Leadership Perspectives
on Public Education
The Gallup 2018 Surveyof K-12 School District
Superintendents

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

2Executive Summary

4

Key Findings
4

The Future of K-12 Education

6

Challenges Facing K-12 Education

11

Evaluating Effectiveness

14

Student Preparedness

22

Work Partnerships

29

Combined Work/Higher Education Programsfor High School Graduates

31

Federal Education Policy

33

School Safety Measures

36

Conclusion

37

Methodology

38

Respondent and District Characteristics

40

Appendix46

About Gallup

47

About Gallup Education

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Executive Summary
Gallup developed this research study of K-12 superintendentsof U.S. public school districts to understand their opinions onimportant topics and policy issues facing elementary and secondary
education. Since 2013, Gallup has conducted the survey at least
annually. The following are key findings from the 2018 study.
The vast majority of superintendents remain excited about the future of their school
district but are less enthusiastic about the future of K-12 public education in the U.S. Twiceas many superintendents strongly agree or agree they are excited about the future of theirschool district (86%) as strongly agree or agree they are excited about the future of U.S.
K-12 education (42%). However, opinions of the future of U.S. K-12 education are morepositive now than they were a year ago (32%).
Superintendents see the biggest challenges facing their district as recruiting and retaining
talented teachers, improving the academic performance of disadvantaged students, anddealing with the effects of poverty on student learning. Sharply more superintendents areconcerned about preparing students for engaged citizenship — 74% strongly agree oragree it is a challenge for their district, up from 50% in 2017 and 51% in 2013.
The most important measures of school effectiveness in superintendents’ eyes are highschool graduation rates and having engaged and hopeful students. Roughly nine in 10
regard these as very important indicators. A much smaller, and declining, percentage
of superintendents (61%) regard standardized test scores as a very important measureof effectiveness.
While superintendents are much more likely to agree than to disagree that high school
graduates are well-prepared for success in college or for success in the workforce, sizable
percentages are neutral. They see support to develop social and life skills as most helpful
among various strategies to better prepare students for both college and the workforce.
Additionally, they believe job shadowing, internship and entrepreneurship opportunities aremost helpful in improving student preparedness for the workforce.
More than seven in 10 superintendents say their district partners with local businesses
or institutions to help promote career and vocational training. Thirty-five percent say theirdistrict has partnerships with employers to recruit students directly out of high school intofull-time jobs. Manufacturing, skilled trades, healthcare and construction are some of theindustries that superintendents most commonly say their graduates are getting jobs indirectly out of high school. The most frequently cited specific job superintendents say theirstudents get directly out of high school is welding.

2

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

The vast majority of superintendents, 91%, strongly agree or agree they would be in favorof scaling back current curriculum and testing requirements to allow students time forinternship, apprenticeship and job shadowing opportunities.
Superintendents remain very negative in their evaluation of how the federal governmentis handling K-12 education policy — 42% say it is doing a poor job, and 44% say its
performance is “only fair.” A slim majority say they have “no confidence at all” in the Trumpadministration to handle K-12 education policy, though this is down slightly from last year.
The percentage of superintendents saying their schools have armed security personnel,
42%, is up slightly since the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in early 2018. That compareswith the 38% measured in 2013 after the December 2012 Newtown, Connecticut,
school shooting. However, there has been a substantial increase in the percentage ofsuperintendents who say they are considering adding armed personnel in schools.

3

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Most superintendents believe students and parents would be interested in a programin which large employers recruit students out of high school into full-time jobs while
offering them opportunities to pursue higher education. More than three-quarters ofsuperintendents say their district would participate in such a program.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Key Findings
The Future of K-12 Education
U.S. public school superintendents remain enthusiastic about the future of their school
district. As is typical, they are much less excited about the future of public education in
the U.S., although their optimism about education in the country has rebounded after adecline last year.
Eighty-six percent of superintendents strongly agree or agree they are excited about the
future of their school district, with 53% strongly agreeing. Both percentages are consistent
with results from prior superintendent surveys.
Meanwhile, 42% strongly agree or agree they are excited about the future of K-12 public
education in the U.S., while 24% strongly disagree or disagree. The percentage who agree
they are excited is improved from 32% a year ago and similar to the 44% expressing
excitement in 2015. Last year, in fact, more superintendents disagreed (38%) than agreed(32%) they were excited. That shift could have been tied to uncertainty last year about
K-12 education policy in the early months of the Trump administration.
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements.
%5
Strongly
agree

%4

%3

%2

%1
Strongly
disagree% Don’tknow/
Does
not apply

I A M E XC I T E D A B O U T T H E F U T U R E O F M Y S C H O O L D I S T R I CT.

2018

53

33

11

2

<1

<1

2017

55

30

9

4

2

<1

2015

52

34

9

4

2

0

I A M E XC I T E D A B O U T T H E F U T U R E O F K- 1 2 P U B L I C E D U C AT I O N I N T H E U. S .

2018

14

28

35

17

7

<1

2017

12

20

30

23

15

0

2015

14

30

33

18

6

0

4

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

E X C I T E M E N T A B O U T T H E F U T U R E O F O W N S C H O O L D I S T R I C T,
BY DISTRICT SIZE

% Strongly agree they are excited

65

Large
(4,000 students
or more)56

49

Medium(1,000 to 3,999
students or more)

Small(fewer than
1,000 students)

In addition, 65% of superintendents in cities, 53% of those in suburbs, 55% of those intowns and 48% of those in rural areas strongly agree they are excited about the future of
their district. City superintendents have been more excited than rural superintendents
about their district’s future in previous years’ surveys as well.
Excitement about the future of U.S. K-12 education is similar among superintendents
based on district size and location.

