Survey Shows Moms' & Dads' Influence Being Felt in Arizona Classrooms

PHOENIX – July 1, 2009 – Attention Arizona moms and dads - your teenagers may be listening to you after all. Well, at least when it comes to education!

According to a recent survey of more than1,600 high school students by Expect More Arizona, mothers and fathers influence Arizona's students' educations the most, beating out guidance counselors, coaches, peers and other family members.

The survey shows moms soundly beat dads, with mothers being rated as the most important influence by nearly 35 percent of the students. Dear old Dad was the top influencer for more than 15 percent of those surveyed. Freshman-through-senior students from Flagstaff, Gilbert, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tucson and Yuma participated in the April 2009 survey. Highlights included:

• Eighty-three percent of the students described graduating from high school as “very important” to their future success, while 85-percent said they’ve “never” seriously considered dropping out of high school
• Seventy-one percent of the students surveyed believed taking higher level math classes was important to their future
• Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed described getting a college education as “extremely important” to their future success, with more than 35-percent of those surveyed saying they plan on attending a four-year college or university upon graduation
• More than 80-percent of the students surveyed intend to continue their education following high school by attending a technical education school, instate or out-of-state community college or an instate or out-of-state four-year college or university.
  

While many of the results were positive, only 26-percent of the students believed they were at the same level or better academically than their peers across the nation, with 38-percent believing they were at a "worse level" than their peers.

Many of the students were also realistic about the global job markets they'll be entering, with 32-percent of those surveyed expecting to compete with applicants from across the US for jobs after graduation, while 27-percent anticipate.

To check out all the results from the Expect More Arizona High School Student Survey, please click here.

Expect More Arizona is governed by an Oversight Board including representatives from the Arizona Community Foundation, Arizona School Boards Association, Arizona State University, First Things First, Helios Education Foundation, Northern Arizona University, Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona, University of Arizona, and the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. Each organization represented has committed $100,000 or more to the statewide effort.