Compared to a , they’re less excited and hopeful about the change it could bring and more angry at its existence, citing concerns about AI’s impact on their cognitive abilities and professional opportunities.

Respondents said they used AI at nearly the same rate they did before — they reported only a slight increase in daily and weekly exposure — but when asked how it makes them feel, the answers revealed growing misgivings. 

Thirty-one percent said it made them angry, up 9 percentage points from 2025. And just 22% said it made them feel excited, down 14 percentage points from last year. Only 18% of respondents said it made them feel hopeful, marking a nine-point drop. Forty-two percent said it made them feel anxious, roughly the same as last year. 

Zach Hrynowski, senior education researcher at Gallup, said the switch was swift. 

“One of my working theories is that (it’s) the high schoolers, who are in their senior year, or especially those college students, who are maybe thinking, ‘AI is taking my job. I just went to college for four years: I spent all this money and now it’s turning my industry upside down,” he said. 

Only 46% of respondents believed AI would help them learn faster, down from 53% the prior year, Gallup found. Fifty-six percent of respondents said it would help them to expedite their work compared to 66% last year. 

Hrynowski notes, too, that users’ unease wasn’t entirely tied to the amount of time they spend engaging with AI. 

“Year over year, among that super user group, they’re much less excited, they are much less hopeful — and they are more angry,” he said. “So this is not a case of some people who are adopting it and loving it and some people who are just avoiding it and feel negatively about it.”

Nearly half of respondents said the risk of the technology outweighs the benefits in the workforce. Just 37% believed it would help them find accurate information, down from 43% the prior year and only 31% believed it would help them come up with new ideas compared to 42% in 2025. 

The survey also notes some disparities by age and race. For example, older Gen Zers are more likely than younger ones to voice concerns about AI’s impact on learning in general. 

Asked how likely is it that AI designed to mainly complete tasks faster will make learning more difficult in the future, 74% of K-12 respondents said it was “very likely” or “somewhat likely” compared to 83% of Gen Z adults who said the same. Men and Black respondents were also less concerned about learning impact than their peers overall.

Results are based on a survey of 1,572 people spread throughout every state and Washington, D.C., conducted between Feb. 24 and March 4, 2026. It was commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation and , Global Silicon Valley. Together, Walton Family Foundation and Gallup are conducting ongoing research into Gen Z’s attitudes toward AI.

Hrynowski believes there might be a link between recent revelations about the harmful nature of social media and AI-related distrust: Many of the respondents came of age, he notes, just as former surgeon general Vivek H. Murthy called for a about its use. 

shapes the user experience in social media. Just last month, a California jury found social media company Meta — owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads — and YouTube injured a young woman’s mental health by design in that could encourage untold others. 

This was the second of two critical decisions: Just a day earlier, a New Mexico jury found Meta — and hid what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.

“I’ve always been very impressed from the start of this work with Gen Z that across the board, not just with AI, they are keenly aware of the risks of technology, whether it’s social media, whether it’s AI or screen time,” Hrynowski said. 

They are not the only generation to harbor these worries. A growing number of parents of K-12 students are pushing back on their screen time, not just , but  

Despite respondents’ skepticism about AI, they’re also readily aware that the technology won’t be walked back: 52% acknowledge that they will need to know how to use AI if they go to college or take classes after high school, while 48% think they will need to know how to use AI in the workplace.

An earlier Gallup study, released just last week, shows 42% of bachelor’s degree students have reconsidered their major because of AI.

Gen Z, in its reluctant acceptance of the technology, wants help in how to navigate it, both in an academic setting and in the workplace. Schools are stepping up, the survey revealed: The share of K-12 students who say their school has AI rules moved from 51% in 2025 to 74% this year. 

Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to ����Ӱ��.

This gap between the American public and students’ experience reveals a college value disconnect highlighted in a new Lumina Foundation and Gallup , The College Reality Check, based on responses from about 4,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduates.

Let’s start with the public mood.

