NEWARK – Parents of students in Worcester County’s public schools have just a few days left to share their input with school system officials.
Parents have until Nov. 21 to complete the annual parent survey issued by Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS). The survey gauges parents’ satisfaction with local schools and gives them the chance to identify priorities they think the school system should focus on during the coming budget process.
“It is incredibly important for parents and guardians to complete the survey as this information is compiled and presented to the board of education and school system leadership as they examine, evaluate and plan instructional and capital projects that will impact our students well into the future,” said Carrie Sterrs, coordinator of public relations and special programs for WCPS.
On this year’s survey, parents are asked to rank things like achievement levels, class size, classroom technology, competitive salaries for teachers, afterschool programs and materials of instruction by order of importance. They’re also asked to respond to school-specific questions regarding their satisfaction with instructional programs, support services and the like.
The survey is accessible on the school system’s website, www.worcesterk12.org, and parents have been reminded to complete it with messages on social media and through the mass notification system used by WCPS.
“We also coincide the administration of the survey with American Education Week (Nov. 13-19) so those families that come to visit their child throughout the week can use the computer labs and kiosks that each school has set up to complete the survey,” Sterrs said.
Schools are also able to provide a hard copy of the survey to students whose families may not have access to the Internet at home.
This is the 19th year the school system has implemented a parent survey. The participation rate has declined somewhat since the survey moved to an online format, however.
“We have had two major shifts that impacted this survey,” Sterrs said. “In 2015, the survey was administered entirely online for the first time and allowed for families to complete one survey for the entire family instead of multiple surveys for each student. Our participation rate that year was 41 percent.”
Last year, participation increased to 43 percent.
“It is our hope to continue to improve this rate,” Sterrs said.
Sterrs will present the results of the survey at the Worcester County Board of Education public budget input meeting set for Dec. 5.
