As you know, we recently disseminated a parent survey for feedback about the District’s implementation of remote learning as a response to the Governor’s directive. There were over 400 respondents to the survey, many representing students in multiple buildings. The results were reassuring that our teacher, District, student and family collective efforts were being met with good success. Parents shared many comments of appreciation for the work of administrators and teachers and shared that the logistics associated with the remote learning were improving. The rating scale was 1 to 4 (poor to excellent), with the majority of responses being 3’s or 4’s. Additionally, we received a lot of valuable feedback with recommendations to reinforce and refine our work.
Some key takeaways:
- Quality of instruction continues to be an area of needed focus:
- Workload balance
- Consistency between classes
- The work of the specials or elective courses
- Parents and students highly value face to face instruction and interaction. There was a recurring theme throughout the survey responses that students need opportunities to interact directly with teachers and other students.
- Communication from the District, buildings and teachers has been effective in navigating the online experience for families. Streamlined, clear and consistent messages regarding parent involvement and student expectations in the online learning process were appreciated. Survey results also indicated a need for strategies to establish clear expectations for the week and organize the learning and assignments in the Google Classroom. Regular updates from the building principal helping parents to remain in the loop, was reinforced.
- Technology and technology support were areas that rated positively. Middle school and high school students have assigned Chromebooks already. Elementary students were challenged by households with limited devices for family and sibling needs. Increasing the availability of Chromebooks and supporting the acquisition of the internet are areas that needed further attention.
We thank you for your participation in the survey and for providing the District with valuable feedback as we continue to adjust and improve the effectiveness of the remote learning experience for our students.
