At the most recent Chat I shared some results of the parent survey that we conducted this winter. The survey was successful in several ways, not the least of which was the fact that more than half of our families completed the survey. I am not a statistician, but I do know that is an extremely high rate of response and speaks the sense of commitment our families have. The survey produced a wealth of information -- most of it affirming and all of it instructive -- and I am pleased to share some of the highlights with you here.
Parents were asked to consider a set of 14 characteristics and tell us how important each was to them when they made the decision to enroll their child(ren) in the school. It should not surprise you to see the characteristics that top the list (with the combined percentage of those rating it as “Very Important” or “Critically Important”): 1. Quality of the Teachers (98%), 2. Quality of the Academic Program (98%), and 3. School Environment (96%).
Next, we asked parents to rate the same set of characteristics now that their family is part of the school. While the same three rise to the top, School Environment received even more “Critically Important” responses. It is also interesting to note that the school’s relationship to the Hickman Home and West Chester Monthly Meeting becomes more important to parents after they have been in the school. Both of these trends make sense when you consider that they are qualities that need to be experienced in order to be truly appreciated.
Another characteristic that becomes more important to parents after they have been with the school is the level to which our students are being prepared for middle school. When asked to look ahead, 93% indicated that they are “Confident” or “Very Confident” that their child will be well prepared academically for middle school, and 86% gave the same responses for how well their child will be prepared socially and emotionally. These are the same kinds of responses we have received from a smaller survey conducted over the past two years of fifth grade parents as their children graduate.
An open-ended question about the strengths of our academic program produced a very clear message. Parents value the teachers and their approach to teaching, specific curricular areas, small class sizes and the personalization of the program (which goes hand-in-hand with the teaching methods and small classes). When offered the opportunity to suggest improvements to the academic program, the word “more” appeared frequently, particularly in calls for more time spent on certain subjects. This speaks to a persistent challenge that we face in organizing our school: making all of the valuable pieces of our program fit into the school day and finding a good balance. One parent made a suggestion that we often hear, especially as a child is approaching graduation: “Add a secondary school :-)”
In describing the strengths of our school community, many parents feel a sense being welcome, included and involved. Several special events were heralded with a general sense that there is a good number and variety of events and that they are well-run. In terms of desired improvements, some survey results encourage us to hold more smaller events such as shared suppers; to keep in mind the availability of events to working parents and those with very young children; and to consider the timing of events, especially in the busy fall season.
Finally, in an effort to assess the effectiveness of our marketing and outreach, parents were asked how they had first heard of WCFS. Clearly, word of mouth is the best advertisement. We have known this anecdotally, and now the numbers prove it: 40% of the respondents first hear of the school through a recommendation, be it from a current family, alumnus, friend, neighbor, or other educational professional. One family even heard of us while attending an open house at another school! The second most frequent mode of learning about the school is through online searches (19%), which confirms what experts say about how people get information these days. Only one respondent indicated that they first learned of us through a newspaper or magazine ad. This will inform our marketing efforts moving forward.
So, keep spreading the good word! If you know of a family that might value a WCFS education for their child as much as you do, please let us know (admissions@wcfriends.org).
And thank you to all of the families that completed the survey. There is much more to learn as we continue to dig down into the valuable feedback.
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