�Ҳ������ܱ�’s higher education confidence measure shows a steep slide from 2015, when 57% of U.S. adults said they had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in colleges and universities, to 36% in 2024. Even with a modest 2025 rebound to about 42%, confidence remains well below the 2015 level.

Yet, here’s what college students say about their day-to-day reality.

The Lumina–Gallup study reports that seven in 10 students say the quality of the education they receive is either “excellent” or “very good,” while 69% feel they belong on campus. Roughly nine in 10 students say their college degree is worth the investment.

Other findings reinforce this pattern. For example, 93% of current associate- and bachelor-degree students say they are at least “very confident” or “confident” that their degree is teaching them career-relevant skills. And 88% believe it will help them secure a job after graduation.

Here are four likely reasons that explain this disconnect.   

First, the surveys are asking two related but different questions: The public is answering questions about the system: Is college affordable? Is it politically biased? Is it worth the debt? Are taxpayers getting value for money?

But students are answering questions about their experience: Do professors know their material? Am I learning? Do I feel respected? Will this help me get a job?

Students can report that courses are strong, professors are committed and the campus is welcoming. But parents worry about the tuition bill. And voters question whether universities are accountable.

Cost and affordability bridge the disconnect: Even students who like college don’t necessarily believe it’s priced fairly. The Lumina–Gallup report finds that only 25% of students say four-year colleges charge fair prices, while a majority say they don’t — though community colleges fare better. The report comments, “students broadly agree that the cost of college is not only unaffordable but even unfair to many hoping to pursue a degree.”

So, students may be satisfied with what they’re learning, while simultaneously believing the bill is too high. The experience ledger and the cost and affordability ledger are not the same. This ambivalence can translate at the public level into declining confidence.

There’s also a behavioral dynamic: When people invest heavily in a decision, they’re less likely to describe it as a mistake. Economists call this the or . Psychologists describe a related phenomenon, , which leads us to align our beliefs with the choices we have made.

College fits this pattern. It isn’t a small purchase but a formative life decision. Students — and families — invest not only tuition dollars but also years of effort and identity in becoming college-educated. It shouldn’t be surprising that many students hesitate to describe that investment as a mistake.

So students distinguish between “college is worth it to me” and “college is fairly priced.” Many believe their education will pay off in career opportunity and personal development, even while acknowledging concerns about cost.

That is less a case of denial than a reflection of ambivalence.

Finally, public opinion is often shaped by the examples that come most easily to mind, what behavioral economists call the . In the case of higher education, those examples are often negative.

Stories of graduates with heavy debt and low wages travel far. Campus controversies dominate cable news and social media. Viral anecdotes about ideological excess or administrative bloat quickly become shorthand for the entire sector.

The typical college experience, however, is far less dramatic. Students attend lectures, complete assignments, form friendships, pursue internships and eventually enter the workforce. Those everyday experiences rarely generate headlines.

The result is reputational drift, a condition where higher education is judged by its most visible outliers rather than by its typical outcomes.

Closing the disconnect between the public viewpoint and the student viewpoint will require clearer evidence about outcomes and visible progress on affordability and opportunity.

If higher education leaders want to close this gap, slogans won’t suffice. What’s needed is clearer signals about value and stronger evidence about outcomes. Here are four suggestions for how to do this.

First, transparency. Institutions should provide clearer information about program-level outcomes such as completion rates, debt levels,and post-graduation earnings, not just institutional averages. Families increasingly want to know what happens in specific majors, not simply the reputation of the college.

Second, cost discipline. Students may value their education, but many doubt that the price reflects its value. Both student and public skepticism will persist unless institutions and policymakers demonstrate credible progress on cost and affordability.

Third, opportunity. Colleges must strengthen the link between education and early-career opportunity through internships, apprenticeships, employer partnerships and the development of the knowledge and skills that translate into workplace opportunity.

