FIRST-EVER CITYWIDE SURVEY TO LEARN ABOUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
More Than 1.8 Million Parents, Teachers, and Students were sent surveys this month to Weigh In On Schools' Performance and Environment. Each school is going to be graded and the surveys are being factored in to each schools progress report.
"For any successful organization, finding out what customers and users think works - or needs work - is key to improvement," said Mayor Bloomberg.
Bloomberg along with his appointment of Chancelor Joel Klein has already made changes to the school system and has improved the schools dramatically.
About 1.8 million people have received one of these questionnaires - a population as big as the entire city of Philadelphia. This is the most extensive effort in the history of American education to solicit a community's ideas and views about their public schools and it may be the largest survey of any kind ever conducted, besides the national census.
The surveys focus on some of the key prerequisites to learning-safety, communication, engagement, and expectations. Together, these factors help create school environments that foster better learning.
The parent survey asks parents to assess the classes and other programs their children's schools offer, how often they talk with their children's teachers, and how satisfied they are with the quality of education their children are receiving.
The student survey asks whether the adults at their schools know who they are, if their schools set high expectations for them, whether schools are safe, and about the subjects being taught at their school.
The teacher survey asks about school safety, if instructional materials are in good condition, and whether principals are supportive leaders and effective managers.
The surveys, were mailed in bright green envelopes, to schools and homes the beginning of the month. The deadline is June 1st to have them returned in postage paid envelopes. Parents and teachers are also able to complete surveys online by visiting schools.nyc.gov/surveys. Parent and student surveys are available in nine languages.
Elementary school parents received surveys in their children's backpacks. Parents of middle and high school students received the surveys through the mail. Students in grades 6 to 12 and teachers received their surveys at school.
Survey responses are being collected by an external vendor, assuring the confidentiality of answers. Parents and educators, however, will receive detailed reports of aggregate responses. This will help parents learn from their counterparts about schools, and it will help principals and other educators learn from members of their community about the effectiveness of individual schools. The results of the survey will also be factored into the "Learning Environment" section of schools' Progress Reports, planned for release in fall 2007.
Over the past four months, Department of Education staff met and talked with hundreds of educators, parents, and students as it designed the survey.
For more information on the surveys, or about NYC schools log on to the Department of Education's website
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