Last Spring we invited all current Chapin families to evaluate the school’s programs and operations in a Parent Survey. This is Chapin’s sixth Parent Survey since 2002. A total of 101 surveys were returned, a response rate of 47%. The surveys were tabulated and summarized by a consultant.
Among the most significant overall findings were as follows:
·88% of respondents schoolwide rated their child’s overall experience at Chapin as very good or excellent, the same as in 2010.
·77% of respondents rated their overall experience as parents as very good or excellent, down slightly from 2010.
·Average ratings improved from 2010 to 2012 in 62% of the 74 items evaluated. The average rating for all items was 3.94 on a five-point scale, up from 3.87 in 2010.
Of the items surveyed, among the highest rated were:
·Child’s Chapin experience overall
·Secondary School Placement
·Availability/Responsiveness of Lower School Faculty
·Lower School Language Arts
·Upper School Mathematics
·Lower School Mathematics
Among the lowest rated items were:
·Upper School Integration of Technology
·Upper School Homework Expectations
·Lower School Disciplinary Practices
·Upper School Electives
·Upper School After School Clubs
The survey also asked parents to respond to several questions.
1.What were the deciding factors when you chose Chapin for your child? The factors cited most often by parents were:
1.Small classes
2.Quality of curriculum
3.Personal attention
4.Sense of community
5.Size of school
6.Character Development Program
7.Faculty quality/dedication
8.PK-8 configuration (No high school)
2. What do you like best about Chapin now? The most frequent responses were:
1.Quality/dedication of faculty and staff
2. Sense of community
3. Personal attention/focus on each student
4. Academics/Curriculum
5. Small school/small classes
6. Character Development Program
3. What, if anything, would you change to make Chapin an even better school? The most frequent responses were as follows:
1.Improve parent communications
2.Strengthen technology offerings
3.Various curricular/program suggestions
4.More/better after school activities
5.Improve/maintain faculty quality
6.Improve discipline/social issues
A total of 56 suggestions were made by parents with no broad consensus in any one area. The need for improved communication was noted most often, and we are working in a variety of ways to improve how and when we communicate with parents.
The results of our Parent Survey point to positive changes in many areas. While the survey did not provide any great surprises – this is good news – the data is extremely helpful in focusing our attention on our strengths and especially on areas for improvement.
So, how do we use the Parent Survey data? After thoroughly reviewing the Survey results, I met individually with the people responsible for particular areas. These meetings focused on the specific strengths and areas of concern identified by the Survey, and they resulted in plans for appropriate follow-up. I also shared the results with the entire faculty and staff to ensure that we are all focused on ways that we can get better.
We take the results of the Parent Survey very seriously. They provide important information to keep Chapin moving forward in positive ways. Many thanks to all of you who completed our Parent Survey.