By Candace Raskin
Research shows that students do better in school when parents talk often with teachers and become involved in their child’s school. There are a number of ways that parents and teachers can communicate with each other rather than relying only on the scheduled parent-teacher conferences. Close communications between parents and teachers can help the student, research shows.
Armed with this knowledge, our teachers have made connecting with parents and building a trusting relationship with parents a priority. The results of their efforts are reflected in the results of the parent satisfaction survey distributed to parents at February parent/teacher conferences.
In spring of 2007, parents who participated in the long range strategic planning survey rated their satisfaction with parent/teacher communication at 83 percent very satisfied/satisfied. In February 2008, Austin Public Schools surveyed parents again to measure parent satisfaction in five areas. The percentage of parents reporting very satisfied/satisfied with communication between parent and school increased by 10 percentage points to 93 percent. The following are all of the results from the February 2008 parent survey:
1. In general, how satisfied are you with the communication between you and your student's school? 93 percent, Very satisfied/Satisfied; 4 percent, Neutral; 2.4 percent, Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied; .2 percent, Don't Know.
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2. In general, how satisfied are you with the school's effort to keep you informed about your student's learning? 90.1 percent, Very satisfied/Satisfied; 6.5 percent, Neutral; 3.2 percent, Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied; .2 percent, Don't Know.
3. In general, how satisfied are you with your student’s academics? 91.2 percent, Very satisfied/Satisfied; 4.4 percent, Neutral; 3.4 percent, Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied; .9 percent, Don't Know.
4. In general, how satisfied are you with your student's school environment? 91.2 percent, Very satisfied/Satisfied; 5.5 percent, Neutral; 2.9 percent, Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied; .5 percent, Don't Know.
5. In general, how satisfied are you with your student’s opportunity for extra-curricular activities? 84.6 percent, Very satisfied/Satisfied; 10.3 percent, Neutral; 2.6 percent, Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied; 2.4 percent, Don't Know.
A total of 1,284 surveys were completed by parents from all Austin Public School sites pre-K through grade 11. Thank you to parents for taking the time to share your thoughts and for helping us work together, home and school, to ensure the best possible education for our students.
Candace Raskin is the superintendent of the Austin Public Schools District.
