc re a s e
in reading achievement in ma th a chie ve me nt

Fr e e o r r e d u c e d Fr e e o r r e d u c e d
lunch lu n c h
Teachers n=8,341; Students n=78,106 Teachers n=8,341; Students n=78,106

Schools in which students were in the top quartile of •• In the last seven days, I have received recognition or
average engagement results were 50% more likely to be praise for doing good schoolwork.
above average in statewide reading achievement scores than
The results from more than 2,000 schools that participated
schools in which students were in the bottom quartile of
in the 2013 survey appear in the table. As noted previously,
Gallup’s engagement database. Top-quartile schools were
the overall results are from a convenience sample; therefore,
also 82% more likely than bottom-quartile schools to be
local schools and districts should use them cautiously as a
above the state average for math achievement.
point of comparison.
Measuring Student Engagement Almost three-fourths of students strongly agreed with
To assess levels of student engagement, the Gallup Student the statement, “I have a best friend at school.” No more
Poll asks students to rate the following five statements using than half of students strongly agreed with any of the other
a five-point scale, where 1 means “strongly disagree” and 5 four items. The lowest-rated item, “recognition or praise,”
means “strongly agree.” received a rating of 5 by less than one-third of participants.
•• I have a best friend at school.
The Power of Positive Feedback
•• I feel safe in this school. The relatively low student ratings for “recognition or praise”
•• My teachers make me feel my schoolwork is important. call for further discussion. Gallup’s workplace research has
•• At this school, I have the opportunity to do what I do long demonstrated direct links between recognition and
best every day. praise and specific business outcomes such as increased
individual productivity, higher customer loyalty, and better
safety records.

Engagement-Item-Level Responses From the Gallup Student Poll — U.S. Overall

%1 %2 %3 %4 %5
Ite m R e s po n s e s n Size Str o n g ly d i sag r e e Str o n g ly Ag r e e
I have a best friend at school. 609,392 5 3 6 13 73

I feel safe in this school. 611,773 5 5 14 30 47

My teachers make me feel my schoolwork is important. 612,645 4 4 13 29 50

At this school, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. 610,367 5 6 17 32 40

In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good schoolwork. 602,017 13 11 19 26 31

EMOTIONA L ENGAGEMENT : THE HEART B EAT OF THE EDUCATION P ROCE S S 17

 Pr o b le m s s o lve d
In How Full Is Your Bucket?,
22
Donald O. Clifton and
21
Tom Rath note the effects 20
of positive interactions 19 PRAISED
and the importance of 18
avoiding a negativity-based 17
approach. They write, “This 16
15
focus on what is wrong CRITICIZED
14
is particularly evident in
13
our school experiences. … 12 IGNORED
And our schools, which are 11 CONTROL
built around ‘core curricula’ 10
that students have to learn DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5
regardless of their interests
or natural talents, reinforce
this kind of thinking.”
had improved their test scores by 71%, while the criticized
Indeed, the major education reform initiatives of the past group had improved by 19% and the ignored group by 5%.
20 years — including the No Child Left Behind Act,
More recently, neuroscientists have studied the biological
the Race to the Top Assessment Program, and now the
basis for why people react so strongly to praise and
Common Core State Standards initiative — have had an
recognition. Researchers have found that positive words
overwhelmingly remedial focus. Leaving “no child behind”
activate regions of the brain related to reward, producing
means delineating a rigid set of education standards, and
a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine that results in
then striving to shore up areas of weakness among students
feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction.
and schools relative to those standards.
Gallup’s decades of workplace research indicate that
This makes intuitive sense, at least to some degree. But
for recognition to have such positive effects, it must
the costs of such an approach are too often overlooked.
be individualized, specific, and deserved. However, the
From students’ perspectives, it has encouraged teachers
multilayered testing regime under which most teachers work
and parents to focus on the lowest grades on their report
today leaves them with far less time and latitude, making
cards. An unintended consequence is that they often stop
it challenging to tailor their instructional approach to
short of offering much praise for the A’s and B’s students
individual students’ needs and to ensure that the praise they
have earned.
offer is personal and meaningful.
The power of positive feedback is certainly not a novel
Meaningful interactions at school drive student
concept. Clifton and Rath describe Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock’s
engagement. But they don’t happen often enough or
1925 study in which she analyzed the effect of giving
without a purposeful effort by school leaders to provide an
students different types of feedback on their work. Fourth-
environment in which students’ strengths are celebrated and
graders and sixth-graders were randomly placed into three
talented teachers work under conditions that promote their
groups. Students in the first group received praise in front of
own engagement.
the class for their good work, students in the second group
were criticized in front of the class for their poor work, and
those in the third group were completely ignored. By the
fifth day of the experiment, the group that received praise

18 EMOTIONA L ENGAGEMENT : THE HEART B EAT OF THE EDUCATION P ROCE S S

Student Engagement: The bottom Line
Students’ engagement at school may be influenced by innumerable factors largely outside a school’s control. However,
there are fundamental strategies schools can focus on to dramatically raise the likelihood that students will be emotionally
engaged in the classroom on any given day.

Those strategies include providing students with opportunities to discover and develop their talents, and with teachers who
inspire a sense of optimism about what they can achieve with those talents. Among the 600,000 students who took the poll
in 2013, those who strongly agreed with two simple statements were 30 times as likely as those who strongly disagreed with
both to be emotionally engaged at school. Those two statements were:

1. My school is committed to building the strengths of each student.

2. I have at least one teacher who makes me excited about the future.

“ Iteacher
have at least one
who makes
“ Myto building
school is committed
the
me excited about
strengths of each student.
” ”
the future.

Students who S T R O N G L Y A G R E E

30x A S L I K E LY T O B E
ENGAGED AT
SCHOOL
AS STUDENTS WHO STRONGLY DISAGREE

EMOTIONA L ENGAGEMENT : THE HEART B EAT OF THE EDUCATION P ROCE S S 19

 Want to Help Students Race
to the Top?
Teach Them to Start With Their Strengths
By Connie Rath, Gallup’s Vice Chair of Education

Every student is unique — each has a set of talents and goals that, if recognized
and cultivated, will lead him or her to achieve long-term success and a
fulfilling future.
But many U.S. schools are missing the mark federal grant program to individual
on helping students discover and maximize school districts, instead of allowing
their unique talents. Less than half of only states to apply. According to U.S.
America’s students strongly agree that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan,
they get to do what they do best every the program’s goal is to focus on the
day, according to the Gallup Student classroom level and “personalize education”
Poll. That means millions of students while taking classrooms “beyond a
are focusing on the wrong things, while one-size-fits-all model.”
their talents are languishing unnoticed —
So how do schools create personalized
likely leaving them bored and frustrated.
plans for students? The key, from Gallup
What these young scholars need is help
studies of schools nationwide, is to build
in understanding and developing what
education plans that match up with each
they are really good at — a personalized
student’s unique strengths. In other words,
approach to how and what they need
when students know what they do best and
to learn.
have opportunities to develop those talents,
In essence, today’s students need to know they are more motivated and enthusiastic
what their strengths are, and education about learning. Gallup’s research shows that
leaders need to teach students how to use more than eight in 10 students who strongly
these strengths. agree that their school is committed to
building the strengths of each student are
In recent years, the U.S. government
engaged in school. The leaders of these
has increasingly recognized that striving
schools have developed ways to appeal to
for greater standardization in students’
student interests during the school week;
education experience isn’t the right
for instance, some schools offer a wide
approach if the goal is helping those
range of after-school activities and clubs,
students achieve their full potential. In
while others provide work experience for
2012, the U.S. Department of Education
students at school or in the community.
opened up its Race to the Top competitive

