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Friday, November 20, 2009
FCPS Releases Results of 2009 Family Survey
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has released the results of its 2009 Family Survey, which reveals that a vast majority of its families feel their schools do a good job making families feel welcome, supporting student success, promoting safety and security, and communicating news and information.
FCPS contacted a representative sample of its families aligned to the proportion of students in each ethnic subgroup (Asian, Black, Hispanic, Multiethnic or Other, and White), at each level (elementary, middle, and high school), and in specific programs (limited English proficient, advanced studies, special education, and students eligible for fee waivers) and had a 28 percent response rate from the 4,750 invitations issued online and via U.S. mail. The survey was distributed in eight languages.
"This survey was designed to assess the relationship that parents have with their schools and with FCPS as a whole in support of their children’s achievement,” said Superintendent Jack D. Dale. "It had been quite a while since we surveyed our parents. We wanted to give them an opportunity to tell us where we were succeeding and where we needed to make changes."
Questions were organized under six themes: welcoming all families; communicating effectively; supporting student success; promoting health, safety, and security; speaking up for every child; and collaborating with the community.
FCPS got very high positive responses to questions asking about understanding rules and responsibilities; whether the school values the diversity of families; familiarity with school policies and programs; whether or not the child’s school takes action when health, safety, and security issues arise; and if the school keeps families informed about important issues and events, with more than 93 percent of respondents agreeing with the questions.
Survey respondents felt areas that needed attention or improvement included the following: receiving information about student progress and how to help their children at home, receiving communication from the school and the classroom, and whether or not the school considers parent input before making important decisions.
The survey also revealed how families got news and information about the school system, with the majority of respondents—more than 60 percent—relying on the FCPS Keep in Touch e-mail messaging system, the FCPS web site, the FamilyGram newsletter, and FCPS 24-7 Learning. Ninety-six percent of FCPS families have Internet access at home; more than 54 percent of parents report having multiple paths of access to the Internet. Approximately four percent of families do not have access to the Internet.
For additional information about the survey, visit http://www.fcps.edu/news/parents/parentsurveyresults09.pdf.
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