Quality of local schools refers to how effectively a school supports student learning and development, measured by factors like student achievement growth, access to rigorous courses, teacher quality, school climate, and graduation rates. When testing political information sources, ads referencing local school quality can reveal which media channels swing voters trust for credible, relevant education data—helping users identify sources that best inform decisions about schools in their community.
Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge and skills throughout life, extending beyond formal education to include informal and non-formal experiences. In the context of education and skills, it empowers individuals to adapt to changing information landscapes—such as evolving political media—by critically evaluating sources, discerning credibility, and making informed decisions. Engaging in lifelong learning helps citizens, including swing voters, develop the analytical and digital literacy skills necessary to navigate, trust, and interact with diverse political information channels, thereby supporting democratic participation and personal growth.
Preparing young people for the future means teaching adaptable skills—like critical thinking, digital literacy, and media evaluation—so they can navigate evolving information sources, assess credibility, and make informed decisions in a changing world. This is crucial as new media channels emerge and young people must discern trustworthy political information, especially when engagement and trust are tested through simulated ads and digital platforms.