5

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGSSuperintendents of large districts, based on the number of enrolled students, are most
likely to express excitement about the future of their district, and those in small districts areleast likely to do so. Sixty-five percent of those in large districts (with enrollments of 4,000
or more) strongly agree they are excited about their district’s future. That compares with
56% of those in medium-sized districts (1,000 to fewer than 4,000 students) and 49% of
those in small districts (fewer than 1,000 students).

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Challenges Facing K-12 Education
Superintendents are most likely to see improving the performance of disadvantaged
students and finding and keeping talented teachers as challenges for their district. At
least eight in 10 strongly agree or agree that improving the academic performanceof underprepared students (89%), the effects of poverty on student learning (84%),
and recruiting and retaining talented teachers (83%) will be challenges for their school
district this year.
Five other issues are viewed as challenges by at least seven in 10 superintendents. These
include strengthening academic rigor (77%), preparing students for engaged citizenship(74%), budget shortfalls (72%), better preparing students for higher education (70%), andrecruiting and retaining talented principals (70%).
Superintendents are somewhat less likely to say rising demands for assessment from thestate and federal level (63%) and revamping curriculum (57%) will be challenges.
Of these 10 items, recruiting and retaining talented teachers gets the highest level ofstrong agreement, at 61%.
THIS YE AR , THE FOLLOWING IS SUES WILL BE A CHALLE NGEF O R M Y S C H O O L D I S T R I C T.

% 5 Strongly agree%4

Improving the academic performanceof underprepared students

54

35

The effects of poverty on student learning

56

28

Recruiting and retaining talented teachers

61

22

Strengthening academic rigor

3542Preparing students for engaged citizenship

36

38

50

Budget shortfalls
Better preparing students for higher education

24

Revamping curriculum46
46

Recruiting and retaining talented principals
Rising demands for assessment from thestate and federal level

22

24

32
18

6

31
39

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

This year, the following issues will be a challenge for my school district.
% Don’t%1know/
Strongly
Does
disagree not apply%5Strongly
agree

%4

%3

%2

Recruiting andretaining talented
teachers

61

22

10

4

2

<1

Improving
the academic
performance ofunderpreparedstudents

54

35

9

2

<1

<1

The effects ofpoverty on student
learning

56

28

11

4

1

<1

Budget shortfalls

50

22

18

7

3

<1

Recruiting andretaining talented
principals

46

24

16

7

2

5

Preparing students
for engaged
citizenship

36

38

19

6

1

<1

Strengthening
academic rigor

35

42

17

5

1

<1

Rising demands
for assessment
from the state andfederal level

32

31

26

7

4

<1

Better preparing
students for higher
education

24

46

23

4

1

1

Revampingcurriculum

18

39

29

10

3

1

7

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Using a five-point scale, where 5 means strongly agree and 1 means strongly
disagree, please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements
about issues facing your school district this year.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Gallup asked superintendents most of the same items included in this year’s survey in2017, as well as in 2013.
The biggest change since last year is a spike in the percentage who agree that preparing
students for engaged citizenship will be a challenge, which is up 24 percentage points
from a year ago when just half regarded it as a challenge. To some degree, this may be an
acknowledgment of the increasingly contentious and polarized political environment in
the U.S. It could also be a reaction to the prominent student activism on gun violence that
occurred after the Parkland, Florida, school shooting earlier this year. About half, 51%, also
saw preparing students for engaged citizenship as a challenge in 2013.
M A N Y M O R E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T S A G R E E P R E PA R I N GSTUDE NT S FOR E NGAGE D CITIZE NSHIP IS A CHALLE NGE
FOR THEIR DISTRICT% Strongly agree/Agree

74

51

50

2013

2017

8

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

2018

KEY FINDINGS

Seventy-fourpercent ofsuperintendents
regard preparing
students forengagedcitizenship as achallenge for theirdistrict, up from
50% a year ago.

9

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

There have also been double-digit increases compared with last year in the percentage ofsuperintendents who say better preparing students for higher education, strengthening
academic rigor and the effects of poverty on student learning will be challenges for theirdistrict. Similar percentages of superintendents this year as last year believe budget
shortfalls and assessment demands will be challenges for their district.
Changes in Perceptions of Issues as Challenges for District, 2017 to 2018
% Strongly % Strongly
agree/Agree, agree/Agree,
2017
2018

Change(pct. pts.)

Preparing students for engaged citizenship

50

74

+24

Better preparing students forhigher education

59

70

+11

Strengthening academic rigor

66

77

+11

The effects of poverty on student learning

74

84

+10

Improving the academic performance ofunderprepared students

81

89

+8

Revamping curriculum

50

57

+7

Rising demands for assessment fromthe state and federal level

64

63

-1

Budget shortfalls

73

72

-1

Note: The items on recruiting and retaining talented teachers and principals were not asked in 2017.

From a longer-term perspective, compared with 2013, other notable changes are declines
in the percentage who say rising demands for assessment (down from 82% to 63%) andrevamping curriculum (down from 69% to 57%) are challenges. In 2013, many schools
were in the process of revising their curriculum to implement the Common Core State
Standards, which by now would have been adopted or rejected in most states. Since 2013,
there also has been a 13-point increase in the percentage of superintendents who say
improving the academic performance of underprepared students is a challenge.
Although superintendents from all district types regard improving the academic performanceof underprepared students as a challenge, the problem seems especially acute for those incity or large districts. Sixty-nine percent of city superintendents and 65% of those in large
districts, compared with 48% to 59% of superintendents in other types of districts, strongly
agree improving underprepared students’ performance is a challenge.
Also, while 51% of suburban superintendents strongly agree recruiting and retaining
talented teachers is a challenge for their district, that is significantly lower than thepercentages for city (65%), town (63%) and rural (65%) superintendents.
Recruiting and retaining talented principals appears to be a greater challenge for city (57%strongly agree) and large-district (55%) superintendents than for others.

