District Receives High Ratings from Parents
REPORT OF FINDINGS
2007 Saint Louis Park School District Parents Survey
Significant Findings:
There are major information level differences between non-Saint Louis Park School District parents and both Saint Louis Park parents of pre-schoolers and Saint Louis Park Public School parents.
- 81% of Saint Louis Park Public School parents report they are "very informed" about the School District.
- 77% of pre-school parents state they are "very informed" about the School District.
- 81% of non-Saint Louis Park Public School parents are either "not too informed" or "not at all informed."
Most pre-school parents intend to send their children to Saint Louis Park Public Schools. Fifty-one percent are "absolutely certain" and 32% are "very likely" to do so.
Saint Louis Park Public School parents provide many of the highest ratings across the Metropolitan Area of their children's public school experiences.
- Ninety-three percent report the schools their children attend provide them with ideas for ways they can help their children to be more successful in school.
- Ninety-seven percent say their children's schools provide safe learning environments.
- Ninety-seven percent indicate their children's schools provide respectful learning environments.
- A very high ninety-eight percent feel their children are taught by teachers who care about them.
- Ninety-six percent believe their children's teachers are highly trained and effective.
- Eighty-nine percent think their children's teachers and schools monitor their progress adequately.
- Ninety percent report their children's teachers meet the individual learning needs of their children.
Both parents of pre-schoolers and parents of Saint Louis Park Public School children provide the highest rating of the quality of education in the Metropolitan Area.
- Sixty-six percent of Saint Louis Park pre-school parents rate the quality of education as "excellent;" twenty-nine percent rate the quality as "good."
- Sixty-eight percent of parents of Saint Louis Park Public School children rate it as "excellent," and 24% rate the quality as "good."
- A large 70% of parents of non-Saint Louis Park Public School children are "unsure."
In comparison with neighboring suburban public school districts, exceptional majorities of both Saint Louis Park pre-school parents and Saint Louis Park Public School parents view their home district as "better."
- Sixty-six percent of pre-school parents view the public schools as either "much better" or "somewhat better" than their suburban public peers.
- An identical 66% of parents of Saint Louis Park Public School children view the district similarly.
- But, 75% of non-Saint Louis Park Public School parents are unable to state an opinion.
Parents of pre-schoolers and parents of Saint Louis Park Public School children provide the highest ratings in the Metropolitan Area for meeting student learning needs and promoting high student achievement.
- Ninety-two percent of pre-school parents think the School District meets the learning needs of "all" or "most" students; ninety-four percent think the School District promotes high achievement for "all" or "most" students.
- Eighty-nine percent of Saint Louis Park Public School parents feel the Saint Louis Park Public Schools meet the learning needs of "all" or "most" students; eighty-eight percent think the School District promotes high achievement for "all" or "most" students.
- Again, large majorities of non-Saint Louis Park Public School parents are unsure about either topic.
The Saint Louis Park School District is awarded top grades by pre-school parents and parents of Saint Louis Park Public School children.
- A record-setting 95% of current public school parents think "during the past few years, the Saint Louis Park Public School District has been able to maintain a high quality teaching staff;" a similar record-setting high of 89% of pre-school parents share this perception.
- A top Metropolitan Area rating of 84% of both groups agree "the Saint Louis Park School District is one of the most innovative and high performance districts in the Metropolitan Area."
- Eighty-five percent of pre-school parents and 87% of Saint Louis Park Public School parents agree "the budget cuts the School District has made over the past few years have done a good job of containing costs while protecting the quality of education." Both levels of agreement place the Saint Louis Park School District among the top 10% of Metropolitan Area suburban school districts.
Parents - all three groups - are the most supportive of any suburban school district in establishing the closing of the achievement gap as a key goal.
- At least 75% of each group think it is "very important" to close this achievement gap.
- Similarly, at least 79% of each group feel it is "very important" that students learn from and with children who are different racially and/or economically.
Conclusions:
- Parents of non-Saint Louis Park Public School children are completely disconnected from the School District. They are neither informed about specific School District performance standards nor even general quality perceptions.
- Both pre-school parents and Saint Louis Park Public School parents rate the quality of education decisively high. They believe, in general, the quality offered by the public schools is better than neighboring suburban school districts. They also think the School District is doing an exceptional job in meeting the learning needs of students and promoting high achievement for students.
- The general policies and activities of the School District also receive exceptionally high ratings. Parents believe the Saint Louis Park School District has been able to maintain a high quality teaching staff, does a good job of containing costs while protecting the quality of education, and is one of the most innovative and high performance districts in the Metropolitan Area.
- Parents clearly are among the most dedicated to the positive value of diversity and the importance of closing the achievement gap.
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