Many companies conduct focus groups to ascertain customer's opinions of their products and services. Here at Carlsbad Unified, we have built-in customer focus groups, our students, staff and families.
Each spring, we conduct exit surveys that guide our continuous improvement efforts. All surveys are anonymous to ensure complete confidentiality and candor.
In the past, surveys were paper and pencil pieces that could be tedious to complete. To make the questionnaires easier and more enticing, Devin Vodicka, director of curriculum and instruction, posted last spring's parent and staff surveys on the district's Web site.
The convenience factor resulted in a sizable response. A total of 317 parents from all CUSD sites responded.
They answered multiple choice questions and expressed thoughtful opinions to two open-ended questions:
1) What are the best things about your child's school?
2) What should be done to improve your child's school?
It was heartening to learn that almost two-thirds of parents expressed satisfaction with their child's school. Only 6 percent said they were “very unsatisfied.” We are nevertheless concerned about that 6 percent and are committed to improving the educational experience for all 10,000 students.
We use parents' suggestions on how to improve their child's school as an opportunity to delve more deeply into the causes of, and cures for, dissatisfaction. Recommendations ranged from elements beyond our control, like the state's budget cuts, to elements, like site traffic patterns, that we will examine in an attempt to ameliorate problems.
“The feedback is extremely valuable,” said Vodicka, who has perused the results in depth. “It helps us identify areas of need. The responses, along with student performance data, and feedback from students and staff help to inform board goals and enable us to improve efforts and outcomes.”
Vodicka discovered a sea of change in the use of and response to electronic communications, galvanized by the district's ambitious harnessing of technology.
“Many parents emphatically told us they appreciate School Loop, which sends daily progress e-mails from teachers to students and parents. They also praised ConnectEd, which enables the district to advise of emergencies, such as last October's wildfires,” Vodicka said.
As the superintendent of Carlsbad Unified, I took pride in reading the many wonderful comments parents took the time to write in praise of our principals, teachers and volunteers. People highlighted the sense of community, positive environment, collaboration between parents and teachers and overall camaraderie.
As a parent of a Carlsbad Unified student, I couldn't agree more.
Visit a classroom:
The district Web site, www.carlsbadusd.k12.ca.us, offers a virtual tour of all things CUSD, including a detailed look at Proposition P facility construction and many other topics. Why stop with a virtual tour? We invite you to visit a classroom as either a volunteer or an observer. We have a great staff and wonderful students just waiting to meet you.
Each spring, we conduct exit surveys that guide our continuous improvement efforts. All surveys are anonymous to ensure complete confidentiality and candor.
In the past, surveys were paper and pencil pieces that could be tedious to complete. To make the questionnaires easier and more enticing, Devin Vodicka, director of curriculum and instruction, posted last spring's parent and staff surveys on the district's Web site.
The convenience factor resulted in a sizable response. A total of 317 parents from all CUSD sites responded.
They answered multiple choice questions and expressed thoughtful opinions to two open-ended questions:
1) What are the best things about your child's school?
2) What should be done to improve your child's school?
It was heartening to learn that almost two-thirds of parents expressed satisfaction with their child's school. Only 6 percent said they were “very unsatisfied.” We are nevertheless concerned about that 6 percent and are committed to improving the educational experience for all 10,000 students.
We use parents' suggestions on how to improve their child's school as an opportunity to delve more deeply into the causes of, and cures for, dissatisfaction. Recommendations ranged from elements beyond our control, like the state's budget cuts, to elements, like site traffic patterns, that we will examine in an attempt to ameliorate problems.
“The feedback is extremely valuable,” said Vodicka, who has perused the results in depth. “It helps us identify areas of need. The responses, along with student performance data, and feedback from students and staff help to inform board goals and enable us to improve efforts and outcomes.”
Vodicka discovered a sea of change in the use of and response to electronic communications, galvanized by the district's ambitious harnessing of technology.
“Many parents emphatically told us they appreciate School Loop, which sends daily progress e-mails from teachers to students and parents. They also praised ConnectEd, which enables the district to advise of emergencies, such as last October's wildfires,” Vodicka said.
As the superintendent of Carlsbad Unified, I took pride in reading the many wonderful comments parents took the time to write in praise of our principals, teachers and volunteers. People highlighted the sense of community, positive environment, collaboration between parents and teachers and overall camaraderie.
As a parent of a Carlsbad Unified student, I couldn't agree more.
Visit a classroom:
The district Web site, www.carlsbadusd.k12.ca.us, offers a virtual tour of all things CUSD, including a detailed look at Proposition P facility construction and many other topics. Why stop with a virtual tour? We invite you to visit a classroom as either a volunteer or an observer. We have a great staff and wonderful students just waiting to meet you.