20
What the nation needs are more of these •• Apply strengths to college and work:
strengths-based schools. Here’s how Middle school is the right time for
districts can build them: students to begin thinking about how
an understanding of their strengths
•• Start with strengths: Start now with
can help guide their choices about high
a campaign for every student and
school, college, and the working world.
educator to know his or her strengths
They can discover what they do well
and create a plan to put them to
and explore what they want to do in
use. Ensure students have strengths
the future by discussing their unique
advisers, clear goals, and access to
talents and then planning experiences
a wide range of online educational
to test and practice them.
resources and experiences that match
their unique strengths. Outlining an Washington may be shifting its focus
in-depth plan can reinforce important to more personalized education, but
academic goals and stimulate interests this change will not happen because
and talents. of Washington alone. It will happen
because school leaders, teachers,
•• Monitor hope, engagement, and
parents, and students insist on working
well-being: When students know
together to develop creative pathways to
and use their strengths, they rate
personal achievement.
themselves and their schools higher
on these three factors. Good schools
can get better by participating at no
cost in the Gallup Student Poll, which
gauges student hope, engagement,
and well-being. Schools receive scores
reflecting students’ perceptions of these
key metrics, and leaders can use this
information to target areas in need
of improvement.

21
 U.S. Schools Must Attract
and Retain — Rather Than
Hinder — Teacher Talent

The vast majority of Americans say a person’s ability to teach comes

more from natural talent (70%) than from college training about how
to teach (28%), according to a PDK/Gallup poll.

This finding exemplifies one of the key issues the U.S. education
system is currently wrestling with: School districts need better ways
Americans say a to identify teacher talent and demonstrate its relationship to student
person’s ability achievement. As students and parents can attest, subject-matter
to teach comes knowledge alone is not sufficient to manage a classroom and impart
more from that knowledge to students. In other words, there is an important
natural talent difference between teaching content and teaching children — and
than from college effective teachers must be able to do both.
training about
how to teach.

22 U . S . S CHOO L S MU S T ATTRACT AND RETAIN — RATHER THAN HINDER — TEACHER TA L ENT

Gallup has studied the characteristics of exceptional In many schools, a “revolving door” for new teachers
teachers since the early 1970s. Though they exhibit various exacerbates the hiring situation. Recent estimates put the
combinations of strengths that lead them to approach their proportion of teachers who leave the profession within the
jobs differently, great teachers share some essential behavior first five years on the job between 40% and 50%. Insufficient
patterns. These teachers consistently express the following pay is a factor for many, but hardly the only reason for
tendencies and characteristics: leaving. Most young teachers probably didn’t go into the
classroom expecting to be highly paid, but neither did
•• Achievement drive — Great teachers demonstrate
they expect that they would often be denied the autonomy
a powerful motivation to enable students to succeed
needed to effectively use their talents. They also may have
in the classroom; they take that success personally.
underestimated the rarity of opportunities to collaborate
They are driven to reach ever-higher levels of mastery,
with other teachers and administrators, as well as the reams
learning, and student achievement. They enjoy setting
of paperwork and lack of preparation time that routinely
goals, monitoring progress, and taking ownership of
keep many at school until the evening hours.
students’ success.
In a 2009 study funded by Scholastic and the Bill &
•• Classroom structure and planning — Balancing both
Melinda Gates Foundation, researchers conducted a non-
innovation and discipline are hallmarks of exceptional
representative survey of more than 40,000 U.S. teachers
teachers. They are thoughtful and creative while
and noted the following: “When asked about teacher
establishing a sense of order in their classrooms. These
retention, nearly all teachers say that nonmonetary rewards
teachers are well-prepared, and they keep themselves
like supportive leadership and collaborative working
busy thinking about new approaches to teaching,
environments are the most important factors to retaining
learning, and discovery.
good teachers. Fewer than half of teachers say higher
•• Strong student and parent relationships — These salaries are absolutely essential for retaining good teachers.”
relationships are the foundation for successful learning
environments. Great teachers intuitively understand Setting Talented Teachers Up for Success

that creating these relationships involves helping others The importance of teacher talent may seem obvious, but
feel important and unique, and making a commitment many education reform initiatives throughout the past 20
to understand and develop every student. These teachers years have sought not to find and cultivate teacher talent,
are energetic and positive and enjoy communicating but rather to make it less relevant. The idea has been that
with students. Further, they understand that reducing variability in what is taught — and in how it is
relationships outside the classroom with parents and taught — can bring even the worst-performing teachers and
peers are equally important. schools up to a minimal standard. As well-intentioned as the
many researchers and policymakers who pursued this line of
Many Schools Have a “Revolving Door” for thinking were, they fundamentally undervalued the role of
Talented Teachers teacher talent in the classroom.
Unfortunately, too many young people with the potential
and motivation to be outstanding teachers don’t go into Consider the following findings from Gallup’s recent
the profession. It is hard to blame them, given that the research with teachers:
profession has been vilified repeatedly in recent years. As •• Among employees in 12 different occupational
New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow put it in 2012, categories Gallup surveyed in 2012, K-12 teachers
“Teachers have been so maligned in the national debate that were the least likely to agree with the statement, “At
it’s hard to attract our best and our brightest to see it as a work, my opinions seem to count.” This is an alarming
viable and rewarding career choice, even if they have a high sign — that teachers see few opportunities to work with
aptitude and natural gift for it.” school leaders on issues that keep them from using their
talents on behalf of their students.

U . S . S CHOO L S MU S T ATTRACT AND RETAIN — RATHER THAN HINDER — TEACHER TA L ENT 23

 •• In general, data from the 2013 Gallup-Healthways Low pay and a lack of adequate planning time undoubtedly
Well-Being Index indicate that teachers experience fuel many teachers’ stress levels. However, teachers suggest
frequent positive interactions during the day; they are the rising focus on standardized tests has compounded that
particularly likely to say they smile and laugh a lot and stress by too often making them responsible for outcomes
experience enjoyment for much of the day. However, over which they have limited control — and then setting
nearly half of K-12 teachers (46%) report high daily them up as scapegoats if they fail to achieve those outcomes.
stress during the school year. That figure matches Evaluating teachers on multiple outcomes directly related
those from other highly demanding professions, such to their performance in the classroom — including student
as nurses (46%) and physicians (45%), for the highest engagement — might ease that stress burden for many.
stress levels among all occupational groups surveyed.
The reality is that gifted young people with the talents
to be great teachers have other options if they don’t feel
encouraged to use their strengths in pursuit of their mission
to make a difference for students. They could just as
effectively apply their resilience, relating skills, and strong
Nearly Half of Teachers Experience a Lot of Daily Stress sense of purpose in other roles, such as corporate trainers
Did you experience stress during a lot of the day yesterday? or public relations specialists. And in these roles, they are
probably more likely to be treated as professionals.
PERCENTAGE RESPONDING “YES”
Teacher (K-12) 46 Are U.S. Teachers Professionals?
Cultural attitudes toward the role of “teacher” play an
Nurse 46
important part in American schools’ abilities to attract
Physician 45 and retain exceptional teacher talent. Richard Ingersoll,
Sales 45 a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s education
school, has observed that in the U.S., teaching at the
Other professionals 43
primary and secondary level was originally intended to be
Manager or executive 43 a temporary occupation for women who did not yet have
Service worker 43 families to raise and for men who would quickly work their
way up into administrative positions.
Business owner 42
Clerical 42 This view of teaching as a short-term job helps to explain
the typically low pay and lack of influence associated with
Construction 38
the highly demanding profession. A teacher’s role is not
Installation/Repair 38 thought of as “talent-based” in the same way as is being a
Manufacturing 37 skilled surgeon or an accomplished musician. Few would
argue, for example, that a gifted pianist would benefit
Transportation 36
from being told to change her technique and play only
Farming, fishing, or forestry 33 compositions assigned to her by officials who are not
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% themselves pianists.
Results from the 2013 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey
Not thinking of teachers as talented professionals is one of
the systemic flaws holding back the U.S. education system.
Discounting teacher talent is doing a great disservice