10

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Superintendents see high school graduation rates, student engagement and student
hope as the most important indicators of public school effectiveness in their community.
Roughly nine in 10 say these factors are very important measures of effectiveness, farmore than say the same about other factors tested in the survey.
About half of superintendents believe the percentages of high school graduates who go
to college or community college (48%) or who go to technical or trade school (52%) arevery important indicators of how a school is doing. About a third say the same about thepercentage of graduates who get jobs immediately after completing high school.
Only 9% say standardized test scores are a very important indicator of school
performance, with another 52% calling them somewhat important.
How important do you think each of the following is for measuring theeffectiveness of the public schools in your community?
%%% VerySomewhat Not very
important important important%% Don’t
Not at all know/Does
important not apply

How engaged students
are with school

91

8

<1

0

<1

How hopeful students
are about their future

90

9

<1

0

0

Percentage ofstudents who graduate
from high school

89

9

<1

0

2

Percentage of highschool graduates who
go to technical ortrade school

52

45

2

<1

1

Percentage of highschool graduates
who go to college orcommunity college

48

48

2

<1

2

Percentage of
graduates who getjobs immediately after
completing high school

33

55

9

1

2

Scores thatstudents receive on
standardized tests

9

52

32

7

0

11

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Evaluating EffectivenessNine in 10
superintendents
say student
engagement,
student hopeabout the future,and high school
graduation rates
are very important
indicators of school
effectiveness.
Just 1 in 10 say
the same aboutstandardized
test scores.

12

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

I M P O R TA N C E O F S T U D E N T S ’ S C O R E S O N S TA N D A R D I Z E DTESTS AS A MEASURE OF SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS% Very/Somewhat important

71% Not very/Not at all important

61
39

29

2016

2018

Suburban school district superintendents attach slightly greater importance tostandardized test scores than do those in other locales. Seventy percent of suburban
superintendents say standardized test scores are very (12%) or somewhat (58%)
important measures of school effectiveness, compared with between 58% and 60% of
superintendents in other types of districts.
Rural school district superintendents are less likely to say the percentage of graduates who
attend college or community college is a very important measure of school effectiveness.
Forty-two percent say it is very important, compared with 51% to 55% of superintendents
in other districts.

13

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KEY FINDINGSAll of these items were asked in 2016, and all but the standardized test score item
were asked in 2015. The rank order of responses has generally been similar in eachmeasurement. There have been slight increases in the percentage rating for each as avery important indicator over the past three years, except for standardized testing. Fewer
superintendents regard students’ scores on standardized tests as very (9%) or somewhat(52%) important today than did so in 2016 (14% and 57%, respectively).

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Student Preparedness
Superintendents are much more optimistic than pessimistic that high school graduatesin the U.S. are well-prepared for success in college and the workforce, although many stillneed convincing. Overall, 53% of superintendents strongly agree or agree and only 6%
strongly disagree or disagree that high school graduates are well-prepared for successin college — but 40% do not lean in either direction (give an answer of “3” on a five-point
scale). By 40% to 11%, superintendents agree rather than disagree that high school
graduates are well-prepared for success in the workforce, with 48% being neutral.
Superintendents are more positive about college graduates’ readiness for the workforce— 58% strongly agree or agree they are well-prepared, 34% are neutral, and 6% strongly
disagree or disagree.
Using a five-point scale, where 5 means strongly agree and 1 means strongly
disagree, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following
statements. You may use any number between 1 and 5.
% Don’t%1know/
Strongly
Does
disagree not apply%5Strongly
agree

%4

%3

%2

High school
graduates inthis country are
well-prepared forsuccess in college.

6

47

40

5

1

1

High school
graduates inthis country are
well-prepared forsuccess in theworkforce.

5

35

48

9

2

1

College graduatesin this country are
well-prepared forsuccess in theworkforce.

8

50

34

5

1

2

There is little variation in these attitudes by district type.

14

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Superintendents believe teaching social and life skills — such as conflict resolution,interpersonal communications and persistence — would be helpful in preparing
students for college. Two-thirds of superintendents choose this as most helpful amongsix strategies to improve college readiness. The next most helpful strategies fromsuperintendents’ perspective are financial assistance (29%), financial planning andmanagement (27%), and mentoring (26%). About one in five say college preparation suchas exam prep, college visits and application assistance would be most helpful, while 17%
believe academic support such as tutoring would be.
I N YO U R O P I N I O N , W H I C H O F T H E F O L LOW I N G T Y P E S O FSUPPORT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IN IMPROVING STUDENTP R E PA R E D N E S S F O R C O L L E G E ? P L E A S E S E L E C T U P T O T W O .

% Selecting
Social and life skills such as conflict
resolution, interpersonal communications
and persistence

66

Financial assistance such as scholarships
and loans

29

Financial planning and management

27

Mentoring

26

College preparation such as college exam test
prep, college visits and application assistance20

Academic support such as tutoring

17

15

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KEY FINDINGSThe items about workforce preparedness were previously asked in 2016. There has
been no change in superintendent perceptions that college graduates are prepared forthe workforce, as 58% agreed and 6% disagreed two years ago. There has been a slightincrease in the percentage who believe high school graduates are prepared for workforce
success, from 37% in 2016 to 40% in 2018, with an equal drop in the percentage who
disagree, from 14% to 11%.