Finally, perspective. Policymakers and institutional leaders alike must resist caricature. The national conversation about higher education often swings between two extremes: College is broken or college is indispensable. The reality is more complicated. Most students report positive experiences, while many families remain anxious about cost and value.

For most enrolled students, college is not an ideological battleground or a financial scam. It is a demanding and often rewarding educational experience that they believe will help them build a future.

The public’s declining confidence signals something different. It signals a demand for affordability, accountability, and clearer evidence that higher education delivers value.

Both signals matter. The challenge is to bring them closer together.

If colleges can reduce cost risk, strengthen labor-market relevance, and communicate results more transparently, the reputation of higher education may eventually catch up with the reality many students already report.

Until then, the college disconnect will remain, and may even grow. This outcome isn’t likely to serve students or the nation.

The poll, published by the research firm and the Walton Family Foundation, includes perspectives from 2,232 U.S. public school teachers.

“[The results] reflect a keen understanding on the part of teachers that this is a technology that is here, and it’s here to stay,” said Zach Hrynowski, a Gallup research director. “It’s never going to mean that students are always going to be taught by artificial intelligence and teachers are going to take a backseat. But I do like that they’re testing the waters and seeing how they can start integrating it and augmenting their teaching activities rather than replacing them.”

At least once a month, 37% of educators take advantage of tools to prepare to teach, including creating worksheets, modifying materials to meet student needs, doing administrative work and making assessments, the survey found. Less common uses include grading, providing one-on-one instruction and analyzing student data.

A from the RAND Corp. found the most common AI tools used by teachers include virtual learning platforms, like Google Classroom, and adaptive learning systems, like i-Ready or the Khan Academy. Educators also used chatbots, automated grading tools and lesson plan generators.

Most teachers who use AI tools say they help improve the quality of their work, according to the Gallup survey. About 61% said they receive better insights about student learning or achievement data, while 57% said the tools help improve their grading and student feedback.

Nearly 60% of teachers agreed that AI improves the accessibility of learning materials for students with disabilities. For example, use text-to-speech devices or translators.

More teachers in the Gallup survey agreed on AI’s risks for students versus its opportunities. Roughly a third said students using AI tools weekly would increase their grades, motivation, preparation for jobs in the future and engagement in class. But 57% said it would decrease students’ independent thinking, and 52% said it would decrease critical thinking. Nearly half said it would decrease student persistence in solving problems, ability to build meaningful relationships and resilience for overcoming challenges.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Education recommending the creation of standards to govern the use of AI.

“Educators recognize that AI can automatically produce output that is inappropriate or wrong. They are well-aware of ‘teachable moments’ that a human teacher can address but are undetected or misunderstood by AI models,” the report said. “Everyone in education has a responsibility to harness the good to serve educational priorities while also protecting against the dangers that may arise as a result of AI being integrated in ed tech.”

Researchers have found that AI education tools can be incorrect and biased — even scoring academic assignments than for classmates of any other race.

Hrynowski said teachers are seeking guidance from their schools about how they can use AI. While many are getting used to setting boundaries for their students, they don’t know in what capacity they can use AI tools to improve their jobs.

The survey found that 19% of teachers are employed at schools with an AI policy. During the 2024-25 school year, 68% of those surveyed said they didn’t receive training on how to use AI tools. Roughly half of them taught themselves how to use it.

“There aren’t very many buildings or districts that are giving really clear instructions, and we kind of see that hindering the adoption and use among both students and teachers,” Hrynowski said. “We probably need to start looking at having a more systematic approach to laying down the ground rules and establishing where you can, can’t, should or should not, use AI In the classroom.”

Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to ����Ӱ��.

The published Feb. 5 found that 73% of 1,005 adult respondents were dissatisfied with the quality of public education in the U.S. It’s the highest dissatisfaction rate since the survey began, and a 5-point increase from last year’s rate of 68%. In 2001, dissatisfaction was at 57%.

The survey’s respondents, who were polled from Jan. 2 to 15, weighed in on 31 topics including the nation’s security, race relations, gun policies and health care affordability. 