24 U . S . S CHOO L S MU S T ATTRACT AND RETAIN — RATHER THAN HINDER — TEACHER TA L ENT

to this country’s educators — and, more importantly, Raising the status of teaching as a profession helps ensure
to its students. As a Virginia middle school teacher put that 1) those without the potential to be great teachers do
it during a Gallup focus group addressing educators’ not end up in the classroom, and 2) teachers take great
working conditions, “Standards are good to have as a pride in their ability to engage students in well-crafted and
framework for understanding, but standardization puts a highly relevant lessons, thereby easing the current obsession
stranglehold on teachers and students. Why do we spend with accountability. Commenting on countries with the
four years in college and two years in grad school to not be highest PISA scores in 2011, Harvard Graduate School of
a professional?” Education Professor Howard Gardner noted, “Whatever the
differences among Finland, Singapore, and Korea, teachers
It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way in those countries are treated as professionals and consider
The Programme for International Student Assessment themselves so. Being a teacher is a sought-after position, and
(PISA) results consistently rank Finnish students among providing the right cocktail of incentives and disincentives is
the top performers in literacy and math skills. These results not a major preoccupation of policymakers.”
have been attributed to many factors, but prominent among
them is a decision made in Finland in 1979 to move teacher
preparation from teachers’ colleges into more rigorous
university programs, thereby helping professionalize the
occupation and making it more attractive to talented,
ambitious young people. The New York Times recently noted
“Whatever the differences
that “the Finns have made teaching the country’s most
popular occupation for the young. These programs recruit among Finland, Singapore,
from the top quarter of the graduating high school classes,
demonstrating that such training has a prestige lacking in and Korea, teachers in those
the United States.” countries are treated as
Finns share this cultural emphasis on training teachers with professionals and consider
schools in Shanghai and other parts of East Asia, many of
which were top performers in the 2012 PISA rankings. In themselves so.”
assessing the PISA results, CNN noted the high level of
professionalism teachers in the East Asian region enjoy, Howard Gardner
while The Economist argued, “Successful countries focus Professor, Harvard Graduate
fiercely on the quality of teaching and eschew zigzag School of Education
changes of direction or philosophy.”

Hiring tools that more effectively assess the talent to

teach should help “professionalize” teaching. However,
more rigorous hiring standards need to be accompanied
by improved working conditions, greater autonomy, and
professional development opportunities that provide career
momentum. Otherwise, U.S. schools will continue to
struggle to find enough applicants with the talent to be
great teachers.

U . S . S CHOO L S MU S T ATTRACT AND RETAIN — RATHER THAN HINDER — TEACHER TA L ENT 25

 Nearly 70% of K-12
Teachers Are Not
Engaged in Their Work

Gallup asked more than 70,000 U.S. employees in 2012 about working conditions that distinguish highly
engaged workplaces from those in which employees are less engaged. Results from this simple set of
12 survey items, which Gallup has validated repeatedly across industries and job types, are predictive of
a wide range of positive workplace outcomes, including higher retention rates and productivity. (The 12
survey items appear at the end of this section.)

The 2012 workforce sample included more than 7,200 K-12 teachers. Results among
this group revealed that nearly 70% are not engaged in their jobs:

•• Approximately a third of U.S. teachers (31%) are “engaged” — meaning they

nearly are involved in, enthusiastic about, and committed to their work, and that they

70%
know the scope of their jobs and constantly look for new and better ways to
achieve outcomes.

•• Just over half (56%) are “not engaged” — meaning they may be satisfied with
are not engaged their jobs, but they are not emotionally connected to their workplaces and are
in their jobs unlikely to devote much discretionary effort to their work.

•• About one in eight (13%) are “actively disengaged” — meaning they are
dissatisfied with their workplaces and likely to be spreading negativity to
their coworkers.

26 NEAR LY 7 0 % OF K - 1 2 TEACHER S ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THEIR W OR K

The proportion of K-12 teachers engaged in their jobs is engage their fellow teachers, building the foundation for a
similar to the 30% of engaged U.S. workers overall. U.S. great school. A 2010 study commissioned by The Wallace
employees overall are somewhat more likely than teachers to Foundation suggested that adult relationships in a school
be actively disengaged, at 18%, while 52% are not engaged. indirectly affect student achievement by increasing the
school’s use of “focused instruction.”
The researchers concluded, “Effective
K-12 TEACHERS TOTAL U.S. WORKFORCE
leadership strengthens professional
community — a special environment
13% 18% within which teachers work together
31% 30%
to improve their practice and improve
student learning.”
56% 52%
So if nearly 70% of teachers are just
going through the motions at work —
or worse, undermining student learning
ENGAGED NOT ENGAGED ACTIVELY DISENGAGED by spreading negativity — that’s a big
problem facing the nation’s schools.

Engagement Level Drops Significantly in the

Not too bad, right? At least teachers are less likely than Early Years of Teaching
other American workers to be actively spreading negativity The 2012 Gallup study further revealed that K-12 teachers’
to their colleagues. The problem is that when teachers average engagement level drops in their first few years on
are not fully engaged in their work, their students pay the the job. Teachers with less than one year of experience on
price every day. Disengaged teachers are less likely to bring the job are the most engaged, at 35%. That number drops
the energy, insights, and resilience that effective teaching significantly to 28% among teachers on the job for three to
requires to the classroom. They are less likely to build the five years. This is undoubtedly a factor in retention rates. For
kind of positive, caring relationships with their students that many young teachers, the job may not be what they thought
form the emotional core of the learning process. it was, given their relative lack of autonomy and limited
opportunities for collaboration — so they reroute their
Gallup’s research highlights the central role of teacher
career paths.
engagement in helping
students realize their full
Workplace Engagement Levels Among K-12 Teachers in the U.S., by Years of Experience
potential. Gallup’s 2009
study of more than 78,000 40%
students in 160 schools
found that teachers’ 35
engagement levels are 35%
32
directly related to those 31 31
of their students —
30% 28
and thereby to student
achievement outcomes.
25%
Engaged teachers not SIX MONTHS ONE TO THREE TO FIVE TO 10 YEARS
only challenge students TO LESS THAN LESS THAN LESS THAN LESS THAN OR MORE
to grow, but they also ONE YEAR THREE YEARS FIVE YEARS 10 YEARS
trust, encourage, and

NEAR LY 7 0 % OF K - 1 2 TEACHER S ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THEIR W OR K 27