Superintendents
believe teaching
students social andlife skills are among
the most important
types of support
districts canprovide students
for success incollege and theworkforce.

16

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

I N YO U R O P I N I O N , W H I C H O F T H E F O L LOW I N G T Y P E S

OF SUPPORT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IN IMPROVINGS T U D E N T P R E PA R E D N E S S F O R T H E W O R K F O R C E ?
P L E AS E S E L E CT U P TO T WO.

% Selecting
Job shadowing, internships andentrepreneurship opportunities

69

Social and life skills such as teamwork,communication and decision-making

66

Job and employment skills training such as
interviewing and resume writing

21
17

Mentoring

13

Career counseling17

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGSLife and social skills also rank prominently when superintendents are asked about
potentially effective strategies for improving student preparedness for the workforce.
Sixty-six percent believe life skills would be most effective — roughly the same percentage
as those who choose job shadowing, internship and entrepreneurship opportunities (69%).
Superintendents are much less likely to choose job and employment skills training suchas interviewing and resume writing (21%), and fewer still pick mentoring (17%) and career
counseling (13%) as the most effective strategies for preparing students for the workforce.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

School districts can also boost student preparedness by providing resources andsupport to help them decide on, and succeed in, their postsecondary pursuits. Most
superintendents say their district provides support for a number of post-high school paths.
More than eight in 10 say their district provides a great deal or fair amount of support for
students pursuing four-year college (85%) and two-year college (82%). Just shy of eight in
10 say the same about technical or trade school, and close to seven in 10 offer resources
for students who want to pursue military service (69%) or want to enter the workforce(65%). A smaller percentage, but still a majority (58%), provide resources for students
wanting to pursue volunteer or service opportunities after high school. Students who
desire to start a business or take a “gap year” after high school likely would find less help
at their high school, with 16% and 8% of superintendents, respectively, saying their district
provides a great deal or fair amount of support for those activities.
To what extent, if any, does your district provide support for students pursuing thefollowing paths after high school graduation?
%A
great deal

% A fairamount%
Not much% Not
at all% Don’tknow/Does
not apply

Four-year college oruniversity

50

35

2

1

12

Two-year college

44

38

4

1

13

Technical or trade school

31

48

7

1

13

Military service

20

49

16

1

13

Entering the workforce

14

51

21

1

13

Volunteer or service
opportunities

16

42

28

3

11

Starting a business

2

14

54

15

14

Taking a “gap year”

2

6

43

31

18

Gallup asked superintendents two years ago about support for these postsecondary
paths, and the results are largely similar. The biggest change is a six-point increase in thepercentage of superintendents who say their district provides a great deal or fair amount of
support for military service. There also has been a slight decline in the percentage who say
their district supports volunteer or service opportunities, from 63% to 58%.
There are generally not meaningful differences in support for the various postsecondary
options by school district size. Although at least eight in 10 superintendents in districtsof all sizes say their district provides at least a fair amount of support for four-year college
or university study, 43% of small-district superintendents say they provide a great deal of
support for this, compared with 62% of those in medium-sized districts and 57% of thosein large districts.

18

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

To what extent does your school district partner with local businesses tounderstand their employment needs to best position students for higher education
credentials and degrees?
% A great deal

% Somewhat% Not at all% Don’t know/
Does not apply

2018

22

61

14

3

2016

25

61

9

5

2013

19

64

16

1

Also, 71% of superintendents say their district works with graduating students a great deal
(13%) or somewhat (58%) to pursue nontraditional higher education credentials such as
part-time enrollment or online programs. But significantly fewer superintendents say theirdistrict offers this type of support now than did so in 2013 (86%).
To what extent does your school district work with graduating students to pursue
nontraditional paths to higher education credentials such as part-time enrollment
or online programs?
% A great deal

% Somewhat% Not at all% Don’t know/
Does not apply

2018

13

58

23

5

2013

26

60

11

4

19

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Regardless of the path that high school graduates take immediately after high school,
for most, the ultimate goal is a well-paying and fulfilling job. More than eight in 10
superintendents say their school district partners with local businesses either a great
deal (22%) or somewhat (61%) to understand their employment needs to best position
students for higher education credentials and degrees. Gallup found similar results whenthe question was asked in both 2013 and 2016. Superintendents in large districts (96%)
are more likely than those in medium-sized (87%) and small (79%) districts to say they havethese kinds of partnerships.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Students’ opportunities for furthering their career preparedness may be limited by theneed to fulfill various state or federal education requirements during their high school
years. Superintendents widely favor relaxing some of those requirements to give students
more time to serve in internships, apprenticeships or job shadowing opportunities.
Ninety-one percent agree, including 71% who strongly agree, that they would be in favorof scaling back current curriculum and testing requirements to allow students to takeadvantage of job training opportunities.
Using a five-point scale, where 5 means strongly agree and 1 means strongly
disagree, please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement.
You may use any number between 1 and 5.
I F S T A T E A N D � O R F E D E R A L S T A N D A R D S A L L O W E D I T, I

W O U L D B E I N FAV O R O F S C A L I N G B A C K S O M E C U R R E N T
CURRICULUM AND TESTING TO MAKE ROOM FOR MOREI N T E R N S H I P, A P P R E N T I C E S H I P A N D J O B S H A D O W I N GOPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

% 5 Strongly agree

%4

%3

%2

% 1 Strongly disagree

5 1 <1
20

71

Two percent had no opinion

Support for relaxing education requirements to make room for career-related opportunities
is high and similar among superintendents of different district types.

20

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Nine in 10
superintendents
are in favor ofrelaxing state andfederal education
requirements togive high school
students more
opportunity
for internship,
apprenticeshipor job shadowing
opportunities.

