Better Engagement & Development
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced the results of the eighth annual New York City School Survey, which revealed high levels of student, parent, and teacher satisfaction with our schools.
The survey, the largest of its kind after the U.S. Census, was completed by 981,253 students, parents, and teachers between February and April 2014. The results suggest high overall satisfaction with the schools, as 95 percent of parents report satisfaction with their child’s education.
The results also reveal key improvements in Common Corealigned instruction and engagement, with more students citing instruction that requires them to use evidence to support their ideas and an increased share of families understanding what the Common Core standards mean for their child.
Teachers were more satisfied with the quality of their professional development, with a larger share reporting coherent, consistent development that has helped them improve their instruction. Teachers also increasingly recognized the importance of engagement with parents and families, as a greater percentage reported incorporating parent information and feedback to improve instruction and meet their students’ needs.
“Today’s results affirm the hard work of our teachers and principals to create supportive and academically rigorous classrooms, and engage the students and families they serve,” said Fariña. “However, I challenge myself and all our talented school professionals to do better. We must continue the progress we’ve made to engage parents and families, enhance professional development, increase Common Core-aligned instruction, and do everything we can to ensure that every child in every neighborhood is getting the best education possible.”
According to survey results, student engagement and interest in the programs and classes offered at their school is at its highest level in the eight years the survey has been administered. An additional 3,000 students reported opportunities to be active at school, while 7,000 more parents reported that students with disabilities are included in all school activities.
Last year’s NYC School Survey, designed in partnership with NYU’s Research Alliance for New York City Schools, featured a number of new and updated questions aimed at more accurately assessing schools’ priorities and outcomes.
Among the new, more focused questions were those evaluating schools’ general performance through three key measures: Instructional Core, School Culture, and Systems for Improvement. The new measures are closely aligned with the city’s School Quality Review process, so survey results are meaningful and can easily be translated into school improvements.
Over 90 percent of parents, and at least 80 percent of students and teachers, reported satisfaction with their school on all three critical measures.
The 981,253 participants in this year’s survey represent about 65 percent of potential respondents across the city, and mark a nearly 400,000-person increase over 2007, when the survey was first administered. The survey questions and results are publicly available at https://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability /tools/survey.
