The failure of students to receive an adequate K-12 education also affects the workplace and college. Public Agenda, a nonprofit think tank, surveyed 250 employers, 250 college professors, 700 teachers, 700 parents, and 700 middle-school students for a 1998 report. A majority of both employers and professors believed that most students leave high school without the most basic of skills. For most skills, only a minority of surveyed professors and employers ranked students as being "fair" or better (see Table 1, below).[46]
| Table 1 - Students with Skills Deemed "Fair" or Better by Employers and Professors |
||
| Skill Area |
Employers |
Professors |
| Grammar and spelling |
23% |
23% |
| Ability to write clearly |
27% |
19% |
| Basic math skills |
38% |
35% |
| Work habits/being organized and on time |
42% |
31% |
| Being motivated and conscientious |
44% |
40% |
| Speaking English well |
50% |
65% |
| Being curious and interested in new things |
52% |
49% |
| Ability to use computers |
66% |
69% |
