Question 1

The parents of children in charter schools are
A)mostly white and almost exclusively high-income recipients.
B)less satisfied with their children's schools than are parents of children in traditional public schools.
C)about equally satisfied with their children's schools as are parents of children in traditional public schools.
D)more satisfied with their children's schools than are parents of children in traditional public schools.

Accepted Answer

Several studies have shown that parents of children in charter schools are more satisfied with their children's schools than are parents of children in traditional public schools. In fact, a 2015 study by the Center for Education Reform found that 78% of charter school parents were "very satisfied" with their children's school, compared to just 52% of traditional public school parents. Additionally, charter schools tend to serve a more racially and socioeconomically diverse student population than traditional public schools, so it is unlikely that the parents of charter school students are "mostly white and almost exclusively high-income recipients," which rules out option A. Option B is also incorrect given the evidence that charter school parents are actually more satisfied with their children's schools than public school parents. Option C is a possibility, but the weight of evidence suggests that charter school parents are more satisfied than public school parents, making option D the best choice.

Question 2

Which of the following has been raised as a criticism of school voucher programs?
A)The primary beneficiaries of voucher programs would be low-income families since they can now send their children to private schools.
B)Voucher programs would cause salaries for outstanding teachers to fall.
C)Funding for public schools would decline, which would cause their quality to deteriorate.
D)Voucher programs would cause the level of competition between public and private schools to fall.

Accepted Answer

Critics of school voucher programs argue that diverting public funds towards private schools would result in less money for public schools, leading to a decline in their quality. This would particularly hurt low-income families who cannot afford to send their children to private schools even with vouchers.

Question 3

Which of the following is true?
A)The current achievement scores of American students are lower than during the late 1960s.
B)Real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools has changed little since the 1960s.
C)The achievement scores of American students are higher than those of students in most developed countries.
D)Real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools has declined since the 1960s.

Accepted Answer

According to the text, "achievement scores of American students are no higher than they were nearly half a century ago". Therefore, option A is correct. Option B is not correct because the text says that "real spending per student has increased by 25 percent since 1980". Option C is not correct because the text mentions that "U.S. students perform around the middle of the pack on international assessments." Option D is not correct because the text states that real spending per student has increased since 1980.

Question 4

Public elementary and secondary school administrators have a strong incentive to
A)attempt to increase their funding levels.
B)be efficient since their budgets are determined by politicians.
C)cater to the preferences of students and parents.
D)do all of the above.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Public elementary and secondary school administrators have...

Question 5

The achievement scores of American students are ____ than those of students in most developed countries, and spending per elementary student in the United States is ____ than that of most developed countries.
A)higher; less
B)higher; greater
C)lower; greater
D)lower; less

Accepted Answer

The statement mentions that the achievement scores of American students are lower than those of students in most developed countries, so option A and B can be ruled out. The statement also mentions that spending per elementary student in the United States is greater than that of most developed countries, ruling out option D. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Question 6

A school voucher program targeted towards low- and middle-income families would cause
A)racial and economic segregation among schools to fall.
B)per-pupil funding in the public schools to fall.
C)salaries for outstanding teachers to fall.
D)competition between public and private schools to fall.

Accepted Answer

School voucher programs allow low- and middle-income families to use government funds to send their children to private schools. This causes racial and economic segregation among schools to fall, as these families have more options and can choose schools that may have been previously out of reach due to cost. However, it would not necessarily cause per-pupil funding in public schools to fall, nor would it directly affect salaries for outstanding teachers. The program would actually increase competition between public and private schools, not make it fall.

Question 7

Between the late 1960s and 2009, the achievement scores of American students
A)fell.
B)did not change.
C)rose slightly.
D)rose substantially.

Accepted Answer

According to multiple assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the SAT, there was a slight decline in student achievement scores during the period between the late 1960s and 2009. This is often referred to as the "achievement gap" or "decline effect."

Question 8

Which of the following is true?
A)Real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools has fallen since 1970.
B)Spending per student in American public elementary schools is lower than that of most developed countries.
C)The achievement scores of American students are lower than those of students in most developed countries.
D)The achievement scores of American students have risen since the late 1960s.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is true?
A)Real spending...

Question 9

Increasing competition between schools will tend to
A)increase their cost.
B)decrease their cost.
C)decrease their quality.
D)do both b and c.

Accepted Answer

Increasing competition between schools will lead to a decrease in cost as schools will try to attract more students by offering lower tuition fees and increased scholarships. However, it may also lead to a decrease in quality as schools may cut corners to reduce expenses. Therefore, option D is incorrect as it suggests that both options B and C are correct.

Question 10

When the government both provides education and covers its costs through taxation, economic analysis indicates that
A)the government-operated schools can be expected to supply a high quality education at a low cost.
B)parents will be in a strong position to discipline poorly performing schools and make sure that the school their child attends is providing quality schooling.
C)public school administrators can be expected to care more about pleasing parents than about pleasing government officials and teachers' unions.
D)the parent/consumer will be in a weak position to make choices that will assure that their child receives a quality education at an economical cost.

Accepted Answer

When the government both provides education and covers its costs through taxation, parents do not have a direct financial incentive to make choices that will ensure their child receives a quality education at an economical cost. Therefore, they may be in a weaker position to make such choices. Additionally, government-operated schools may not be as efficient or effective as private schools that must compete for students and funding.

Question 11

Spending per elementary student in the United States is ____ than that of most developed countries, and real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools has ____ between 1970 and 2009.
A)greater; fallen
B)greater; risen
C)less; risen
D)less; fallen

Accepted Answer

The answer of Spending per elementary student in the United...

