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April 15, 1999
Part of The First 100 Days Series.
Analysis | Poll Results | Poll Methodology | Listen
ANALYSIS Minnesota voters support spending more on public schools, but are more in tune with the 2.5% increase proposed by Governor Jesse Ventura than larger increases backed by educators. Statewide, a 42% plurality backed Ventura's recommended increase. About the same number of voters (22%) supported spending more than Ventura as supported no increase at all (20%). An additional 7% favored spending less on public education.
Only 9% of Minnesota voters favored scrapping the Profile of Learning, while 33% felt it should be changed to make it easier to work with. The largest block, however, (41%) supports giving Profile of Learning more time for teachers, students, and parents to get used to it.
QUESTION : Should Minnesota: (order rotated)
- Spend less than it does now on public schools.
- Spend about the same as it spends now on public schools.
- Spend more on public schools, giving them another 2.5% in aid for each student, as Governor Ventura has proposed.
- Spend more than Governor Ventura has proposed on public schools, as some educators have proposed.
| Option | State | Men | Women |
| Spend More/Ventura | 42% | 47% | 37% |
| Spend More/Educators | 22% | 12% | 32% |
| Spend Same | 20% | 28% | 12% |
| Spend Less | 7% | 8% | 6% |
| Undecided | 9% | 5% | 13% |
QUESTION: State lawmakers are debating whether to modify or eliminate a new set of high school graduation standards known as the Profile of Learning. Based on what you know, which of the following statements comes closest to your point of view? (Order rotated)
- The Profile of Learning should be given more time, so that teachers, students, and parents can get used to them.
- The Profile of Learning should be changed to make it easier for teachers and students to work with, but should not be scrapped.
- The Profile of Learning should be scrapped.
- I don't know enough about the Profile of Learning to have an opinion.
| Option | State | Men | Women |
| Give More Time | 41% | 41% | 41% |
| Change | 33% | 38% | 28% |
| Scrap | 9% | 7% | 11% |
| No Opinion | 17% | 14% | 20% |
POLL METHODOLOGY
The Mason-Dixon Poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Political/Media
Research, Inc. of Washington, DC from April 7, 1999 through April
9, 1999. A total of 628 registered Minnesota voters were
interviewed statewide by telephone. All stated they regularly
vote in state elections.
Those interviewed were selected by the random variation of the
last four digits of telephone numbers. A cross-section of
exchanges was utilized in order to ensure an accurate reflection
of the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect the voter
registration distribution by county.
The margin for error, according to standards customarily used by
statisticians, is no more than plus-or-minus 4 percentage points.
This means that there is a 95 percent probability that the
"true" figure would fall within that range if the
entire population were sampled. The margin for error is higher
for any subgroup, such as a gender grouping.
PLEASE NOTE: This report is the property of Mason-Dixon
Political/Media Research, Inc. It is not for duplication and/or
redistribution. Copies of this report are available only through
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document to any third party. Any party in an unauthorized
possession, engaging in unauthorized use. or involved in the
unauthorized duplication or transmission of this document is
subject to all applicable criminal and civil penalties.
Poll Copyright 1999, Mason-Dixon Political/Media
Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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