 Teachers’ overall engagement level begins to rise again as Further, teachers are more likely than most other American
they move further along in their careers, perhaps adapting employees to strongly agree with the statement, “There is
their expectations or developing their own strategies for someone at work who encourages my development.” This
overcoming some of the systemic barriers to engagement. is a promising finding because great teachers are habitual
But for many talented young people who have already left learners who need developmental opportunities to take
the profession, it’s too late. on new challenges and responsibilities while using their
core strengths.
The Good News
In some respects, it seems America’s K-12 teachers should The Bad News
be registering higher levels of workplace engagement. They Teachers are dead last among the occupational groups
tend to be particularly satisfied with their lives overall. Gallup surveyed in terms of their likelihood to say their
On the Gallup-Healthways Life Evaluation Index, which opinions seem to count at work. In the absence of school
combines respondents’ ratings of their current lives and leaders who build opportunities for collaboration among
their lives five years in the future, only physicians outscore teachers and between teachers and administrators, many
teachers among 14 job types studied. teachers feel isolated and disempowered. Increased use of
high-stakes testing at the state and district levels may be
Life Evaluation Index Score exacerbating this problem by limiting teachers’ control over
by o c c u pati o n t ype their own work.
Life Evaluation
Occupation How to Increase Teacher Engagement
Index Score
Fortunately, many policymakers are recognizing that the
Physician 74.9
prevailing approaches to education reform do not lead to
Teacher (K-12) 68.8
improved learning environments for most students. State
Professional 64.3
and federal representatives are likely sensitive to public
Nurse 63.9
Manager, executive, or official 61.2
opinion trends showing that most Americans do not believe
Business owner 56.3
increased testing is helping their local schools. (See the
Clerical or office 55.3 “Many Americans Doubt High School Graduates Are
Sales 54.1 Prepared for College or Work” section for more details.)
Service 50.3 Further, 68% of Americans favor the idea of charter schools
Manufacturing or production 44.1 that operate independently of many state regulations,
Construction or mining 44.0 implying widespread recognition that the task of building a
Farming, fishing, or forestry 43.3 great learning environment depends primarily on the efforts
Installation or repair 43.1 of school leaders and teachers themselves.
Transportation 40.0
Dr. Shane Lopez, a Gallup senior scientist and leading
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index
advocate for psychological reform in America’s school
system, offers this advice for anyone concerned about the
Teachers also compare favorably with other workers on quality of schools in his or her area:
several specific workplace conditions. They are more likely
than those in most other job types to say they have the “I encourage each of you to walk through your
opportunity to do what they do best every day at work. This neighborhood school. Chances are, for every spirited,
finding underscores the notion that good teachers view engaged teacher you observe, you will see two who are just
their role as more than just a job or career — they see it as going through the motions. And for every 10 teachers, you
a calling. will see one who is undermining the teaching and learning
process through active disengagement.

28 NEAR LY 7 0 % OF K - 1 2 TEACHER S ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THEIR W OR K

“Share your observations with your principal, and ask Gallup’s Q12®
the principal what he or she can do to better engage our

01
teachers. If principals are at a loss for next steps, let’s I know what is expected of me
encourage them to do these three specific things: at work.
1. Ask teachers important questions about curriculum,

02
pedagogy, and schedules. Listen to their answers. I have the materials and equipment I
Incorporate their feedback into changes and decision- need to do my work right.
making. Trust will grow.

03
2. Partner the most engaged administrators and teachers At work, I have the opportunity to do
with teachers who have been in your building for what I do best every day.
five years or less. Give them time to collaborate on
student-centered projects. Enthusiasm will spread. In the last seven days, I have
3. Remove the most disengaged teachers from the 04 received recognition or praise for
doing good work.
classroom for a brief period. Invest in what they do
best with continuing education, and eliminate major
barriers to their engagement. Disruptive professional
behavior will decrease.”
05 My supervisor, or someone at work,
seems to care about me as a person.

Amid widespread doubts about national and state-level

reform initiatives, local and school-level efforts to improve
the learning environment for teachers and students are
06 There is someone at work who
encourages my development.
more important than ever. Dr. Lopez’s advice spotlights
principals’ crucial role in creating a climate of trust and
collaboration that boosts engagement levels campuswide.
The next section will take a closer look at the importance of
07 At work, my opinions seem to count.

talented leadership in every school.

The mission or purpose of my
08 organization makes me feel my job
is important.

09 My associates or fellow employees

are committed to doing quality work.

10 I have a best friend at work.

In the last six months, someone

11 at work has talked to me about
my progress.

This last year, I have had

12 opportunities at work to learn
and grow.

NEAR LY 7 0 % OF K - 1 2 TEACHER S ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THEIR W OR K 29

 Many Americans Doubt
High School Graduates
Are Prepared for
College or Work
For over 40 years, Gallup and Phi Delta autonomy at the school level: More than two-
Kappa have conducted an annual poll gauging thirds (68%) favor the idea of charter schools,
Americans’ views on public education in the which are allowed to operate independently
U.S. The 2013 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll of many state regulations. Slightly more than
results revealed that after more than a decade of half (52%) believe students receive a better
sweeping education reforms, most Americans education at public charter schools than at other
feel the country’s education system is failing public schools.
to prepare students for the future. Just 17%
of Americans agree that U.S. high school Americans’ Perceptions of
Education Quality Vary Dramatically
graduates are ready for the world of work, and
by State
29% agree that they are ready for college.
A separate, larger-scale Gallup study focused
In addition, the poll found that fewer than one on conditions affecting well-being among
in four Americans (22%) say increased testing residents in the 50 U.S. states. North Dakota
has helped the performance of their local public residents have the most positive outlook on
schools, while 36% say it has hurt performance. their state’s education system — 87% say it’s
Americans are also open to the idea of greater excellent or good — while people living in New
Mexico responded least favorably, at 41%.

Overall, how would you rate the quality of public education provided in grades
K through 12 in this state — as excellent, good, only fair, or poor?

Top States (% Excellent/Good) Bottom States (% Excellent/Good)

North Dakota 87% New Mexico 41%
Iowa 83% Nevada 42%
Minnesota 81% Louisiana 45%
Nebraska 80% Hawaii 46%
South Dakota 80% Illinois 49%
Wyoming 79% California 50%
Massachusetts 78% Mississippi 52%
Kansas 78% Oregon 54%
Wisconsin 78% Arizona 55%
Montana 78% West Virginia 57%

30
These differences in perceptions of education With the exception of Hawaii and Illinois, all
at the state level matter, in part because of the states where residents are most optimistic
they strongly relate to state-level economic about their public schools have lower poverty
conditions. States in which residents are most rates than the states where residents are least
likely to rate the quality of education that their likely to view their public schools favorably.
public schools provide as excellent or good also
Poverty Levels of States Scoring in the Top and
tend to have low unemployment and poverty
Bottom of Public Education Perceptions
rates, and vice versa for states with residents
rating their education systems poorly. North Dakota 11.2%
Minnesota 11.4%
North Dakota, where residents have the most Hawaii 11.6%
positive outlook on their schools, also boasts Massachusetts 11.9%
the nation’s lowest unemployment and poverty Wyoming 12.6%
rates. On the other hand, Nevada and New Iowa 12.7%
Mexico, where about four in 10 residents view Nebraska 13.0%
their public schools favorably, have serious Wisconsin 13.2%
economic problems. Nevada’s unemployment South Dakota 13.4%
rate remains sky high, at nearly 10%, and New Kansas 14.0%
Mexico’s poverty rate is among the country’s Illinois 14.7%
highest, at nearly 21%. Montana 15.5%
Nevada 16.4%
Unemployment Rates of States Scoring in the Top
and Bottom of Public Education Perceptions California 17.0%
Oregon 17.2%
North Dakota 2.9%
West Virginia 17.8%
South Dakota 3.8%
Arizona 18.7%
Nebraska 3.9%
Louisiana 19.9%
Iowa 4.6%
New Mexico 20.8%
Wyoming 4.6%
Mississippi 24.2%
Hawaii 4.8%
Poverty levels are based on U.S. Census Bureau percentages from 2012.
Minnesota 5.1%
Kansas 5.4%
Montana 5.6% The Gallup study also looked at other
Louisiana 6.2% individual factors that gauge Americans’
West Virginia 6.5% views on state-level public education. The
Wisconsin 6.7% results revealed a great deal of consistency in
New Mexico 6.9% the top and bottom states’ perceptions across
Massachusetts 7.1% all questions.
Oregon 7.7%
Arizona 8.0%
Mississippi 8.6%
California 8.9%
Illinois 9.2%
Nevada 9.8%
Unemployment rates are based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
annual average rankings for 2013.

