National Poll Cites Dissatisfaction with High Schools

A new poll, conducted by the Global Strategy Group, examines generational impressions of high school and suggests that many students will be bored and unchallenged in school and will leave unprepared for their financial futures. Among Americans ages 18-29, just 43 percent said their high school experience was very positive and nearly three out of ten said they did not receive a quality education. Of all age groups, 72 percent think our elected officials are not doing enough to address the problems facing the American education system. 

In the survey of 1,000 adults nationwide, those ages 18-29 were most likely to believe that high school left them unprepared for the rigors of life and most likely to report that they are unsatisfied with their job and career and current financial situation. The younger generation closest to their high school experiences expressed the highest levels of disappointment.

• Half of adults under 30 (46 percent) say they were mostly bored in high school compared to 27 percent of boomers.
• Half of adults under 30 (52 percent) say their classes were mostly easy; only 38 percent consider their coursework challenging. Conversely, 62 percent of boomers describe their high school curriculum as mostly challenging compared to 29 percent who would describe it as mostly easy.
• Over half of those polled (55 percent) and two-thirds (68 percent) ages 18-29 failed to correctly calculate a 15 percent tip on a $120 bill.

Nearly 40 percent of adults surveyed under 30 were critical of their school and its failure to prepare them for a job that pays the bills. This disappointment is in part a reflection of schools not keeping pace with the real-world demands of current labor and market forces. Two-thirds of new jobs require higher education or some advanced training. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that 70 percent of the 30 fastest growing jobs require some post-secondary education. 

“Back-to-school presents a prime opportunity to call on students and schools to begin their first days with a successful life after high school mentality,” said Vicki Phillips, director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s education initiative, which commissioned the poll.

In Oregon, 38 new small high schools have opened with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Meyer Memorial Trust.   “These poll findings signal a need to expand our reach and help other underserved students, all of whom can succeed with the right mix of high expectations and support,” said René Léger, Executive Director of E3: Employers for Education Excellence, the statewide non-profit that oversees the $25 million dollar E3 Oregon Small Schools Initiative grant. “Students want classes that challenge them and provide them with the knowledge they need to be successful in college or work.  That’s what our small schools are trying to do.”

Nationally, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its partners are focused on increasing graduation and college readiness rates by supporting the creation of new high-quality high schools and the transformation of existing low-performing high schools into more focused and effective learning environments. To date, the foundation has invested more than $1.7 billion to improve high schools, supporting more than 1,800 schools in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

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