NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The views and experiences of more than 4,700 public school Pre-K-12 teachers and principals representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia were revealed today by Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) in a new report, the Teacher & Principal School Report: Equity in Education. Findings show the overwhelming majority of educators (97%) agree that "equity in education for all children should be a national priority." However, they report that barriers to equity are pervasive across school poverty levels and a lack of resources to support students exists both in- and out-of-school. The report provides new data on teachers' and principals' views regarding the barriers to equity, educators' funding priorities and personal spending for students and classrooms, the role of families and communities, and professional development needs.

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To download the full report, visit www.scholastic.com/teacherprincipalreport.

"Teachers and principals are on the front lines every day working hard to meet the needs of each individual student. In the Teacher & Principal School Report, educators in schools across poverty levels tell us that children are arriving at school in need of mental health services, living in poverty, or experiencing personal crisis--all conditions that create barriers to learning," noted Michael Haggen, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education. "The report also shows us educators' belief that given the right resources, including high-quality instructional materials, community and family partners, and professional development, they can provide a quality education for every young person who walks through their doors."

Barriers to Equity in Education


    --  Teachers and principals across school poverty levels agree (87%) that
        many of their students face barriers to learning that come from outside
        the school environment, and while a greater percentage of educators in
        high-poverty schools (98%) report having students with barriers, 66% say
        the same in low-poverty schools.
    --  High percentages of principals report having students in their schools
        who are experiencing family or personal crisis, in need of mental health
        services, and living in poverty, and many say these student populations
        have increased in the last three years.
    --  Only 15% of teachers in high-poverty schools agree that most students
        they work with start the school year ready for grade-level work, while
        64% of teachers in low-poverty schools agree students enter grades
        academically prepared.
    --  Many teachers and principals report inadequate access to a variety of
        resources including access to books at home and family engagement, with
        large disparities based on school poverty levels. Sixty-nine percent of
        educators in high-poverty schools vs. 20% in low-poverty schools say
        books at home are not adequately available and 68% vs. 18% say the same
        regarding family involvement in student learning.

Educators' Funding Priorities & Personal Spending


    --  Teachers and principals agree that academic or social-emotional
        intervention initiatives and programs and additional high-quality staff
        to reduce student-to-teacher ratio should be top funding priorities.
        Principals add additional items to address barriers from outside the
        school environment and teachers focus on in-school and classroom needs.
    --  Educators also share how they are filling in the funding gaps with their
        own personal spending. On average in the past year, teachers in
        high-poverty schools reported spending $672 of their own money on items
        for classroom or student use vs. $495 in low-poverty schools; principals
        in high-poverty schools spent $1,014 vs. $514 low-poverty schools. They
        purchase items for the classroom as well as clothing and food for
        students in need.

Families & Communities as Important Partners


    --  Educators agree (99%) that "it is important to student success that
        families be involved in their children's learning," yet, 74% say they
        need help engaging the families of their students.
    --  Fifty-eight percent of principals report that they have community
        partners that are providing students with mental health services, 45%
        say partners provide before- and/or after-school programs/childcare, 44%
        healthcare services, and 41% food for students outside of the school
        day.

Educators' Commitment to the Profession 


    --  Despite the challenges, teachers and principals are committed to their
        careers. Ninety-nine percent of educators agree that being a teacher or
        principal is a "challenging, but rewarding career," and virtually all
        teachers (96%) and principals (99%) say that working with students is
        the "most satisfying part of their school day."

The survey questions were developed in collaboration with the 2016 State Teachers of the Year through the Council of Chief State School Officers' (CCSSO) National Teacher of the Year Program to ensure the voice of educators would be heard authentically and accurately on the most current issues affecting schools today.

Linda Glasgow, 2016 Missouri State Teacher of the Year who reviewed the findings said, "Every child deserves a high-quality education without regard to income, ethnicity, or parental education level." She added, "The Teacher & Principal School Report is bringing together the voices of educators and, in doing so, shows our dedication but also the support we need to be able to achieve equity in education because each child's needs are different. Teachers and principals will both go above and beyond to serve their students but we are still in need of resources to address barriers to learning."

LaQuita Outlaw, a middle school principal in New York State also commented, "The Teacher & Principal School Report displays that both groups of educators have the same goals, supporting each child to reach his or her own greatest potential. The research also shines a light on how varied the needs of educators are in order to serve a diverse population of students and how the different roles of teachers and principals can come together to help the whole child."

Methodology, In Brief
 The findings reported in the Teacher & Principal School Report: Equity in Education are based on a national online survey managed by YouGov among public school Pre-K-12 teachers (3,694) and principals (1,027). The survey was conducted between July 22, 2016 and August 26, 2016. The data was weighted on gender, years of teaching experience (teachers only), school grade range, district enrollment, school urbanicity, and percentage of students receiving free/reduced-price lunch. School poverty levels were determined by NCES definitions of high- and low-poverty schools, based on the percentage of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, i.e. low poverty (0-25%) and high poverty (76%+).

For more information about Scholastic, visit the Company's online media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com.

About YouGov
 YouGov is a leading international full-service research and consulting company and a pioneer in the use of technology to collect higher quality, in-depth data for the world's leading businesses and institutions so that they can better serve the people that sustain them. With offices throughout the US, UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, YouGov leverages its online sampling, research expertise and consulting experience to provide clients with sophisticated market strategy, market analytics, and survey and forecasting services. www.yougov.com

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SOURCE Scholastic Inc.