31
 Do you believe your state public school system prepares students for success in the workplace? The causal relationship
between school satisfaction
Top States (% Yes) Bottom States (% Yes)
and economic conditions is
South Dakota 83% Nevada 48%
North Dakota 82% New Mexico 51% likely to run both ways. In one
Iowa 81% California 52% direction, low-quality schools
Nebraska 79% Oregon 54% could make it harder for states
Minnesota 76% Illinois 55% to attract new employers and
Wisconsin 75% Hawaii 56% could limit residents’ spending
Wyoming 75% Arizona 57% power — both factors that
Montana 73% Louisiana 58%
may stymie economic growth.
Kansas 71% Idaho 59%
Massachusetts 71% New York 60% In the other direction, poor
economic conditions may
Do you believe your state public school system prepares students to get a good job? lower property values and the
Top States (% Yes) Bottom States (% Yes) funding available to maintain
North Dakota 84% Nevada 46% up-to-date facilities, keep
Iowa 80% New Mexico 46% class sizes down, and attract
South Dakota 79% California 47%
young people with the talent
Nebraska 76% Oregon 52%
to be great teachers. The
Wyoming 72% Illinois 53%
Kansas 71% Arizona 53%
latter concern is particularly
Montana 70% Louisiana 53% troubling; as Gallup’s research
Wisconsin 70% Hawaii 54% has demonstrated, without
Indiana 69% Idaho 56% teachers who can make them
Minnesota 69% New York 57% excited about the future,
students are much less
Do you believe that teachers in the city or area where you live are well-respected, or not? likely to be fully engaged,
Top States (% Yes, respected) Bottom States (% Yes, respected) high-achieving learners.
Wyoming 89% Nevada 62%
North Dakota 87% Louisiana 63%
Nebraska 87% New Mexico 65%
Iowa 87% North Carolina 66%
Montana 86% Mississippi 67%
Alaska 86% Rhode Island 67%
Kansas 85% New York 68%
South Dakota 84% Illinois 68%
Maine 84% Maryland 68%
Minnesota 83% Pennsylvania 69%

32
Great Principals Foster
Engagement Among
Teachers, Students,
and Parents

Large class sizes, disgruntled parents, and standardized tests are common
sources of stress in teachers’ lives. But principals and other school
administrators top the list of factors likely to make the difference between a
talented young teacher who leaves the profession after two years and one
who enjoys a long, fulfilling tenure at his or her school.
Managers
influence at One of the most consistent findings from Gallup’s workplace research
across industries is that employees typically quit their jobs to escape bad
least 75% of
managers — not for better pay or benefits. Dr. Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief
the reasons
scientist for workplace management and well-being, has concluded that
for voluntary
managers influence at least 75% of the reasons for voluntary turnover.
turnover.
Among teachers specifically, more than one-third (37%) in a 2013 study
said they had quit a job to get away from their manager. This emphasizes the
importance of the principal’s role in maintaining a school culture that actively
encourages teacher engagement.

GREAT P RINCI P A L S FO S TER ENGAGEMENT AMONG TEACHER S , S TUDENT S , AND P ARENT S 33

 Talented Principals Build Powerful outcomes — outcomes for which staff members are
Relationships, Lead Schools to Higher
then held strictly accountable. By involving teachers
Achievement
in setting these standards, principals ensure that they
Just as great teachers’ fundamental purpose is to help
“buy in” to their accountability goals, rather than
students realize their full potential, great principals seek
resent them.
to maximize the potential within their teachers and other
staff members. •• They develop strong relationships with staff members,
students, parents, and other community members.
For principals, this means engaging educators in ways that
These principals encourage teamwork and build trust
encourage them to fully use their strengths. As a principal
with teachers. They maintain an open dialogue with
in one of Gallup’s focus groups commented, “Empowerment
staff members and are transparent about all policies
can’t be emphasized enough. If you are going to be
that may affect them. And they forge bonds both
successful as a principal, the teachers have to take things
inside and outside the school by creating an open,
and go with them. You have to be the guide; you have to be
inviting atmosphere for everyone. Great principals are
the catalyst; but if you empower them, they will take off.”
characterized by their contagious enthusiasm and ability
A principal’s ability to foster teacher engagement largely to inspire and motivate others with their positive vision
depends on his or her own innate talents, refined and for the school and community.
complemented by learned skills and knowledge. Gallup’s
Unfortunately, just as schools too often hire teachers
extensive research points to a common set of attributes
based on criteria that have little to do with their capacity
among highly effective principals:
to engage students, the process for selecting principals is
•• They are strongly determined to overcome adversity rarely predictive of essential traits like those outlined above.
and resistance to achieving performance outcomes. Instead, schools often resort to selecting principals using
This is a crucial attribute for principals to have because criteria such as tenure, an individual’s relationships with
they must simultaneously address the requirements of district leaders, and simple expedience to fill the role when a
policymakers, district administrators, their own staff vacancy arises.
members, and the students and parents in their schools.
These principals thrive under such conditions, leading Talented Principals Are More Successful at
Engaging Teachers
the school to ever-higher achievement outcomes by
Gallup conducted a study in 2012 to better understand
setting clear goals for themselves and others. They then
the link between principal talent and teacher engagement.
pursue these goals with persistence and a willingness to
Prior to being appointed to the job, participating principals
stake their own success on the school’s success.
completed PrincipalInsight, a talent assessment based on
•• They are skilled at planning and maintaining years of studying outstanding principals. Toward the end
order and structure in their schools. Masters of of the principals’ third year, teachers in their schools took
orchestration, great principals plan, organize, multitask, Gallup’s short employee engagement survey, the Q12, to
and delegate with ease. In turn, students, teachers, gauge the effects of principal talent on teacher engagement.
and parents recognize these principals’ dependability The Q12 survey measures employees’ involvement in,
because they don’t allow anything to fall through the enthusiasm for, and commitment to their work.
cracks. Successfully implementing plans depends in
The results of these assessments revealed that schools that
equal parts on their ability to know others and to lead
hire principals with high PrincipalInsight scores have
people with confidence.
teachers who are 2.6 times more likely to have above-
•• They maintain a culture of clear accountability average teacher engagement scores three years later.
in their schools. Great principals work with staff Teacher responses for principals scoring at or above the
members to set clear, measurable performance PrincipalInsight mean score were meaningfully higher for

