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Table 22. Average grade that the public would give the public schools in their community and in the nation at large: 1974 through 2005
_______________________________________________________________________________
        |                |  No children   |  Public school  | Private school
        |   All adults   |   in school    |     parents     |     parents
        |________________|________________|_________________|__________________
        |      |    Local|      |    Local|       |    Local|       |    Local
Year    |Nation|community|Nation|community| Nation|community| Nation|community
________|______|_________|______|_________|_______|_________|_______|__________
1       |     2|        3|     4|        5|      6|        7|      8|        9
________|______|_________|______|_________|_______|_________|_______|__________
1974 ...|  --- |     2.63|  --- |     2.57|   --- |     2.80|   --- |     2.15
1975 ...|  --- |     2.38|  --- |     2.31|   --- |     2.49|   --- |     1.81
1976 ...|  --- |     2.38|  --- |     2.34|   --- |     2.48|   --- |     2.22
1977 ...|  --- |     2.33|  --- |     2.25|   --- |     2.59|   --- |     2.05
1978 ...|  --- |     2.21|  --- |     2.11|   --- |     2.47|   --- |     1.69
        |      |         |      |         |       |         |       |
1979 ...|  --- |     2.21|  --- |     2.15|   --- |     2.38|   --- |     1.88
1980 ...|  --- |     2.26|  --- |     --- |   --- |     --- |   --- |     ---
1981 ...|  1.94|     2.20|  --- |     2.12|   --- |     2.36|   --- |     1.88
1982 ...|  2.01|     2.24|  2.04|     2.18|   2.01|     2.35|   2.02|     2.20
1983 ...|  1.91|     2.12|  1.92|     2.10|   1.92|     2.31|   1.82|     1.89
        |      |         |      |         |       |         |       |
1984 ...|  2.09|     2.36|  2.11|     2.30|   2.11|     2.49|   2.04|     2.17
1985 ...|  2.14|     2.39|  2.16|     2.36|   2.20|     2.44|   1.93|     2.00
1986 ...|  2.13|     2.36|  --- |     2.29|   --- |     2.55|   --- |     2.14
1987 ...|  2.18|     2.44|  2.20|     2.38|   2.22|     2.61|   2.03|     2.01
1988 ...|  2.08|     2.35|  2.02|     2.32|   2.13|     2.48|   2.00|     2.13
        |      |         |      |         |       |         |       |
1989 ...|  2.01|     2.35|  1.99|     2.27|   2.06|     2.56|   1.93|     2.12
1990 ...|  1.99|     2.29|  1.98|     2.27|   2.03|     2.44|   1.85|     2.09
1991 ...|  2.00|     2.36|  --- |     --- |   --- |     --- |   --- |     ---
1992 ...|  1.93|     2.30|  1.92|     --- |   1.94|     2.73|   1.85|     ---
1993 ...|  1.95|     2.41|  1.97|     2.40|   1.97|     2.48|   1.80|     2.11
        |      |         |      |         |       |         |       |
1994 ...|  1.95|     2.26|  1.95|     2.16|   1.90|     2.55|   1.86|     1.90
1995 ...|  1.97|     2.28|  1.98|     2.25|   1.93|     2.41|   1.81|     1.85
1996 ...|  1.93|     2.30|  1.91|     2.22|   2.00|     2.56|   1.80|     1.86
1997 ...|  1.97|     2.35|  1.99|     2.27|   2.01|     2.56|   1.99|     1.87
1998 ...|  1.93|     2.41|  1.91|     2.36|   1.96|     2.51|   1.81|     2.20
        |      |         |      |         |       |         |       |
1999 ...|  2.02|     2.44|  2.03|     2.42|   1.97|     2.56|   --- |     ---
2000 ...|  1.98|     2.47|  1.94|     2.44|   2.05|     2.59|   --- |     ---
2001 ...|  2.01|     2.47|  2.00|     2.42|   2.04|     2.66|   --- |     ---
2002 ...|  2.08|     2.44|  2.08|     2.40|   2.06|     2.61|   --- |     ---
2003 ...|  2.11|     2.41|  2.09|     2.32|   2.16|     2.57|   --- |     ---
        |      |         |      |         |       |         |       |
2004 ...|  1.93|     2.45|  1.07|     2.42|   2.00|     2.58|   --- |     ---
2005 ...|  1.99|     2.45|  2.07|     2.43|   2.11|     2.60|   --- |     ---
________|______|_________|______|_________|_______|_________|_______|__________
---Not available.
NOTE: Average based on a scale where A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0.
SOURCE: Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappan "The Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," 1974 through 2005. (This table was prepared September 2005.)

National Center for Education Statistics - http://nces.ed.gov
U.S. Department of Education