Thursday, March 20, 2014

Parent Survey Results from the 2012-2013 5Essentials Survey Finally Published Today (3/20/14) on D181 Website

Today, a community member sent an email to D181 asking where the parent results for last year's 5Essential Survey could be accessed?  (See comments posted to 3/17 blog post titled "Update: Superintendent Survey Now "Live"....)  Tonight, the parent survey results were finally published on the D181 website, but four months after Dr. Schuster and the Director of Communications told the Board they were being compiled.

They can be accessed at the following link:

http://www.d181.org/resources/il-5essentials-survey/index.aspx

The parent survey results are quite interesting. We encourage all of you to review not only your own school's data, but that of the other D181 schools.

We leave you with questions the community member asked after receiving this data:  Why didn't the D181 administration post this data sooner?  Why wasn't this done until a parent asked about the data? The Director of Communications assumed responsibility for the "error" of not posting the information,  however, in our opinion, Dr. Schuster was ultimately responsible for bringing this data to the BOE for discussion and publishing it on the D181 website.  She put her name on the Board Report she presented on November 18, 2013 in which she and the Director of Communications told the BOE the parent data was being compiled and would be publicly released.

We have a right to expect transparency from the administration.  We have a right to expect timely access to survey results.  If parents are asked to take surveys, parents should be able to see the results.  Anything short of this is inexcusable.

Updated 3/21/14:  A commentor has asked if D181 posted the teacher results.  They were presented to the Board at the 11/18/13 board meeting and a power point presentation can be found on Board Docs at the following link:  http://www.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/9DG2NR74A25B/$file/5Essentials%20Survey%20Presentation%2013-11-18.pdf.
As of this morning, it does not appear that this link is on the D181 website on the 5 Essential Surveys page (link above).

7 comments:

HMS Parent said...

Thanks to Yvonne Mayer for asking about this data. She is spot on in pointing out the lack of transparency. Why couldn't the administration have just released the data as soon as they got it and compiled it? Would they ever have released it if she hadn't asked about it? No mention was made of it in the email communication the principals sent out earlier this week announcing the new 5Essentials survey. Wouldn't it have been better to present the data right away and take whatever criticism parents might make about the results? Was it really better to "mistakenly" not publish it? Really? Does the administration really think we are all so stupid that we are going to believe it was an "error?"

Anonymous said...

Just curious why the results from the 5Essentials Teacher Survey were not included with the Parent Survey results. Were those already shared and I missed it? I think it's important to have the full picture. If there is a link for those, could someone please provide it?

Anonymous said...

Just noticed and read that teacher and student results were posted by the state. It's a bit cumbersome to find. I think it would be nice to pull all of that together for parents on our district website.

The Parents said...

D181's presentation on the teacher/student 5Essentials Survey results were published on Board Docs for the 11/18/13 board meeting. Here is the link:

http://www.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/9DG2NR74A25B/$file/5Essentials%20Survey%20Presentation%2013-11-18.pdf

Anonymous said...

Special Board Meeting Monday (7:30 p.m. Start Time); March 10 Summary Posted
The Board Summary from the meeting on March 10 is available on our website: www.d181.org > Board > Meetings. A Special Business meeting is being held on Monday, March 24 at Elm School. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. to allow time for those interested in attending the Superintendent Search Focus Group at 7:00 p.m. to attend both events. Among other items, the tentative Board meeting agenda includes a discussion on the 2013-14 school year calendar. We will notify families of any confirmed calendar changes following the meeting.

Anonymous said...

How are we going to do the focus group in thirty minutes?

Anonymous said...

The agenda for Monday's board meeting is posted on board docs. There are two agenda items: 2013/2014 calendar and personnel.