Way to Go!

Here's an article from the BCCT highlighting the North Penn School District and their first ever community-wide survey.

"...Only great organizations critically review performance on an ongoing basis." I wonder where the Morrisville School District falls on that organizational spectrum.

I also noted the board president's webpage: "As the current School Board President I find it important to defend the school district’s reputation when it is being unfairly or unduly criticized." Hmmm...other board presidents give out diplomas and defend their district. Thankfully the Emperor would not stoop to such mundane and irrelevant tasks.

From the school website: "The North Penn School District recently took its commitment to continuous improvement to another level through its extensive survey of all stakeholders, including students, staff, parents and community members. The Board of School Directors knows that every organization has areas for improvement, but only great organizations critically review performance on an ongoing basis. This survey was part of North Penn’s quality improvement work.

Conducted in March 2008, questionnaires were mailed to more than 40,000 community members, including parents. Concurrently, all students in 5th through 12th grade and all district employees were given the opportunity to complete a questionnaire as well. In all, more than 13,000 questionnaires were completed and analyzed.

Surveys were carefully developed and validated through the involvement of stakeholders, including focus groups, to help design the survey questions and other various opportunities for input. Working with outside consultants, NPSD used a completely secure online or hardcopy administration of the survey, which was scored independent of any district personnel."

School district receives positive response

By AUBREY WHELAN
The Intelligencer

More than 13,000 residents, teachers, parents and students in the North Penn School District applauded the district's teachers, curriculum and safety, participating in the most comprehensive survey the district has ever conducted.

But those same people also expressed concerns on issues like school lunches, internal communication and transitioning students from one grade level to another.

The district is using the results of the survey, which were recently posted on the district's Web site, npenn.org, to develop goals for its six-year strategic plan.

Surveys were mailed to more than 40,000 community members in March. “We mailed it to all community residents, and that included all our parents, staff members and students in fifth grade through 12th grade,” said Christine Liberaski, the district's coordinator of school and community services. The district has conducted surveys in the past, but none as comprehensive as this one, she added.

Liberaski said questions were geared toward the various demographics surveyed.

“We asked whether families thought they were getting communication from the school district ... whether students showed respect for each other, whether staff showed respect for students. Did they feel that the schools are providing a quality education?” she said.

Areas the school has set goals to improve include the quality and variety of school lunches, Liberaski said. Respondents also raised concerns about the fairness of school rules and how students transition from elementary school to middle school to high school.

District Superintendent Bob Hassler said while such concerns are typical, they help district officials pinpoint areas for improvement.

“For example, at the high school, you have five different assistant principals,” he said, addressing some respondents' concerns about the fairness of school rules. “It's something that I think will always be there, just because of the human factor.” But, he said, the strength of the district lies in gathering feedback from its stakeholders, the people who pay taxes and send children to the schools and the students themselves.

“What I'm happy about is we're the type of organization that wants to find out how we can improve,” he said. “The more people we can get involved, the more suggestions, the better it's going to be for our students.”