Survey Finds Principals More Optimistic About State of K-12 Education

Annual Principals’ Assessment of Public Education from MCH Strategic Data Finds Significant Number of Schools Are Common Core Ready

Sweet Springs, Mo. —MCH Strategic Data, the leading provider of real-time educational marketing data, releases results from the fourth annual Principals’ Assessment of Public Education. Conducted in partnership with edWeb.net, the assessment reveals principals are more optimistic than last year about changes in learning standards and technology taking place in their schools.

Designed to track trends within K-12 schools, the assessment compiled survey responses from more than 500 principals in elementary, middle and high schools across the country. The results provide a snapshot of the current state of schools as they implement Common Core and college and career readiness standards, develop student data privacy policies, and establish a better understanding of what constitutes 21st century learning.

“Shifting expectations for what is taught in schools and how it is being taught are active conversations taking place in every district, whether they are implementing Common Core standards or not,” said John F. Hood, president of MCH Strategic Data. “There are new benchmarks for student achievement and new evaluation methods for educators, making principals’ voices even more important.”

The Principals’ Assessment of Public Education reveals that among the respondents working in districts that have adopted the Common Core, nearly 90 percent have implemented or are in the process of implementing Common Core standards. Additional key findings of the survey include:

  • More than 56 percent of principals report that the implementation of Common Core is driving their technology purchases. Only half of the districts surveyed have sufficient bandwidth for conducting online assessments. When asked if they were more focused on increasing bandwidth or acquiring mobile devices, 63.6 percent of principals responded they were purchasing both.
  • Protecting student privacy from the encroachment of big data is also an issue for principals. More than 90 percent of respondents report that their districts have written policies protecting student data.
  • School funding and student readiness remain the greatest concerns for principals; however, many see better instruction and increased rigor of the curriculum within their schools as a positive shift from last year.

To view the full results of the principal survey, visit http://mchdata.com.

Featured

  • Anderson Brulé Architects Rebrands as ABA Studios

    Anderson Brulé Architects, based in San Jose, Calif., recently announced that it is celebrating 40 years of service by rebranding under a new name, according to a news release. The architectural, interior design, and planning firm will now be known as ABA Studios to refresh its identity underneath a new generation of leadership.

  • California Boarding School Opens New Inquiry Collaborative Facility

    Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, Calif., for students grades 9–12, recently announced that it has finished renovating a historic dining hall into a new academic hub, according to a news release. The school partnered with Blackbird Architects and Tangram Interiors on the two-story, 16,000-square-foot Inquiry Collaborative.

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

Digital Edition