21

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Work Partnerships
Many U.S. school districts partner with local businesses or institutions to promote careeror vocational training, if not hire students directly out of high school. More than seven in 10
superintendents, 73%, say their district has partnerships to promote career and vocational
training. Meanwhile, 35% report that their district has partnerships with employers who
recruit students directly out of high school into full-time jobs.
Is your school district partnering with area businesses or institutions to help
promote career and vocational training?
%
Yes

73

No

21

Don’t know/Does not apply

7

Does your school district have any current partnerships with employers who recruit
students directly out of high school into full-time jobs?
%
Yes

35

No

53

Don’t know/Does not apply

12

22

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Partnerships to Promote Career/Vocational Training and Hire Graduates Into FullTime Jobs, by District Type% Have partnerships
to promote career/
vocational training% Have partnerships torecruit students directly
out of high school intofull-time jobs

City

83

56

Suburban

65

28

Town

81

40

Rural

69

29

4,000 or more

8860

1,000 to 3,999

81

43

Fewer than 1,000

65

25

East

72

34

Midwest

75

38

South

76

36

West

64

29

D I S T R I C T L O C AT I O NSTUDENT ENROLLMENTREGION23

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Employer partnerships for both training and hiring are more common in city and large
school districts and less common in rural, suburban and smaller districts, as well as thosein the Western region of the U.S. Just one in four superintendents overseeing districts withfewer than 1,000 students have partnerships that help place graduates in full-time jobs
after high school.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Among superintendents who do not have partnerships with local employers to recruit
students into full-time jobs, 31% — equivalent to 20% of all superintendents — say theirdistrict has explored creating such partnerships. Twelve percent of those who work in
districts without partnerships say their district is very likely to create those partnerships in
the next three years, and 36% say their district is somewhat likely to do so.
Has your school district explored creating partnerships with employers to recruit
students directly out of high school into full-time jobs?*
%
Yes

31

No

46

Don’t know/Does not apply

23*Asked of superintendents whose district does not have partnerships with local employers (n=1,098)

How likely is your school district to create partnerships with employers to recruit
students directly out of high school into full-time jobs in the next three years?*%
Very likely

12

Somewhat likely

36

Not very likely

29

Not at all likely

12

Don’t know/Does not apply

13*Asked of superintendents whose district does not have partnerships with local employers (n=1,098)

24

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

With how many companies does your school district have partnerships to recruit
students into full-time jobs directly out of high school? Please enter in a number
between 1 and 999 below.*
%
One

14

Two

15

Three

14

Four

5

Five

17

Six to nine

5

10 to 20

19

More than 20

10

Don’t know/Does not apply

1

Average

9.1

Median5*Asked of superintendents whose district has partnerships with local employers (n=780)

25

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGSSuperintendents who do have partnerships with local employers were asked to give more
specifics about the nature of those partnerships. On average, superintendents say they
have partnerships with nine companies that recruit students directly out of high school intofull-time jobs. Nearly half, 48%, say their district has a more limited set of partnerships withfour or fewer employers. At the other extreme, 10% of superintendents say their district
has more than 20 partnerships.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

As might be expected, city and large school districts tend to have more employment
partnerships than do rural and small-enrollment districts. On average, city andlarge-district superintendents report having 17 such partnerships, compared with fiveamong those in rural and small districts.
AV E R A G E N U M B E R O F E M P L O Y E R S PA R T N E R E D W I T H T O H I R E
S T U D E N T S D I R E C T LY O U T O F H I G H S C H O O L I N T O F U L L � T I M E
JOB S, BY DISTRICT T YPE*

Average number of partnerships
Student Enrollment

District Location

16.8

City

10.1

Suburban

Town

Rural

7.1

4,000
or more1,000 to3,999
Fewer than
1,000

17.4
8.0
4.7

5.3

*Asked of superintendents whose district has partnerships with local employers (n=780)

26

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

In which industries do those partnerships offer jobs for your district’s students
directly out of high school? Please list all industries that come to mind.*%
Manufacturing

40

Skilled trades

27

Healthcare/Medicine

21

Construction/Heavy equipment

20

Automotive

15

Agriculture/Farming

12

Computers/Technology/IT

11

Culinary8

Hospitality/Tourism/Hotel/Resort

7

Customer service/Service industry

6

Retail

6

Restaurant/Food service

5

Nursing/Nursing assistant

4

Energy/Power/Oil and gas

4

Banking/Financial

4*Asked of superintendents whose district has partnerships with local employers (n=780); table shows industries receiving 4%
or more mentions. See full results in the Appendix.

27

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGSSuperintendents most commonly report that students hired directly out of high schoolfrom their district are being hired in the manufacturing (40% mention this), skilled trades(27%), healthcare or medicine (21%), and construction and heavy equipment (20%)
industries. Superintendents also mention significant hiring in the automotive industry(15%), agriculture and farming (12%), and computer and technology industry (11%).

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Welding appears to be a particularly popular job option for high school graduates —27% of superintendents mention welding as a job their students get directly out of highschool as a result of employment partnerships, far more than any other job type. Sixteen
percent of superintendents say their students get jobs in manufacturing, and 11% say
construction. Ten percent say their graduates get jobs as nursing assistants. Other specificjob placements include machinists, auto mechanics and electricians.
What are some types of jobs that your district’s students are getting directly outof high school from these partnerships with employers? Please list all jobs thatcome to mind.*%
Welder27

Manufacturing (nonspecific)

16Construction (nonspecific)

11

Nursing assistant/CNA

10

General labor

8

Machinist

7

Customer service/Service industry (nonspecific)

7

Healthcare/Medicine (nonspecific)

6

Auto mechanic

6

Electrician

6

Restaurant/Food service (nonspecific)

5

Technician/Technical (nonspecific)

5

Carpenter

4

Automotive (non-specific)

4

Mechanics (non-specific)

4

LPN/Nurse

4

Cook

4

Farmer4

Computer programmer/Coder

4

Computers/Technology (non-specific)

4

Skilled trades

4*Asked of superintendents whose district has partnerships with local employers (n=780); table shows industries receiving 4%
or more mentions. See full results in the Appendix.

