STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Don't know about your household, but my kids are getting ready to return to school. And a new survey finds that many teenagers do not feel challenged in school. They worry they're not being prepared for the future. NPR's Cory Turner's been looking at the results. Cory, good morning.
CORY TURNER, BYLINE: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: Which group of kids are we talking about?
TURNER: We are talking about Gen Z. So these are teens and young adults between 12 and 27.
INSKEEP: OK.
TURNER: Although I am just going to focus on those who are now in middle and high school. So this survey is part of a relatively new project from Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. And two quick disclosures here, Steve - Walton is a funder of NPR and I have a Gen Zer in my house who I love very much.
INSKEEP: Same. So we've got skin in the game. But...
TURNER: (Laughter).
INSKEEP: Well, we're going to...
TURNER: There we go.
INSKEEP: ...Call it straight. Go ahead.
TURNER: (Laughter) The big headline for me from this survey is that Gen Z teens are feeling less engaged by school. Nearly every measure of school engagement on this survey declined this year compared to last year. For example, big drop in how many students say they recently learned something interesting at school. Now, obviously, kids are not always going to love school, but a 10-point drop in one year among the same kids - that's worrying.
INSKEEP: Something happened, according to this survey, that makes them feel they're getting less out of the experience. What's behind that?
TURNER: Well, it's not entirely clear. One thing that caught my eye, though, is a big engagement divide between teens who say they plan to go to college and those who don't. So of those planning to go to college, which is about half of Gen Z teens, the overwhelming majority say they have a great future ahead. They're optimistic.
But more than 4 in 10 Gen Z students say they don't have college plans, and they are a lot less optimistic. Now, obviously, there are a bunch of reasons for this gap, but it is not because you have to go to college to feel good about the future.
INSKEEP: Although there is a kind of path that feels clear to many people going to college and getting a good job, maybe a little less so in the other way. But what are the reasons behind the optimism gap?
TURNER: Well, I think part of the problem here, Steve, is schools aren't doing a good job laying out that path. You know, the students who say they don't want to go to college say their K-12 schools aren't helping them imagine the lives they do want. For example, only about 40% of noncollege-bound Gen Zers say they feel challenged in class in a good way.
They're also less likely than college-bound teens to say there's an adult at school who makes them feel excited about the future or even encourages them to pursue their dreams. Part of the problem these teens say is school staff spend a lot of time talking about college, but not alternatives. Here's Zach Hrynowski. He's a senior education researcher at Gallup.
ZACH HRYNOWSKI: Even the kids who are like, I don't want to go to college. What are they hearing the most about? College. We're not talking to them about apprenticeships, internships, starting a business, entrepreneurial aspirations, jobs that don't require a college degree.
TURNER: Now, Steve, in school's defense, I should say this mismatch was largely borne out of good intentions - wanting kids to believe college can be for anyone.
INSKEEP: Yeah. And this is part of a big national discussion. People emphasize that your life is much better. You make more money over time if you have a college degree. But do educators need to change their message for the large number of Americans who just aren't going to go to college?
TURNER: I mean, I will say there has been a lot more talk in recent years about what's called career and technical education. It was a big priority under President Trump, under President Biden. I should also say Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Vice President Harris' running mate, last year eliminated the need for a college diploma for three-quarters of his state's government jobs. Still, this survey makes clear lots of teens want to dream big, just without college, and schools need to do better by them.
INSKEEP: NPR education correspondent Cory Turner. Thanks for the insights, Cory.
TURNER: You're welcome, Steve.
INSKEEP: And good luck to the kid.
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