Head of School's Blogs
What Parents Tell Us About ISB
by Bill Gerritz 17 September, 2008
Each year we ask ISB parents to tell us about their children’s learning and experiences at ISB. The latest survey was completed by 620 families and reported on 971 children at the end of the last school year. Below you will see a summary of the quantitative results. It is organized around the five themes in the ISB Vision and Guiding Principles. Parents were asked to respond to each statement with --- strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree. You can interpret the table as follows. 78% of parents strongly agreed or agreed with statement #1 “My child is being academically challenged.” Seven percent strongly disagreed or disagreed.
Many parents also make written comments. These are analyzed carefully and reported to the Board and administration along with the quantitative results. Thanks to those of you who completed the survey. The results are a vital component in our school improvement work.
|
2008 Questions |
Strongly Agree and Agree |
Strongly Disagree and Disagree |
|
|
|
|
|
1. My child is being academically challenged |
78 |
7 |
|
4. This child is making progress aft ISB to the fullest of his/her abilities. |
64 |
13 |
|
15. I am confident that this child will be well prepared for his/her next school. |
77 |
6 |
|
24. For this child, ISB provides enough variety of activities outside the classroom (e.g. sports, clubs, ...). |
87 |
4 |
|
11. This child's teachers expect him/her to work hard and to achieve his/her best. |
83 |
3 |
|
39. ISB provides a challenging curriculum. |
71 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
23. ISB helps this child develop social skills. |
77 |
5 |
|
7. This child is acquiring understanding and enthusiasm for world citizenship and service to others. |
78 |
5 |
|
41. I feel that I am treated fairly and with respect at ISB. |
76 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
3. This child is learning about his/her own best ways to learn. |
73 |
8 |
|
20. ISB helps this child become mature and responsible. |
77 |
4 |
|
9. This child is learning to be a self-directed learner. |
73 |
7 |
|
8. This child's teachers understand how he/she learns best. |
67 |
10 |
|
10. This child's teachers adjust their instruction to meet his/her learning needs |
61 |
13 |
|
21. I am satisfied with the frequency and thoroughness of reporting on my child’s school progress. |
78 |
8 |
|
25. When I have a concern about this child’s learning or experiences at school, I feel comfortable approaching a teacher or principal. |
82 |
5 |
|
19. I am satisfied with the communication I have with this child’s teachers. |
72 |
7 |
|
Experience outstanding teaching, based on best practice and research, supported by meaningful data |
|
|
|
18. I am satisfied with the quality of this child's teachers. |
77 |
7 |
|
16.I respect this child's teachers. |
86 |
2 |
|
14. For this child, I have found the parent-teacher conferences to be useful. |
74 |
8 |
|
Learn in a nurturing and supportive environment |
|
|
|
2. This child enjoys being at ISB. |
90 |
2 |
|
6. This child is physically safe at ISB. |
90 |
2 |
|
12. This child experiences a nurturing and supportive environment at ISB. |
78 |
4 |
|
42. I feel welcome at ISB and I have opportunities to be involved. |
79 |
3 |
|
38. I receive timely appropriate information from ISB (e.g. newsletters, activities, calendar). |
92 |
2 |
|
43. The school includes me in important decisions about my child. |
72 |
4 |
|
22. Concerns that I have are dealt with in a timely manner. |
76 |
4 |
About the Author
Bill received his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley. He has written over 20 journal articles and has an abiding interest in learning improvement. Prior to ISB, Bill headed schools in Holland and South America. He and his wife Marcia have 3 sons.
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