28

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

One approach to meeting employers’ needs while helping students achieve their careergoals is offering a program that recruits students directly from high school and places
them in full-time jobs. As part of the program, these new employees would be given theflexibility to pursue higher education credentials while they work.
More than three-quarters of superintendents, 77%, say their district would participate insuch a program. Just 4% say their district would not, while the remaining 19% say they
have no opinion or the program would not apply to their district (for example, those serving
only K-5 students).
The next set of questions are about a potential program in which large employers
would recruit students directly from high school into full-time jobs. As part of that
program, employers would offer participants flexible opportunities to pursue
higher education credentials.
Do you think your school district would or would not participate in such a program?
%
Yes

77

No

4

Don’t know/Does not apply

19

After differences in “no opinion” are taken into account, support for the program is high andsimilar by district type.

29

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Combined Work/Higher Education Programs for High School Graduates

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Superintendents predict that both students and parents would be interested in a
concurrent work/higher education program and that teachers and guidance counselors
would support it. Specifically, 61% of superintendents believe students would be extremely
or very interested in the program, and 64% say the same about parents. Sixty-four percent
of superintendents also believe teachers and guidance counselors would be extremely orvery supportive.
How interested do you think students would be in such a program?
%
%
%
%
% Not
% Don’t
Extremely
Very
Somewhat
Not toointerested know/Doesinterested interested interested interested
at allnot apply
2018

21

40

25

3

1

11

How interested do you think parents would be in such a program?
%
%
%
%
% Not
% Don’t
Extremely
Very
Somewhat
Not toointerested know/Doesinterested interested interested interested
at allnot apply
2018

25

39

23

2

1

10

How supportive do you think teachers and guidance counselors would be of sucha program?
%
%
%
%
% Not
% Don’t
Extremely
Very
Somewhat
Not too supportive know/Does
supportive supportive supportive supportiveat allnot apply
2018

20

44

22

2

1

10

Superintendents in large districts are more optimistic than those in small districts thatstudents would be highly interested in the program. For example, 67% of superintendents
in large districts (as well as 65% of those in medium-sized districts) think students would
be extremely or very interested, compared with 56% of those in small districts.

30

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Superintendents are generally critical of the way the federal government has handled K-12
education policy, as they were in the two prior measurements in 2015 and 2017. Forty-two
percent say the federal government has done a poor job in the past five years — a periodthat spans both the Trump and Obama administrations — while just 12% say it has done
an excellent or good job. The percentage giving a poor rating is lower than it was in 2015,
when a majority (53%) gave this rating.
How would you rate the job the federal government has done with K-12 education
policy in the last five years?

% Excellent% Good% Only fair

% Poor% Don’tknow/Does
not apply

2018

<1

12

44

42

1

2017

1

15

40

45

0

2015

1

9

36

53

0

Superintendents’ opinions of the federal government’s handling of K-12 education policy
do not vary by district size. However, city superintendents (35%) are somewhat less likely
than superintendents in other locales to give the federal government a poor rating.
When asked about the current presidential administration specifically, a majority ofsuperintendents, 51%, continue to say they have no confidence at all in the Trumpadministration to handle K-12 education policy, although that is slightly lower than the 55%
who said the same last year. Just 20% have a great deal or fair amount of confidence, up
slightly from 16% a year ago. Gallup has not asked this question about prior presidents, so
it is unclear how confidence in the Trump administration compares with other presidential
administrations.
How much confidence do you, personally, have in the Trump administration tohandle K-12 education policy?
% A greatdeal% A fairamount% Not much

% Noneat all% Don’tknow/Does
not apply

2018

5

15

27

51

2

2017

4

12

26

55

3

31

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

Federal Education PolicyLeadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

As was the case last year, confidence in the Trump administration varies by district location
but is still generally low overall. Twenty-seven percent of rural superintendents haveconfidence in the Trump administration, compared with just 2% of those in city districts. In
fact, 71% of city superintendents have no confidence at all in the current administration.
Confidence in Trump Administration to Handle K-12 Education Policy, byDistrict Type%A
great deal%Afair amount% Not much

% None at all

D I S T R I C T L O C AT I O N

City

0

2

25

71

Suburban

5

10

20

60

Town

3

16

28

51

Rural

6

21

32

40

Suburban superintendents show the biggest change in confidence in the Trumpadministration, with an increase of seven percentage points from 8% to 15%.
C O N F I D E N C E I N T R U M P A D M I N I S T R AT I O N T O H A N D L E
E D U C AT I O N P O L I C Y% Great deal/Fair amount
2018

2017

15
8

2
City

19

15

25

27

8

SuburbanTown

32

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

RuralLeadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

One of the pivotal events of the 2017-2018 school year was the tragedy at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that resulted in the deaths of 17
people. The incident reignited the debate over how to prevent future mass shootings at
schools. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the large number of school shootings in the past
two decades, most superintendents five years ago as well as today say that emergency
notification plans are in place and that safety considerations are a priority in the renovationand construction of district buildings.
Currently, 89% of superintendents say their district has an effective system for providing
immediate notification to parents in case of an emergency, essentially unchanged from the
90% who said so in 2013.
Does your school district have an effective system for providing immediate
electronic notification to parents in case of an emergency?
2013

