Parents and students differ sharply with U.S. leaders over lagging achievement in math and science, according to a survey released on February 15 by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan opinion research organization. The survey, called Reality Check 2006, found that, although parents feel high schools should be globally competitive, 57 percent of them say the amount of math and science provided for their child is adequate.

In fact, Public Agenda notes, parents’ concern about math and science achievement has actually declined since the mid–1990s. Among students, the report found that only 25 percent were aware of a lack of emphasis on math and science in their own school, and more than 40 percent expressed disinterest in a career focused on either of those subjects. These attitudes prevail despite widely publicized predictions about the role that math and science will play in the U.S. economy of the future.

To read more about the research, go to www.publicagenda.org.