Tag: Report

The sixth annual poll of Texas public school teachers, produced by Langer Research Associates for the Charles Butt Foundation, offers an in-depth exploration of teacher preparation and support. It finds that fewer than half of Texas teachers, 48 percent, feel they were prepared to enter the classroom at the start of their careers. The report includes detailed coverage of responses to an open-ended question asking teachers to describe the experiences or trainings that could have helped them be better prepared.

The poll also explores retention and recruitment strategies, teacher pay, ways administrators can create a positive work environment and teachers’ preferred time use, among other topics. Access the full report, topline and methodology here.

We partnered with the Knight Foundation to produce an in-depth study of Americans’ views of book restrictions in U.S. public schools. The study fills a critical information gap in the national conversation about book restrictions by providing rigorous, non-partisan analysis of a nationally representative, probability sample survey of more than 4,500 U.S. adults, including 1,138 parents of children in grades pre-K to 12.

The poll finds that two-thirds of Americans broadly oppose efforts to restrict books in public schools and 78 percent have confidence in their community’s public schools to select appropriate books for students. Despite general opposition to book restrictions, six in 10 see age appropriateness as a legitimate reason to limit access to certain materials.

A national survey for the Media Empathy Foundation finds that Americans with higher body weight broadly perceive negative stereotypes, body shaming, weight-blaming and exclusion from leading roles in media portrayals of people with higher body weight.

One in three feels personally disrespected by portrayals on TV shows or movies at times, as many feel negative impacts on their self-esteem – and one in four reports negative mental health consequences overall.

We’re proud to have partnered with the foundation on this groundbreaking survey, produced among a representative national sample of more than 1,200 people with higher body weight, with the support of Novo Nordisk Inc. See the full report here.

Twenty-six Texas public school teachers participated in five days of moderated discussion in online forums conducted by Langer Research Associates for the Charles Butt Foundation, including 14 who were certified traditionally, in undergraduate and graduate programs, and a separate group of 12 with alternative certifications. Their comments add color and depth to the results of the 2022 Texas Teacher Poll — a separate, representative, random-sample survey of Texas teachers also produced for the Foundation.

Among key takeaways, several participants were on the verge of leaving the profession, echoing results from the 2022 statewide survey. The presence or lack of administrative support emerges as a key variable in teacher retention. Comments make clear that proactive campus administrators can put in place effective teacher support systems that encourage retention. See the full report here.

Surveys have documented disproportionate disinclination among Black people in the United States to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus – a cause of substantial concern for public health professionals given the Black population’s high rates of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. This study, produced and analyzed by Langer Research Associates for the COVID Collaborative, delves deeply into these compunctions, relying on an unusually large, random national sample of Black Americans, a review of the literature on vaccine uptake and consultation with experts in the field.

Conducted among a random national sample of 1,050 Black adults, with a sample of 258 Latinx adults for comparison, the study is being used to help inform a $50 million vaccine education campaign directed by the Ad Council with the participation of the NAACP and UnidosUS. See the executive summary here and full report here.

Digital Promise, an education innovation nonprofit, released its first national opinion poll covering student potential and achievement, learner variability, tailored approaches to learning, the use of educational technology and what teachers rely on to do their work.

The report explores differences and commonalities among public school parents, teachers and the public at large on these topics, among others. Among key findings, at least three-quarters of public school parents, teachers and the American public alike believe most students are capable of reaching high levels of educational achievement – but only 19 to 29 percent say most students are reaching those levels today.

Survey production and analysis was conducted by Langer Research Associates, with the report produced by Digital Promise’s Learner Variability Project.

A statewide survey released by Blue Shield of California Foundation finds a shortfall in treatment for low-income Californians with behavioral health needs. Among those who’ve wanted to speak with a healthcare professional about their emotional health in the past year, only half have done so.

Lack of access and communication are barriers. Six in 10 say they didn’t know who to talk to. Comparatively few rate their providers highly for asking about their emotional well-being. And while three-quarters say it’s important to have access to a counselor at their place of care, just about half say one actually is available.

Produced for the Foundation by Langer Research Associates, the report is the latest in a four-year series of studies examining the healthcare experiences of low-income Californians.