People were most content with America’s military strength and preparedness, with a 63% satisfaction rate. Overall quality of life, the position of women in the nation and the opportunity for people to get ahead by working hard followed.

The quality of public education fell near the bottom of the satisfaction list. Only the nation’s moral and ethical climate and its efforts to deal with poverty and homelessness ranked lower.

Though the new poll didn’t delve into specifics, a asked why respondents were dissatisfied with K-12 education. The top five answers were poor or outdated curriculum, poor quality education, lack of teaching basic subjects, political agendas being taught and students not learning life skills.

Previous Gallup surveys over the past two decades parents of school-aged children are much more likely to be satisfied with the quality of their own child’s education than with the nation’s education system overall. Last year, found that 70% of parents of K-12 students said they were either completely or somewhat satisfied with the education their oldest child received.

In the new poll, Americans’ average satisfaction among all the topic areas was at 38%, down from 41% in January 2021 and 48% in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey found that members of both political parties were also dissatisfied with the quality of public education in the U.S. Only 16% of Republican respondents and 30% of Democrats said they were satisfied.

“Americans’ persistent low satisfaction with national conditions may be hard for the nation’s leaders to address,” says. “However, the rank order of concerns resulting from this poll offers [President Donald] Trump and officials at all levels of government guidance on where the public might appreciate them focusing their efforts.”

The annual “end of year report card” from and the surveyed more than 2,000 students in grades 5 through 12, who gave their schools’ an overall grade of “B-” — the same score for the .

But students ages 12 to 19 had disparate opinions depending on their household income, with lower income students giving a “B-” compared to higher income students giving a “B” grade.

Stephanie Marken, Gallup senior partner for U.S. research, said students’ “neutral” remarks are concerning — particularly among those from lower income families who are “even more likely” to miss out on the support needed to thrive in school.

“At a time where we need an education experience to be anything but average, we continue to see students give their schools neutral scores on the metrics that matter most,” Marken said in a statement.

Here’s a snapshot of how students graded their schools this year:

Disclosure: The Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to ����Ӱ��.

Mayor, a 12th grade student at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, said she is often just going through the motions in her classes where she feels disconnected from her schoolwork.

It’s the work after school that excites her.

“If you’re not engaged with school and involved in clubs and have a group of friends that help you stay around, I understand why you wouldn’t feel that sense of comfort and purpose going to school,” Mayor, 18, told ����Ӱ��.

Mayor is one of many Gen Z students who feel disenchanted and disconnected from school.

A from and the surveyed more than 1,000 Gen Z students between the ages of 12 to 18, finding that less than half enrolled in middle or high school felt motivated to go to school. About half said they do something interesting in school every day.

The report found the most influential driver of Gen Z students’ happiness is their “sense of purpose” at work and school, with more than 60 percent considering themselves happy.

The sentiment among Gen Zers has forced educators nationwide to shift their strategies and way of thinking to find new ways to engage students — from offering a range of elective classes, such as graphic design and culinary arts, to internships that sync up with careers they’re interested in. 

This shift also comes as a growing number of high school students value on-the-job training over other postsecondary options, including a four-year degree.

Mayor said the survey results were “honestly not that surprising.”

She said many of her classmates have grown disconnected from school because teachers often position students’ future success with how well they perform in traditional academic courses.

“I’ve seen a lot of students struggle…but they’re good at other things like art or sports, and I feel like that’s something teachers should recognize and hone in because not every student is going to be good at academics,” Mayor said.

Tackling Student Disengagement

Courtney Walker, an assistant principal at Carrolltown High School in Georgia, addresses student disengagement by offering elective classes including graphic design and culinary arts. She also has students take career aptitude tests to gauge their skills.

“Anytime we add new elective courses, we use the [career aptitude test] data to help us plan courses that align with students’ interest that they could be very talented and successful in,” Walker told ����Ӱ��.

Walker said high school students who have already completed graduation requirements are “plugged into internships.”