34 GREAT P RINCI P A L S FO S TER ENGAGEMENT AMONG TEACHER S , S TUDENT S , AND P ARENT S

seven of the 12 survey items. The following three were most Schools Must Cultivate a Talent-Based
Leadership Pipeline
strongly related to principal talent, with the first item on
recognition or praise easily the one that most distinguishes Ensuring that principals and other district leaders can
talented principals from the rest. create engaging environments for staff members and
students is easier said than done. The task requires building
•• Q04. In the last seven days, I have received recognition talent-based pipelines for all key leadership positions.
or praise for doing good work. As Dr. Gary Gordon, a strategic consultant in Gallup’s
Education Practice, noted, “Leadership succession involves
•• Q11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked
the district’s leadership team in a systemwide, continuous
to me about my progress.
process of improvement.”
•• Q07. At work, my opinions seem to count.
Leadership pipelines require a long-term vision for
Gallup found that these relationships vary among individual recruiting and filling roles based on talent. Hiring
schools within the same district, indicating that even in decisions that are reactive rather than intentional leave
similar contexts, some principals show a greater ability than schools vulnerable to the pitfalls that come with a poor
others to foster high levels of teacher engagement. Thus, leadership fit.
principal talent is an essential factor in improving student
Building these leadership pipelines starts with training
achievement. When talented principals create environments
principals and district administrators to be talent scouts.
in which teachers are highly motivated and productive, it
These talent scouts should learn to recognize individuals
puts students in a better position to succeed.
with exceptional leadership abilities among the district’s
current staff and encourage them to consider pursuing roles
Talented Principals Help Parents Feel Like
Part of the School that may make the best use of those abilities. The search
Cultivating a school environment in which teachers are for leadership talent should not remain exclusively within a
treated like professionals may also have broader implications school district, however; education conferences, professional
for the culture of education in the U.S. Top-down control development seminars, public school board hearings, and
of teachers’ work implies distrust and positions teachers other education-oriented events offer opportunities for
as an easy scapegoat for societal ills that many relate to ongoing talent scouting.
issues in the classroom. Principals are in a unique position
“Talent” is the operative word in this leadership pipeline
to influence that perception, particularly in facilitating
process. Training and on-the-job experience are important,
opportunities for parents and teachers to work together
but as Gallup’s research has long demonstrated, the
constructively. The 2012 Gallup study found that teachers
foundation for greatness in any role is innate talent. District
whose principals scored higher on the PrincipalInsight
leaders should be leery about hiring based on gut instinct,
talent assessment were more likely to say their principals
personal judgment, or professional connections alone.
engage parents in ways that have beneficial outcomes
Teachers and students districtwide benefit more from an
for students.
objective, systematic strategy for ensuring that talented
Students have an advantage when their parents work individuals are available to serve in key leadership roles at
actively with teachers and schools to support their all levels.
education. However, too often schools do little to encourage
parent engagement. When asked about their districts’
effectiveness at forming great partnerships with parents/
guardians, just 36% of superintendents said their efforts
are “very effective.” Talented principals help parents feel
like part of the school and encourage them to partner with
teachers in promoting student success.

GREAT P RINCI P A L S FO S TER ENGAGEMENT AMONG TEACHER S , S TUDENT S , AND P ARENT S 35

 Beyond the Principal:
U.S. Education System
Needs Visionary Leaders

Though talented principals and district leaders are critical to cultivating engaging environments for
teachers and students, accountability for educational outcomes does not end with them. Highly qualified
school board members demonstrate visionary leadership for their districts. They work with leaders within
the district as well as the broader community to articulate a clear set of values and priorities for their
schools. And well-informed, practical policymakers at all levels institute guidelines and allocate resources
to help schools attract and retain talented educators. Above all, they help schools avoid restricting
students to a one-size-fits-all approach to learning.

37% of
School Board Governance Affects Outcomes Districtwide
superintendents Many U.S. school districts struggle with a lack of adequate leadership at the
strongly agree board level. Results from the 2013 Gallup-Education Week Superintendent
Panel survey revealed that 37% of superintendents strongly agree that their
that their school school districts are well-governed at the board level. Inconsistent, ill-informed
district leadership is one of the factors that explains why successive waves of
districts are well- learning standards and curricular requirements have restricted principals’ and
governed at the teachers’ autonomy.

board level.

36 B E Y OND THE P RINCI P A L : U . S . EDUCATION S Y S TEM NEED S V I S IONAR Y L EADER S

 What do you think are the biggest problems that the public schools of your community must deal with?

40%
35 36 AMERICAN ADULTS U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
11
10% 8 7 8
5 4 4
5% 3 3 1 3 3 3 3
0%
LACK OF LACK OF OVERCROWDED LACK OF TESTING/ FIGHTING DIFFICULTY DRUG USE
FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE SCHOOLS PARENTAL REGULATIONS GETTING GOOD
SUPPORT SUPPORT TEACHERS
Results from the 2013 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll

School board members in public school districts are Education Policies Can Hamper Efforts to
Build Engaged Schools
typically elected through popular vote or appointed by
elected officials. Brandon Busteed, executive director of This report focuses on conditions at the local level —
Gallup Education, says that regardless of the selection primarily, how conditions in each school can influence the
method, the criteria should be the same: “We should be effort to build engaging learning environments for students.
looking carefully at whether board members have relevant Those conditions are too often underemphasized in the
expertise in education, whether they are committed to being search for districtwide, statewide, or nationwide cure-alls
prepared and staying abreast of the issues, and how well for the U.S. education system. However, that’s not to say
they demonstrate having educators and learners foremost in broader policy concerns should be ignored, or that they have
their mind.” no bearing on schools’ capacity to help students achieve.

Unfortunately, political appointments and low-turnout Funding for education is a perennial point of contention.
elections too often result in board members who fail to meet Americans generally dislike the idea of higher taxes.
Busteed’s criteria. He calls for greater involvement from But when asked about the biggest problem facing their
parents and other community members in determining communities’ public schools, they are most likely to cite a
who serves on their school board. The consequences of not lack of financial support.
being involved in school board appointments, Busteed notes, By international standards, however, schools in the U.S.
percolate throughout the district and ultimately affect the don’t seem to be underfunded. In fact, the U.S. devotes
community’s future: “Governance is critical to getting it a larger share of its total GDP to education than many
right. Great boards hire great leaders. These leaders inspire other developed countries — and the percentage has risen
great teachers, who engage students to help them reach their since 2000.
full potential. Bad boards, on the other hand, pretty much
eliminate the possibility that anything great will come from Part of the problem lies in how the U.S. distributes school
the schools they govern.” funding. Instead of lawmakers devoting extra resources to
schools with disadvantaged students or even distributing

B E Y OND THE P RINCI P A L : U . S . EDUCATION S Y S TEM NEED S V I S IONAR Y L EADER S 37

 funds equitably among public schools in low-income and School districts across the country should consider spending
high-income areas, much of the funding available to schools priorities with an eye toward how each new investment may
comes from local property taxes. Funding from these taxes affect the likelihood that schools will be filled with talented,
creates substantial discrepancies in expenditure per student, highly engaged teachers and administrators. Rich or poor,
depending on the property wealth of a community. That only schools characterized by high levels of engagement
translates into larger class sizes and heavier workloads for among staff and students are in a position to prepare
teachers in low-income areas — factors that could influence students for the shifting demands of the 21st-century
teachers’ engagement levels and their ability to build a job market.
strong relationship with each student.

