TennesseeCAN survey: 46 percent of parents ‘very satisfied’ with schools, despite satisfaction with school choice

A graphic from TennesseeCAN shows how Tennessee compares to other states in terms of parents who have a clear understanding of their children's academic performance. 

A recent parent survey study from the education advocacy organization TennesseeCAN indicates that despite overall satisfaction with school choice in Tennessee and parents’ understanding of student performance, only about 46 percent of parents in Tennessee are “very satisfied” with their children’s schools. 

According to the study, which surveyed about 400 parents in Tennessee across socioeconomic lines, about 64 percent of parents in Tennessee believe they have a choice in where they can send their children to school, similar to the national average of 65 percent. The report also indicated that 68 percent of parents say they plan to continue enrolling their children in the same school, compared to about 64 percent nationally.

However, the report noted that only 16 percent of children in the state have received academic tutoring this past year, compared to 19 percent nationally. In addition, about 39 percent of families in Tennessee report participating in summer programming compared to the national average of 41 percent. Among Tennessee’s low-income families, that number was about 30 percent.  

“We see concerning gaps between families of low-, middle- and high-income families in terms of student participation in learning opportunities like tutoring and summer camps as well as out-of-school activities, and in levels of confidence that children will be prepared for college and the workforce,” TennesseeCAN Executive Director Chelsea Crawford said in an email to Tennessee Firefly.  

Crawford said in the report that Tennessee ranks above the national average for parents who say they “understand academic achievement, are familiar with how budget decisions are made at their child’s school and rely on assignments or tests to gauge learning progress.” However, she noted that this trend does not apply at the school level.

“With only 26 percent of families saying they reviewed school performance, Tennessee ranked well below the national average,” she added.  

The survey also indicated that parents across Tennessee are particularly happy with schools’ college and career readiness programming, with 38 percent saying they are “extremely confident” that their children will be “well equipped” for success in the workforce compared to 34 percent nationally. For low-income families in Tennessee, that number was 35 percent.

“Tennessee has among the highest percentages of families who believe they have a choice in where they can send their children to school, and who responded that, if given the choice, they would send their child to the same school they attend today,” Crawford said in the report.

“These responses reinforce a strong sense of optimism and aspiration that I have always known to be true in the Volunteer State: we believe in our kids, we believe in the value of K-12 education, and we are willing to do what it takes to ensure all our students can learn and achieve in school and beyond.”

The survey was released alongside a national, 20,000+ parent survey conducted by 50CAN and Edge Research that gauged how parents are thinking about or engaging in their children’s education. To read the full report and learn more about the survey’s methodology, visit www.tn-can.org.