“We had a student a couple of years ago that really knew he wanted to become a pilot so we were able to set up an internship at the West Georgia Regional Airport,” Walker said.

“We really want to make sure we’re providing students with opportunities to dig into fields that they really are passionate about,” she added, “so that they don’t just graduate from high school but also have a plan and support in place to be successful in that plan.” 

Kimberly Winterbottom, a principal at Marley Middle School in Maryland, said students need to feel “connected” with both their peers and adults, such as teachers or mentors they trust. 

“We spend a lot of time trying to connect kids to what they’re interested in, whether it’s joining a club, or if they’re struggling connecting them with an adult they really respond to,” Winterbottom told ����Ӱ��.

Winterbottom added how having direct conversations with students on the importance of engaging in school has proven helpful.

“Adults don’t spend a lot of time explaining to students the reasons why but I feel like when we do some light bulbs go off and students start to understand and become more invested,” Winterbottom said.

Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to ����Ӱ��.

The report from and the surveyed more than 14,000 respondents in the fall of 2023 — including about 6,000 enrolled college students, 5,000 students who left college and 3,000 adults who never enrolled.

More than 40 percent of Black and Latino students considered leaving compared to 30 percent of white students — with stress, mental health and cost leading the reasons why.

“The fact that stress and mental health concerns continue to be the number one concern for Black and Latino students is alarming,” said Dr. Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at the Lumina Foundation. “It’s something we need to pay attention to because it’s almost like a cry for help for [postsecondary] institutions to do something about this.” 

Brown said Black and Latino adults’ enthusiasm for enrolling in a traditional four-year college has waned in comparison to certificate and associate degree pathways.

Most recent enrollment gains were carried by community colleges with a vocational program focus compared to those with a transfer focus.

“Black and Latino adults recognize the cost is high and their time is limited,” said Brown. “So if they can invest in something like a certificate or associate degree that gets them into the workforce as fast as possible it makes more sense.”

Here are four key takeaways from the report:

1. Black and Latino students are more likely to leave postsecondary programs than their white peers.

More than 40 percent of Black and Latino students were likely to consider leaving college compared to about 30 percent of white students.

Black students experienced slight improvement compared to 2022 but their likelihood of leaving remained higher than 2021 and 2020.

Latino students also saw improvement compared to 2022 returning them to similar levels in 2020.

2. Emotional stress, mental health and cost are consistent reasons across racial groups for why current students considered leaving their postsecondary programs.

More than 50 percent of students said stress was their biggest reason to consider leaving college — followed by mental health and cost by more than 40 and 30 percent respectively. 

Brown said Black and Latino students are more likely than white students to balance coursework with a part or full time job in addition to taking care of family members.

“All of these students greatly value getting a degree and understand how important it is, but all these things accelerate their stress level,” Brown said. 

She added how the competing priorities in their lives influence their desire to leave their postsecondary education to join the workforce and earn income faster.

“Black and Latino students often don’t have the money to actually enroll or stay enrolled,” Brown said. “So it becomes hard for them when they can get a job but the opportunity is lost because they’re in class.”

“It’s short-sighted and they end up losing that opportunity cost because with a degree they would be able to get a better job in the long-term,” she added.

3. Black and Latino adults who have considered enrolling in a postsecondary program are largely interested in certificate and associate pathways.

Nearly six in 10 unenrolled adults have considered enrolling in a postsecondary program in the past two years.

But, Black and Latino adults are more likely to consider a certificate or associate program compared to a slightly smaller number who have considered a bachelor’s degree. 

Brown said postsecondary institutions can help Black and Latino students who have difficulty working towards a bachelor’s degree by providing resources such as healthcare, mental health services and childcare facilities.

“A bachelor’s degree is a lot more involved and it’s going to take a few years minimum if you’re going full time,” Brown said. “So providing these services will give them a leg up to completion.”

4. Financial aid and scholarships hold larger importance to Black and Latino adults than their white peers.

Nearly 60 percent of Black and Latino adults said financial aid and scholarships are important to get them to enroll in a postsecondary program in the next year compared to about 50 percent of white adults.