Another part of the problem is that the U.S., compared with

other developed countries, tends to devote a larger share
of resources to things that don’t necessarily promote the
two most important factors in the learning process: teacher
engagement and student engagement. Consider each of
the following:
only schools
•• High teacher turnover forces many schools to spend
too much on recruiting and training new teachers, and
characterized by high
not enough on identifying and improving workplace
levels of engagement
conditions that are causing so many teachers to leave in
the first place. among staff and students
•• Many districts purchase expensive classroom are in a position to
technology with little or no proven learning value.
High-tech devices and software should be evaluated prepare students for the
carefully for their capacity to help teachers individualize
instruction and to promote rather than distract from shifting demands of the
student-teacher relationships, which constitute the core
21st-century job market.
of the learning process.

•• A 2012 study by the Brown Center on Education Policy

found that standardized testing costs states a combined
$1.7 billion per year, though that figure is just a tiny
fraction of overall K-12 spending. More important is
the opportunity cost such tests represent in terms of lost
instructional time and reduced capacity to individualize
students’ learning experiences.

38 B E Y OND THE P RINCI P A L : U . S . EDUCATION S Y S TEM NEED S V I S IONAR Y L EADER S

Building a Workforce for
the 21st Century
The need to create learning environments that The Common Core State Standards
support students’ strengths and engagement acknowledge the importance of 21st-century
is likely increasing in importance with the skills; the initiative’s website declares that the
growing focus on teaching students 21st-century standards are “based on rigorous content and
skills such as problem-solving, creativity, application of knowledge through higher-
communication, and global awareness. Such order thinking skills” and are “aligned with
abilities are more difficult to quantify for college and career expectations.” Nevertheless,
testing than lower-order skills like basic the Common Core has become a source of
content comprehension. controversy, with some educators arguing that
any attempt to standardize education creates
An April 2013 study conducted by Gallup
harmful rigidity and stifles creativity in the
in collaboration with Microsoft Partners
classroom. The long-term success or failure of
in Learning and the Pearson Foundation
the initiative may in part hinge on whether
asked 18- to 35-year-olds in the U.S. about
its proposed measures are validated by studies
the opportunities they had in their last year
that track their relationship to students’
of school to develop seven higher-order
performance in college and/or the job market
skills. Those who said they had frequent
and are flexible enough to allow teachers to
opportunities to develop such skills — most
retain control over their instructional plans and
notably, real-world problem-solving — were
avoid “teaching to the test.”
about twice as likely to report higher-quality
work lives than those who did not experience The development of real-world problem-solving
these types of opportunities. skills is particularly important in the education
of America’s next generation of entrepreneurs
The study also demonstrated the importance
and business leaders. As Brandon Busteed,
of teachers’ ability to connect with students
executive director of Gallup Education,
in helping prepare them for the future. Young
argues, programs that identify and nurture
Americans who say they had teachers who
entrepreneurial talent are crucial to the country’s
“cared about my problems and feelings” and
economic future.
who “knew about my hopes and dreams” were
much more likely to have developed 21st-
century skills. The full report on this study is
available on Gallup’s website.

39
 Time for America to Go to
Entrepreneurship School
By Brandon Busteed, Executive Director, Gallup Education

Brandon Busteed is the executive director of Gallup Education. His work involves integrating Gallup’s
research and science on selection, strengths, engagement, and well-being to improve educational
outcomes. His mission is to create a national movement to measure the educational outcomes that
matter most, connect education to jobs and job creation, and promote a paradigm shift from knowledge
mastery to emotional engagement in education.

Busteed is a nationally known speaker and author on education policy. His work has been featured in The New York
Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today and on NPR and the NBC News “TODAY” show,
among others. He is a trustee emeritus of Duke University and has served on the Board of Visitors of the Sanford School
of Public Policy.

Here’s a new old idea for America: Let’s This pipeline is our education system. And in
identify, recruit, develop, and make a it, everyone counts: K-12 public schools, private
welcoming home for all of the entrepreneurs in schools, charters, colleges and universities,
the world. We’ve done it before, and we can do and vocational training programs. But our
it again. But to do it again, it will require all of current system not only fails to embrace
us to go back to entrepreneurship school. entrepreneurs — in many ways, it holds
them back.
As Gallup’s chairman and CEO, Jim Clifton,
argues in his book The Coming Jobs War, job Gallup’s findings on entrepreneurs tell us they
creation is almost entirely in the hands of small are not typically the kids with the best grades,
and medium-sized businesses. In other words, the kids who pay the most attention in class,
America’s economic engine runs on the backs or the kids who follow traditional education
of its entrepreneurs. It’s that simple. To remain paths. If we made this idea of becoming the
the world’s leading economic power, we need to world’s “entrepreneurial talent pipeline” a
create the world’s most potent entrepreneurial national priority, we’d start by reimagining
talent pipeline. and reinventing our entire education system.
We’d focus on building alternative pathways
through our system that identify and develop

40
entrepreneurial talent in the same way that we All educational institutions can and must move
identify and develop talent in academic fields. in the direction of embracing entrepreneurs,
but those who move fast will win the most
This is not a crazy idea. In fact, Gallup recently
talent, prestige, and alumni-funded financial
launched a scientifically valid assessment
windfalls. Vocational programs have a history
of entrepreneurial talent, one that provides
of moving really fast. And they will be
developmental guidance for the entrepreneur
leading the way in getting America back to
and for his or her mentors and teachers. Clifton
entrepreneurship school.
has noted the transformational nature of this
new tool, saying, “We need to make identifying In the meantime, Gallup is ready to play its role
entrepreneurs as intentional as we do finding in identifying all of the entrepreneurial talent
kids with genius IQs or recruiting the next in the country, and that starts with America’s
football, basketball, and baseball stars.” entrepreneurial talent pipeline — our schools.

Vocational training in the U.S., tragically,

has a negative connotation. It’s seen as second
or third place to college. But that’s about to
change. Vocational training is entrepreneurship.
And entrepreneurship is the hottest ticket on
the planet. Farmers, restaurateurs, and trade
workers such as electricians and plumbers —
all of them are entrepreneurs. You don’t need
a degree to start a company. But if we do this
right, we’ll have a lot more entrepreneurs with
degrees and trade skills, simply because we
engineered these programs to embrace them
and their talents, as opposed to neutralizing or
marginalizing them.

41
 A Bill of Rights for
All Students in
America’s Schools
A Nation at Risk, the landmark 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education,
lambasted the “mediocre education performance” of U.S. schools and sounded a clarion call for
sweeping reform. Three decades later, the national dialogue about American education has produced
countless arguments on what schools should do differently and how to better prepare American
students for success. Recommendations have focused largely on how to address shortcomings among
students, teachers, schools, and entire districts.

Imagine what the world would look like if, instead, times as likely to be engaged learners as their peers who
much of this discussion was devoted to finding ways to strongly disagreed with both statements.
maximize human potential. Picture more education reform
Brandon Busteed, executive director of Gallup Education,
initiatives focused on creating new avenues that allow all
has proposed a new Bill of Rights for U.S. students. “Fixing
involved — from students to superintendents — to do
our economy and the education system that fuels it can’t
more of what they do best every day. The potential impact
be accomplished by focusing on weaknesses,” Busteed says.
is unfathomable.
“We need to find what’s strong, not what’s wrong.”
According to Gallup data, students’ overall level of
It ensures that students at all levels of the U.S. education
engagement with the learning process peaks at 76% in
system are able to agree with the following three statements
elementary school, before falling to 60% in middle school
about their experiences at school:
and then 43% in high school. If schools put more focus on
students’ strengths rather than their weaknesses, students 1. I have someone who cares about my development.
would be more engaged throughout their education.
2. I do what I like to do each day.
Add in the effect of teachers who have the ability to keep 3. I do what I’m best at every day.
students focused on their hopes and dreams, and the results
are amazing. It’s worth reiterating: Among the 600,000 Securing these basic rights will change the trajectory of
students who took the Gallup Student Poll in 2013, those students’ lives. It will also transform the state of America’s
who strongly agree that their schools are committed to schools — and help put the country on a more sustainable
building students’ strengths and that they have teachers track toward progress and prosperity.
who make them excited about the future were almost 30

42 A B I L L OF RIGHT S FOR A L L S TUDENT S IN AMERICA ’ S S CHOO L S

ABOUT GALLUP
EDUCATION
Gallup’s work serving K-12 education institutions starts with a
focus on the development of students into successful, healthy,
and happy individuals who thrive by doing meaningful work and
contributing to society. American students’ ability to achieve great
jobs and great lives is the ultimate outcome for which educators are
held accountable. Gallup is working diligently to support education
leaders in this pursuit.

