                                ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, July 25, 1996                TAG: 9607250081
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-1  EDITION: METRO

SCHOOLS THE VIRGINIA TECH QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY

Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research polled 1,168 adult Virginians between April 21-May 22. The margin of error is 2.9 percent. Numbers may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Highlights biggest differences between certain groups.

Virginians seem to be sending some mixed signals about public education.

M ost - 70% - rate Virginia public schools as good or excellent, although the percentage of those giving schools an excellent rating is far lower than for many other public services they wee asked to rate.

How would you rate the quality of Virginia's public schools, K through 12?

Excellent 23%

Good 46%

Fair 18%

Poor 7%

Don't know 5%

People living in the urban crescent were more upbeat about public schools than those living in the rest of the state.

Percentage rating public schools as "excellent."

Urban crescent 27%

Rest of state 19%

Likewise, most Virginians - 76 percent - think the Old Dominion is a good or excellent place for kids to get an elementary and high school education.

How would you rate Virginia as a place for young people to get a good education through grade 12?

Excellent 30%

Good 46%

Fair 14%

Poor 4%

Once more, people living in the urban crescent were more positive about schools than those in the rest of the state.

Percentage of those who said Virginia's public schools were "excellent."

Urban crescent 34%

Rest of state 25%

Virginians apparently believe money is a key to improving public schools. Most of those surveyed said the state doesn't spend enough on public schools, and more people called for increased spending for schools than for any other service they were asked about. And there was virtually no difference in the answers between those in the urban crescent and the rest of the state.

Does Virginia spend too much, about the right amount, or not enough on public schools?

Too much 5%

About right 35%

Not enough 54%

Don't know 7%

A PASSING GRADE FOR MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS

Most Virginians also think the state's public schools do a good or excellent job of teaching math and science.

Strongly agree 19%

Somewhat agree 46%

Somewhat disagree 19%

Strongly disagree 11%

Don't know 5%

LENGTH: Medium:   77 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  color.

by CNB