Also, more than 40 percent of Black and Latino adults said emergency aid would influence their enrollment compared to about 30 percent of white adults.

“I hope this data becomes a call to action for [postsecondary] institutions,” Brown said. “Their attainment rate is very low because our system has failed them again and again, so we can and must do better.”

Compared to other generations, few Gen Zers, born between 1997 to 2011, feel prepared for their future and less than half are thriving in their current lives — far fewer than millennials, according to a new report.

In stark terms, the report lays out Gen Z’s concerns — revealing what once was status quo no longer meets the needs of young people.

“This is a critical moment for youth and for the adults supporting them,” said Romy Drucker, director of the Education Program at the Walton Family Foundation, adding the survey’s findings will “generate insights and perspectives to help us all be better guides, better listeners, and better partners as the next generation rises.” (Drucker was co-founder of ����Ӱ�� and serves on its board of directors; she played no role in the reporting or editing of this article) 

More than 3,000 Gen Zers were polled by and the through a national survey that will follow the same group for three years — paving the way for tracking trends one-time studies can’t measure.

The survey, which includes more than 2,000 K-12 students and nearly 1,000 no longer in school, highlights Gen Z’s need for an education that matches the reality of the world they live in.

“Empowering Gen Z to achieve their goals and aspirations requires that schools provide students with relevant experiences and education that will help them navigate the workforce,” said Stephanie Marken, Gallup partner and executive director for education research in a press release.

Here are 15 key takeaways from the survey:

Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to ����Ӱ��.

And then there are the polls.

Since 1936, Gallup has asked Americans if they approve of labor unions. Every year but one (2009), a majority approved. This year, , down slightly from 2022.

Further results from the poll are entirely positive for the labor movement. Large majorities support unions over management in disputes. Most respondents say unions are good for everybody and think they will become stronger in the future.

, showing similar results, with support strongest among those under the age of 30.

The AFL-CIO had to to get these outcomes, but it makes sense that since most Americans are employees, they would more closely identify with the status of workers than with employers.

Let’s not begrudge unions their day in the sun, because it inevitably leads to their winter of discontent.

That’s because every January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its . And unfortunately for unions, the graph of the percentage of American wage earners who belong to a union looks like this:

It’s a pretty steady decline throughout the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden years, which suggests that changing politicians doesn’t change union fortunes.

How to reconcile the support for unions with the falling membership levels?

Last year, Gallup took this question head-on, asking non-union workers to express their level of interest in joining a union. This is how they responded:

This seems to be human nature at work. Saying you support something is a lot easier than doing something about it. But as discouraging as this result is, it actually understates the problem for unions.

Joining a union is not a difficult process for most workers. Sign a card and pay dues. The hard part is forming a union in your workplace for the specific purpose of collective bargaining with your employer. Doing so is akin to starting a nonprofit charity or small business. It’s a big job, and most people aren’t interested in pursuing it unless they are very, very unhappy at work.

Claiming, as the AFL-CIO does in its survey, that we would all be better off if we just fell in with union wishes is also a hard sell, considering the disputes major national unions are having with their own employees.

is a union of professional staffers who work for the National Education Association. They have been without a contract since June 1 and .

Staffers of the Service Employees International Union headquarters have authorized a strike against the union, as they have been .

Even workers at AFL-CIO headquarters are working under an expired contract. The AFL-CIO managers want to reduce employee retirement benefits.

It’s hardly a ringing endorsement for unions when the people who work for them can’t get a contract.

So enjoy the latest spate of , and calmly await the spate of excuses when reality doesn’t conform with dreams. It’s the circle of union life.

Mike Antonucci’s Union Report appears most Wednesdays; see the full archive.

In , middle and high schoolers handed out just-okay marks to their own schools, assigning them a B-minus for average performance. About two-thirds of those surveyed granted their local school a grade of A (22 percent) or B (44 percent), while 34 percent rated them a C, D, or F as the 2022–23 school year came to a close.

