Excellent Public Education

Definition: Includes the quality of education at all levels - youth to adult, as well as vocational, lifeskills, cultural, and civic training

• "Increase the standard of education in our community."
• "Develop successful education system city wide; eliminate high school drop-out rate and increase college attendance rates."
• "Our schools must become the center of our community. Schools should be run by the immediate surrounding community, otherwise they are just faceless governments."
• "Make education of children a high priority. Not simply schools, but museums, libraries, and community centers."
• "Provide an alternative within the education system that helps develop and train our youth in activities that can be job related."
• "Schools that are credible, committed, and focused."
• "We need to educate our children in living skills, basic living, getting along with each other, and respecting our differences, as well as the 3 R's."

• Information Technology – providing high speed Internet access to city libraries, neighborhood centers and high schools, and to Pima Community College and the University of Arizona
• Library – working closely with schools and offering programs to help educate children
• Parks and Recreation – offering programs designed to both educate and enhance learning skills

1. Level of participation by parents in schools Participation of parents is a critical element in the success of schools and the educational experience of students. Schools (K-12) report attendance at school functions including parent-conferences, open house, PTO meetings. Volunteer hours are tracked by schools as well.

Participation of parents in their children's lives is a critical element of healthy families. Staff is researching this question: either a community survey or a questionnaire through the schools appear to be the most feasible ways to determine participation.

2. Percentage of students going on to higher education or technical training Students going on to higher education or training reflects the quality of the education they have received. High school counselors track their students career options at the end of the senior year.

Students going on to higher education or training reflects the quality of the education they have received.

Source: Tucson Citizen High School Student Opinion Poll

1998 Results

Question: "Do you plan to go to college after high school?"

• 4 year college: 57.7%
• 2 year college: 22.8%
• trade school: 3.4%
• Total: 83.9%

3. Community satisfaction with public education A direct way to measure the quality of public education is to ask people. School district report cards survey overall satisfaction of parents annually. Selected employers are surveyed for educational preparation of employees. A citizen survey could ask parents about their satisfaction with the public school system.

Source: Resident survey

4. High School Drop Out Rate Tucson's drop out rate is below the State average. Statewide, the dropout rate for the 1997-98 school year was 11.5 percent, down from 12.8 percent a year earlier. Nearly all Tucson districts had much lower rates, ranging from 2.5 percent in Catalina Foothills District to 10.6 percent in Flowing Wells. Sunnyside District was the only local district with a rate higher than the state average – 19.7 percent. Over all the average in Pima County was 9 percent.

Source: Tucson Citizen

5. Percent of hiring from local job pool The percentage of newly hired employees for living wage jobs that are from Tucson reflects the quality of Tucson's educational system. This information can be collected through surveys with key Tucson employers.

Source: Business survey

6. Attendance at libraries and museums Attendance at libraries and museums indicates the value of education to the community and the degree to which people are engaged in lifelong learning. Attendance figures can be collected from libraries and museums.

Source: Attendance statistics

What YOU can do:

• Take advantage of low-cost classes offered at Parks and Recreation and Pima Community College
• Utilize library facilities and get your children involved
• Visit museums and the zoo
• Participate in educational community events
• Attend community-based forums and workshops
• Volunteer at your child’s school