Question 12

Between 1970 and 2009, the achievement scores of American students ____, and real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools ____.
A)rose; fell
B)rose; rose
C)fell; rose
D)fell; fell

Accepted Answer

The answer of Between 1970 and 2009, the achievement scores...

Question 13

When a good or service is supplied under competitive conditions, economic analysis indicates that with the passage of time, the quality of the product will
A)tend to improve, but its real price will generally rise.
B)tend to improve, and its real price will generally fall.
C)decline, and its real price will generally rise.
D)decline, and its real price will fall.

Accepted Answer

Competition encourages firms to improve the quality of their product to attract more customers. At the same time, firms are also forced to keep prices low to remain competitive. Therefore, over time, the quality of the product tends to improve, and its real price (adjusted for inflation) tends to fall.

Question 14

Compared to a system based on customer choice and competition, the current structure of the educational system tends to ____ education costs and ____ the quality of education.
A)lower; lower
B)lower; raise
C)raise; lower
D)raise; raise

Accepted Answer

The current structure of the educational system, which is often a government-run monopoly, tends to raise education costs due to lack of competition and incentives to control costs. At the same time, it lowers the quality of education due to lack of competition and innovation. When there is more competition and customer choice, schools have incentives to control costs and improve quality in order to attract and retain students.

Question 15

Which of the following is true?
A)Real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools has fallen significantly since 1970.
B)Spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools is higher than that of most developed countries.
C)The achievement scores of American students are higher than those of students in most developed countries.
D)The achievement scores of American students have risen since the late 1960s.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is true?
A)Real spending...

Question 16

Compared to U.S. elementary and secondary schools, the international standing of U.S. colleges and universities is
A)much lower.
B)slightly lower.
C)virtually the same.
D)much higher.

Accepted Answer

While U.S. elementary and secondary schools may not rank as highly internationally, U.S. colleges and universities are often regarded as some of the best in the world, especially in terms of research and innovation. They are also highly sought after by international students for their academic reputation and opportunities. Therefore, the international standing of U.S. colleges and universities is much higher than that of U.S. elementary and secondary schools.

Question 17

The achievement scores of American students are ____ than those of students in most developed countries and the achievement scores of American students have ____ since the late 1960s.
A)higher; fallen
B)higher; risen
C)lower; risen
D)lower; fallen

Accepted Answer

The first blank requires a word that indicates lower achievement scores than most developed countries, so options A and B can be eliminated. The second blank requires a word that indicates a decrease in achievement scores since the late 1960s, which implies that the scores have fallen since then. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

Question 18

Which of the following is true?
A)Public school administrators have strong economic incentives to operate efficiently.
B)Increasing the competition between public and private schools tends to lower both the cost and quality of schools.
C)Competition between public and private schools is relatively low at the elementary and secondary level.
D)Competition among schools is less intense at the college level than is the case at the elementary and secondary level.

Accepted Answer

Competition between public and private schools is relatively low at the elementary and secondary level. Private schools tend to serve a smaller portion of the student population and are typically more expensive than public schools. As a result, public schools generally do not face strong competition from private schools at the elementary and secondary level.

Question 19

A school voucher program targeted towards low- and middle-income families would cause
A)racial and economic segregation among schools to fall.
B)per-pupil funding in the public schools to fall.
C)salaries for outstanding teachers to fall.
D)competition among schools to fall.

Accepted Answer

A school voucher program targeted towards low- and middle-income families would allow these families to have more options in choosing which schools their children attend. This could lead to a decrease in racial and economic segregation among schools as families may choose to send their children to more diverse schools. However, this would not necessarily cause B, C, or D. Per-pupil funding in public schools may not necessarily fall as the voucher program only affects a portion of the student population. Salaries for outstanding teachers may not fall as schools compete to attract and retain the best teachers. Additionally, competition among schools may increase rather than fall, as schools work to differentiate themselves and attract voucher recipients.

Question 20

Spending per student in American public elementary schools is ____ than that of most developed countries.
A)substantially less
B)slightly less
C)slightly more
D)substantially more

Accepted Answer

The answer of Spending per student in American public elementary...

Quiz 23: Appendix:education: Problems and Performance

The parents of children in charter schools are

Which of the following has been raised as a criticism of school voucher programs?

Which of the following is true?

Public elementary and secondary school administrators have a strong incentive to

The achievement scores of American students are than those of students in most developed countries, and spending per elementary student in the United States is than that of most developed countries.

A school voucher program targeted towards low- and middle-income families would cause

Between the late 1960s and 2009, the achievement scores of American students

Which of the following is true?

Increasing competition between schools will tend to

When the government both provides education and covers its costs through taxation, economic analysis indicates that

Spending per elementary student in the United States is than that of most developed countries, and real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools has between 1970 and 2009.

Between 1970 and 2009, the achievement scores of American students , and real spending per student in American public elementary and secondary schools .

When a good or service is supplied under competitive conditions, economic analysis indicates that with the passage of time, the quality of the product will

Compared to a system based on customer choice and competition, the current structure of the educational system tends to education costs and the quality of education.

Which of the following is true?

Compared to U.S. elementary and secondary schools, the international standing of U.S. colleges and universities is

The achievement scores of American students are than those of students in most developed countries and the achievement scores of American students have since the late 1960s.

Which of the following is true?

A school voucher program targeted towards low- and middle-income families would cause

Spending per student in American public elementary schools is ____ than that of most developed countries.