The Public Education Benefits Study Results
Durable Labs conducts an ongoing national study to understand the benefits Americans expect and value from their public schools.
If you've just completed the survey, thank you for adding your voice. You've contributed to a growing national understanding of what public education should deliver.
Below are the current results. They will evolve as more people participate and expectations change over time.
We encourage you to return and participate again. Understanding how people's expectations change is an important part of this research.
The National Top 10
Below are the ten benefits currently receiving the strongest support among participants in the Public Education Benefits Study. The list is updated as new responses are collected and reflects the perspectives of those who have participated, rather than a representative sample of all Americans.
The full Benefits List includes approximately 30 benefits. Just because a benefit doesn't appear among the ten highest-ranked doesn't mean it isn't important — or that schools are relieved of their responsibility to deliver it.
Important to note:
Academic learning is among the highest-valued benefits of public education. Yet standardized test scores — the centerpiece of state accountability systems — have almost never been identified by participants as a benefit.
The distinction matters: measuring learning is not the same as delivering its benefits.
It turns out that the public's expectations of schools are much broader and richer  than the measures typically used to judge them.
Using this list
Schools, school districts, educational advocates, researchers, and nonprofit organizations are welcome to use and share the National Benefits List for noncommercial educational purposes without requesting permission. We ask that you acknowledge Durable Labs and the Public Education Benefits Study as the source and encourage others to participate.
Commercial use of the National Benefits List requires prior written permission from Durable Labs.
Bring This Conversation to Your Organization
The national results provide a starting point. Understanding what your own stakeholders value can help your organization build trust, clarify its mission, and strengthen accountability.
Talk with Durable Labs