2018

Yes

90

89

No

9

10

Don’t know/Does not apply

0

1

%

%

Likewise, 88% say safety considerations have been a priority in building construction overthe past five years, similar to the 90% who said so in 2013.
In the last five years, have safety considerations been a priority when renovating or
constructing buildings in your school district?
2013

2018

Yes

90

88

No

8

6

Don’t know/Does not apply

2

6

%

%

33

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

School Safety MeasuresLeadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Although very high in all districts, those in town, rural and small-enrollment districts are lesslikely to say their district has an effective emergency notification system and to say safety
has been a priority in building construction.
Emergency Notification Procedures and School Safety Considerations in Building
Construction, by District Type% Have effective
emergency
notification system% School safety has
been a priority inbuilding renovationor construction

City

94

93

Suburban

94

90

Town

88

91

Rural

87

85

4,000 or more

93

97

1,000 to 3,999

95

91

Fewer than 1,000

8685

D I S T R I C T L O C AT I O NSTUDENT ENROLLMENT

Five years ago, in the months after the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting, 38% ofsuperintendents said their district had armed security personnel or police officers in theirschools. Today, the figure is up slightly to 42%.
Does your school district have armed security personnel or police officers
in schools?
2013

2018

Yes

38

42

No

62

58

Don’t know/Does not apply

0

<1

%

%

34

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Armed security appears to be common in city and large school districts and uncommon
in rural and small districts. Roughly eight in 10 superintendents in city and large school
districts say their schools have armed security personnel. That compares with less than
one in four rural or small districts. About half of suburban and town superintendents reporthaving armed security in schools.
Presence of Armed Security in Schools, by District Type% Have armed security in
district schools
D I S T R I C T L O C AT I O N

City

77

Suburban

49

Town

50

Rural

24

STUDENT ENROLLMENT

4,000 or more

83

1,000 to 3,999

61

Fewer than 1,000

23More than four in 10 rural superintendents who do not have armed security in district
schools say their district is considering adding them.

35

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

KEY FINDINGS

While those figures have not changed much in the past five years, there has been amore substantial change in the percentage of superintendents who say their district isconsidering adding armed security personnel. Of the 58% of superintendents who do
not currently have armed personnel in their schools, nearly half, 46% (equivalent to 27%
of all superintendents), say they are considering adding them. Five years ago, 28% ofsuperintendents who did not already have armed personnel in schools (equal to 17% of all
superintendents) said they were considering adding them.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Conclusion
As superintendents embark on a new school year, they are setting policies and making
decisions that they believe will better educate students and better prepare them fortheir future. It is clear that postsecondary paths are an important consideration for theseeducation leaders, as many districts offer resources to help students succeed in whatever
path they choose after high school graduation. These include formal partnerships with
employers to promote career and vocational training and partnerships to hire students
into full-time jobs. Most superintendents are also open to having their district participate
in programs that combine full-time employment with postsecondary education for highschool graduates, which can put them on a promising career path immediately after highschool while not forcing them to forego the potential benefits of higher education.
Some of the biggest challenges superintendents face, by their own account, are recruiting
and retaining talented teachers and improving the performance of disadvantaged
students. And for most, budget shortfalls remain an issue. Preparing students for engaged
citizenship is becoming more of a challenge, according to superintendents.
Student safety is a fundamental expectation for parents but one that has become harderto guarantee in light of numerous tragic incidents on campuses across the country.
Superintendents have made safety a priority in building construction and believe theirdistrict has an effective emergency notification system in place. Many employ armed
security personnel at schools, and an increasing number are considering doing so after theParkland school shooting.
Superintendents remain frustrated with federal K-12 policy under the Trump administration,
as they were under the Obama administration. They lack confidence in the Trumpadministration to improve it.
Still, the vast majority of superintendents remain excited about the future of their school
district and will continue to strive to achieve what they see as the most important
indicators of success, including high graduation rates, engaged students and students
who are hopeful about the future.

36

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

This survey is an attempted census of U.S. public school district superintendents. Gallup
used a purchased sample list of 12,445 K-12 school districts across the U.S. to email theirsuperintendents to invite them to participate in a web survey. Gallup conducted 1,892
web interviews from June 25-July 18, 2018, achieving a 15% response rate. The sample
of superintendents was weighted to correct for possible nonresponse bias by matching
the obtained sample to targets for all U.S. school districts from the National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES) database on district enrollment, geographical region andlocation of the school in a city, suburb, town or rural area. The weighted sample thus can beprojected to represent public school district superintendents nationwide.

37

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

CONCLU SION AND ME THODOLOGY

Methodology

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Respondent and District Characteristics
What is your age?
%
Younger than 30<1

30 to 394

40 to 4927

50 to 5944

60 to 6922

70 or older

3

What is your gender?
%
Male

72

Female28

How many years have you served as the superintendent in this school district?
%Less than six months2

Six months to less than three years

35

Three years to less than five years

24

Five years to less than 10 years

24

10 years or more

15

Don’t know/Does not apply

038

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents%
Less than six months2

Six months to less than three years

23

Three years to less than five years

20

Five years to less than 10 years

24

10 years or more

28

Don’t know/Does not apply

3

How would you categorize your school district?*
%
City

9

Suburban

20

Town

8

Rural

62

About how many students are currently enrolled in your school district?*%
0 to 999

57

1,000 to 1,999

14

2,000 to 4,999

15

5,000 to 9,999

6

10,000 or more

8

*These tables are based on self-reports from superintendents. Subgroup results in the report are based on school
characteristics as determined by the NCES database.

