School survey shows good results

A spring survey of parents in the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District showed the district is performing well compared to hundreds of others.

Daren Sievers, project manager with the education research firm School Perceptions, told the School Board this month that this is “one of the best reports I’ve had the pleasure of giving this spring.”

The district’s top five scores on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best, are reflective of child learning and parents keeping updated on their children’s performance, the School Board’s performance and the district’s direction, he said. All have the district in the top 21st percentile out of hundreds in School Perceptions’ database, Sievers said.

Being satisfied with how much their child is learning got a 4.05, with 80% of parents agreeing. That, Sievers said, is a good score.

“Particularly post-Covid, that’s a question that many districts have struggled with, the rigor question,” he said.

The bottom five scores are reflective of student discipline, happiness and if parents feel they have someone they can contact at school.

On a 1 to 10 scale of recommending the district to others, parents gave an 8.09 average, and it is in the top 27% of districts using School Perceptions. Seventy-four percent gave the district an 8, 9 or 10.

Of the survey’s general categories, parents gave a 4.06 out of five (top 25%) to being kept up to date on their children’s progress and what’s happening at school.

They gave a 4.01 (25%) to being welcome, respected and part of the school community.

They gave a 4.05 (22%) to the effectiveness of helping children learn, develop and succeed, and a 4.06 (37%) to their children feeling safe and supported at school.

They gave a 4.08 (34%) to their families being accepted, respected and supported at school.

On the homework question, 76% of parents said the district gives about the right amount. Sievers said that’s one of the better scores he has seen this spring.

The survey had a 26% response rate with 237 parents taking the survey, which Sievers said was enough to provide good information to the district.

Supt. Chad Brakke said the administrative team will do a deeper dive into the data.

“It’s a very good report,” he said.