Surprising Differences In Satisfaction With Schools Curriculum

How satisfied are parents with the courses their children take in the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District? The School Committee and school administrators got a clue this month from a survey conducted by Assistant Superintendent Kerry Clery. Overall, there was high satisfaction in most curriculum areas especially Math and Science.

However, there were significant differences about the curriculum from school to school and from grade level to grade level.

Clery, who has been involved in the transition of the District's curriculum to Common Core Standards, undertook the survey at the beginning of May. A total of 223 responses were received from parents in the high school, middle school and elementary schools.

The survey questions were prepared where three responses could be used to answer: Satisfied/Very Satisfied; Dissatisfied/Very Dissatisfied; and Don't Know. In the areas of Math and Science a high number of those who responded expressed satisfaction with the courses taken and offered.

Overall, 74 percent of those who responded expressed satisfaction with Math and 76 percent with Science. Those percentages were also reflected at the different grade levels - Elementary, Middle School and High School.

However, in Reading and Writing, there were glaring differences between the elementary schools and high school and the middle school. While overall there was a healthy percentage of responses that expressed satisfaction with Reading (69 percent), there was a high level of dissatisfaction among parents with Middle School children.

At the Middle School, only 55 percent of responses expressed satisfaction with the reading program and 25 percent - a relatively high number - expressed dissatisfaction.

Those findings were also found in the Writing programs. Writing programs received a more favorable response at the Elementary level and High School level than at the Middle School. Only 50 percent of those who responded expressed satisfaction with Writing at the Middle School and a high 32 percent expressed dissatisfaction. Clery noted that those findings raised some concern and that it would receive a focus in the next school year.

The most significant shortcoming in the curriculum district wide - especially from the view of parents who responded was in Foreign Language. Overall, only 38 percent of those who responded to the survey expressed satisfaction with Foreign Language in the District with 32 percent registering dissatisfaction. The level of satisfaction was relatively low at both the Middle School and High School while the level of dissatisfaction was high. At the Middle School, 48 percent expressed satisfaction with Foreign Language while 36 percent expressed dissatisfaction.. At the high school, 55 percent expressed satisfaction while 35 percent expressed dissatifaction.

Clery acknowledged that Foreign Language in the School District is weak and suggested that the District put a higher priority on making these courses more viable. She noted that comments from parents suggested that offerings are poor with only Spanish and French being offered with Latin also offered at the high school. Superintendent of Schools Anthony Bent noted that enrollments are dropping in Foreign Language and more focus is needed on the coursework offered. School Committee member Jim Frey commented that he hopes another similar survey is done next year.