To develop students, schools must identify and hire the most

talented staff, teachers, and principals. Gallup aids superintendents
in finding the most talented people and helps them implement
strengths-based leadership and development programs for their
staff, teachers, and students. In turn, Gallup helps school leaders
measure and drive teacher and student engagement.

For more information about Gallup’s work with school districts and
other education institutions, please visit education.gallup.com, or
email us at education@gallup.com.

A B OUT GA L L U P EDUCATION 43
 APPENDIX: METHODOLOGY
NOTES AND REFERENCES
Much of the data in this report come from the 2013 Gallup will need to create a personal account on their school’s
Student Poll, the 2013 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll, portal at the Gallup Student Poll website. The user must log
Gallup’s Daily tracking survey, and Gallup Panel surveys. in to every computer used for polling. By logging in to the
Please see the following pages for details. school’s account and accessing the survey, each complete
registered through that account is assigned to that school’s
The Gallup Student Poll data and scorecard.
The annual Gallup Student Poll is offered at no cost to
public schools and districts in the United States. The online
2013 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll
poll is completed among a convenience sample of schools Gallup conducts an annual poll on behalf of the education
and districts each fall. Schools participating in the annual association Phi Delta Kappa International. The overall
Gallup Student Poll are not randomly selected and are objective of this study is to learn the opinions of the
neither charged nor given any incentives beyond receipt of American public on key issues facing K-12 education in
school-specific data. Participation rates vary by school. The this country.
poll is conducted during a designated survey period and
To achieve this objective in 2013, Gallup conducted 1,001
is available during school hours Tuesday through Friday
interviews from May 7 to May 31 with members of the
only. The Gallup Student Poll is administered to students
Gallup Panel aged 18 and older who reside in households
in grades 5 through 12. The primary application of the
with telephones. All interviews were conducted via
Gallup Student Poll is as a measure of noncognitive metrics
outbound telephone interviewing, with a national sample of
that predicts student success in academic and other youth
adults aged 18 and older drawn from the Gallup Panel (see
development settings.
below for details on Gallup Panel methodology). Gallup
The overall data from the annual administration of the sampled a national cross-section of households to yield a
Gallup Student Poll may not reflect responses from a representative survey across all segments of the population
nationally representative sample of students, and the overall in telephone-owning households. The obtained sample was
data are not statistically weighted to reflect the U.S. student statistically adjusted (weighted) to be representative of U.S.
population; thereby, overall data and scorecards should adults nationwide.
be used cautiously by local schools and districts as a data
Gallup conducted surveys in English only. Up to
comparison. School and district data and scorecards provide
five calls were made to each household to reach an
meaningful data for local comparisons and may inform
eligible respondent.
strategic initiatives and programming, though the results are
not generalizable beyond the universe of the participating For results based on the total sample of 1,001 adults, one
school or district. can say with 95% confidence that the margin of error
attributable to sampling error is ±3.8 percentage points;
To access the survey on school computers, a user
in the case of subsamples, the margin of error would be
for the school or district must register an account at
greater. In addition to sampling error, question wording
www.gallupstudentpoll.com. It is recommended that
and practical difficulties can introduce error or bias into the
students take the survey in a computer lab environment
findings of public opinion polls. Reported frequencies may
where all computers can be logged in and ready for polling
not add up to 100% as a result of rounding or the exclusion
prior to student arrival. However, any school computer with
of “Don’t know/Refused” results in some cases.
access to the Internet can be used. Survey administrators

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Gallup Daily Tracking Retention
As with any sample designed for longitudinal analysis,
Gallup Daily tracking methodology relies on live
attrition affects the Gallup Panel. However, Gallup
interviewers and dual-frame telephone sampling (which
attempts to retain panelists for as long as possible and makes
includes listed landline and random-digit-dial (RDD)
special efforts to retain individuals who are in the greatest
cellular phone sampling to reach those in cellphone-only
danger of attrition. When panelists fail to respond to three
households) and uses a multicall design to reach respondents
consecutive surveys, they receive a postcard encouraging
not contacted on the initial attempt. Gallup interviewers
them to participate the next time they receive a survey. If
employ a “most recent birthday” selection method for
they still do not respond after two additional surveys, they
choosing adult respondents within a landline household.
receive a courtesy call asking if there are any problems
Gallup Daily tracking includes Spanish-language interviews
and encouraging their participation. After six consecutive
for Spanish-speaking respondents, and interviews in Alaska
missing survey responses, Gallup drops them from the
and Hawaii.
Panel. Because of these efforts, attrition averages about 3%
Gallup weights the data daily by number of adults in the per month.
landline household to adjust for any disproportion in
selection probabilities and by the respondents’ reliance on Size

cellphones. Next, Gallup weights the data to compensate Currently, the Gallup Panel consists of more than 60,000
for nonrandom nonresponse, using targets from the U.S. individual members from more than 50,000 households.
Census Bureau for age, region, gender, education, ethnicity, Gallup recruits new members on an ongoing basis to
and race. The resulting sample represents an estimated 95% replenish demographic segments that have left the Panel.
of all U.S. households.
Response rates
Gallup weights data summarized at the state, congressional The response rate for any individual survey conducted
district, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) through the Gallup Panel ranges between 50% and 70%,
level twice per year (for states) or once per year (for depending on the length of the field period. However, to
congressional districts and MSAs) to ensure that samples calculate the American Association for Public Opinion
are representative of these areas. Research or Council of American Survey Research
Organizations response rate, one must take into account all
The Gallup Panel
recruitment phases. The initial RDD recruit has a response
The Gallup Panel recruits its panelists by calling prospective rate of about 27%. Approximately 55% of those who agree
members via an RDD frame of landline and cellphone to participate in the Panel ultimately are officially enrolled
numbers or using address-based sampling. Those who in the Panel. Thus, before Gallup conducts any individual
agree to join the Panel complete a short set of demographic study, the response rate is between approximately 7%
questions about themselves. Upon Gallup’s receipt of this and 10%.
information, these individuals officially become members of
the Gallup Panel. REFERENCES
2013 Gallup Student Poll: One in Three Participants Are
Once individuals are part of the Panel, Gallup encourages
“Success-Ready”
them to remain members as long as they are willing and
interested. Panel members agree to participate in an Gordon, G. (2013). School leadership linked to engagement
average of three surveys per month. Surveys are either and student achievement. Omaha, NE: Gallup. Available
administered by an interviewer (over the phone) or are self- at education.gallup.com.
administered (either by mail or via the Web, depending on
the respondent’s Internet accessibility). Newmann, F. (1992). Student engagement and achievement
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