39

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

RESPONDE NT AND DISTRICT CHAR ACTE RISTIC S

How many years have you served as the superintendent in any school district?

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Appendix
In which industries do those partnerships offer jobs for your district’s students
directly out of high school? Please list all industries that come to mind.*%
Manufacturing

40

Skilled trades

27

Healthcare/Medicine

21

Construction/Heavy equipment

20

Automotive

15

Agriculture/Farming

12

Computers/Technology/IT

11

Culinary8

Hospitality/Tourism/Hotel/Resort

7

Customer service/Service industry

6

Retail

6

Restaurant/Food service

5

Nursing/Nursing assistant

4

Energy/Power/Oil and gas

4

Banking/Finance4

Engineering

3

Woodworking/Carpentry

3

Trucking/CDL/Diesel tech

3

Business/Management/Entrepreneurship3

Clerical/Accounting/Support

3

Metal tech/Fabrication

3

Logistics

3

Law enforcement/Criminal justice3

Government/Civil service/Public works

3

Industrial/Industrial maintenance2

40

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

2

Broadcasting/TV/Radio/Video production

2

Food industry/Processing/Distribution

2

Vocational/Tech

2

Technical trades/Technician

2

Veterinary/Pet care2

Cosmetology

2

General labor

2

Firefighting/Fire science

2

Mechanical/Automation

2

Aerospace

1Child care

1

EMT/Emergency services

1

Transportation/Railroad

1

Drafting/Graphics

1

Pharmaceutical

1

Mining1

Forestry/Park service

1

Chemical industry

1

Warehouse/Distribution/Shipping/Packing

1

Sales/Marketing1

Landscaping

1

Animal science/Dairy/Ranching

1

Timber/Logging

1

Military/Defense

1

Aviation/Aircraft maintenance1

Dental

1

Other

9

*Asked of superintendents whose district has partnerships with local employers (n=780)

41

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

APPENDIX

Education

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

What are some of the types of jobs that your district’s students are getting directly
out of high school from these partnerships with employers? Please list all jobs thatcome to mind.*%
Welder27

Manufacturing (nonspecific)

16Construction (nonspecific)

11

Nurse’s assistant/CNA

10

General laborer

8

Machinist

7

Customer service/Service industry (nonspecific)

7

Healthcare/Medicine (nonspecific)

6

Auto mechanic

6

Electrician

6

Restaurant/Food service (nonspecific)

5

Technician/Technical (nonspecific)

5

Carpenter

4

Automotive (nonspecific)

4

Mechanics (nonspecific)

4

LPN/Nurse

4

Cook

4

Farmer4

Computer programmer/Coding

4Computers/Technology (nonspecific)

4

Skilled trades

4

Agriculture (nonspecific)

3

Drafting/Graphics

3

Sales (nonspecific)

3

Metal tech/Fabrication

3

42

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

3

Assembly line worker

3

Apprentice/Intern

2

Retail (nonspecific)

2

Cosmetologist/Stylist

2

Energy/Power/Gas and oil (nonspecific)

2

Clerical worker/Clerk

2

Hospitality/Resort/Tourism (nonspecific)

2

Firefighter

2

HVAC worker

2

Building trades (nonspecific)

2

Secretary2Server/Waiter2

Truck driver/CDL

2

Veterinary/Pet care (nonspecific)

2

Entry level (nonspecific)

2

EMT/Emergency services

2

Landscaper2

Production (nonspecific)

2

Plant operator

2

Office worker

2

Plumber2Bank teller

2Child care worker

2

Culinary (nonspecific)

1

Heavy machine operator

1

Cleaning/Housekeeping

1

Warehouse distribution/shipping

1

43

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

APPENDIX

CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) operator

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Dental1

Engineering

1

Maintenance1Mill worker

1Hotel management

1

Military/Defense

1

Industrial/Industrial maintenance (nonspecific)1

Law enforcement/Criminal justice (nonspecific)

1

Timber/Logging

1

Broadcasting/TV/Radio (nonspecific)

1

IT Tech1

Teacher

1Banking/Finance (nonspecific)

1

Business/Management (nonspecific)

1

Mechanical/Automation (nonspecific)

1

Animal science/Cattle/Dairy (nonspecific)

1

Transportation/Railroad (nonspecific)

1

Government/Civil service/Public works (nonspecific)

1

Diesel mechanic

1

Management (nonspecific)

1

Pharmaceutical/Pharmacy tech

1

Miner

1

Forestry/Park service (nonspecific)

1

Port/Dock/Marina hand

1

Research and development (nonspecific)

1Marketer1

Nursing home/Elder care aide

1

Aviation/Aircraft maintenance (nonspecific)

1

44

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

1

Tool and die worker

1

Packer/Packaging

1

Correctional officer/Prison worker

1

Roofer

1

Other

12

*Asked of superintendents whose district has partnerships with local employers (n=780)

45

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APPENDIX

Food industry/Processing/Distribution (nonspecific)

Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

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Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their mostpressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach,Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students
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For more information, visit www.gallup.com.

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Leadership Perspectives on Public Education | The Gallup 2018 Survey of K-12 School District Superintendents

Gallup experts work with leaders in education to hire and develop talented educators,
identify the strengths of each student and create engaging learning environments— fostering long-term student success in the classroom and in future careers. The besteducators know that for students to achieve meaningful, lasting success in the classroom
and beyond, they must be emotionally engaged in the education experience. This means
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For more information, visit gallup.com/education or follow @gallupEDU.

47

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ABOUT

About Gallup Education

Even while
acknowledging
many challenges
facing theirdistrict, 86% ofsuperintendents
agree they are
excited about
the future of theirschool district,with a majorityof 53% strongly
agreeing.

48

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