It’s a report card that offers unmistakable bright spots, but also lots of areas for concern as school systems pull further away from the once-in-a-lifetime tumult imposed by COVID-19 and prolonged exposure to online learning. While schools received middling grades across 11 categories related to academics and school climate — the highest grade was a B, the lowest a C-plus — the poll showed that engagement and enthusiasm in school is lagging. Certain sub-groups, including older students and African Americans, were also relatively less sanguine about their own experiences in school.

The State of American Youth Survey, released Wednesday by Gallup and the Walton Foundation, was administered in April and May to over 2,000 public and private school students between the ages of 12 and 18. 

Stephanie Marken, who leads �Ҳ������ܱ�’s education division, said that while many respondents were “blasé or neutral” about the performance of their schools, the poll offered a window into the mindset of kids that is rarely captured in other public opinion research. In the years to come, she added, Gallup will regularly re-poll some of the same questions used in its first such survey, while “episodically” revisiting others according to their relevance to current events. The project’s design will allow the research team to track the same students over time.

“The benefit of this research is that we’re going into far greater depth with this generation than any other study has the ability to do,” Marken said in an interview. “A lot of people don’t take the time to interview students directly because they believe — incorrectly, I think — that they don’t have something to offer that’s unique on these issues. But there’s no replacement for speaking to youth directly.”

Overall, kids had fairly positive things to say about some of the most important aspects of academic culture. Nearly half gave their school an A for “respecting who you are regardless of your race/ethnicity, gender and identity.” Another 29 percent chose a B grade for the same question, while just 3 percent said their school failed in this respect.

Perhaps even more impressive, 75 percent of respondents granted either an A or B to their school for keeping them physically safe — an encouraging finding given recent concerns over a wave of violent misbehavior and bullying that coincided with students returning en masse from remote instruction. A further 64 percent rated their school either an A or B in terms of making them feel included, with just over one-third of students assigning a grade of C or below.

But the news was somewhat worse in other areas. American middle and high schools received average grades of just a C-plus in four categories: supporting mental health, adapting to students’ learning needs, teaching about potential careers and making students feel excited about learning. Thirty-nine percent of schools also received grades of C or below with respect to preparing students for the future.

Those concerns can loosely be grouped under the umbrella of “student engagement”: i.e., how educators cultivate not just feelings of student security and inclusion — which should be a given — but also involvement. Especially following the pandemic, with student absenteeism rates climbing to staggering highs in many districts, both teachers and school leaders are grappling with how to persuade kids that what they learn is directly relevant to their future lives and careers.

Concerningly, but perhaps intuitively, existing research has shown that student engagement tends to dip as children make their way through the K–12 years. A found that while three-quarters of fifth graders reported high levels of engagement in their schooling, just one-third of high school students said the same. In the latest poll, just 44 percent of high schoolers gave their schools an A or B great for making them excited about learning, compared with 54 percent of middle schoolers.

“That high school students feel more negatively than middle school students is a concern,” Marken said. “The more time they’re spending in their school system, they’re getting less and less engaged over time.”

Distinctions existed across not only grade levels, but also school types. Among private school students, 37 percent gave their schools an A grade, with 43 percent assigning a B; just 20 percent of their public school counterparts gave an average grade of A, with another 45 percent assigning a B. 

Finally, a disturbing divergence was observed among participants of different races. Thirty-seven percent of African Americans gave their schools an A for keeping them safe in the classroom, compared with 46 percent of whites and 41 percent of Hispanics who gave their schools the highest marks; just one-third assigned an A for making them feel respected regardless of their race or ethnicity (compared with 50 percent of whites and 53 percent of Hispanics). 

“Black students fared far worse than all other students on those topics, and they also gave less positive ratings to their schools overall,” Marken lamented. “So they’re having a clearly distinctive experience that needs to be addressed.”

Disclosure: The Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to ����Ӱ��.