ROWLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT LISTENING
TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
Most respondents support proposed change to school calendar
ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA – DECEMBER 14, 2011 – Rowland Unified School District is sharing the results of a survey addressing issues impacting public education across the community. The report was shared at last night’s Board of Education meeting. Survey topics included perspectives on the quality of education provided by the district, awareness of educational programs and opportunities available to students, and proposed changes to the school calendar. Survey results can be viewed under the “Your Voice” section on every school website and the District website at www.RowlandSchools.org. Rowland Unified encourages community members to provide their email address to participate in future surveys and to receive news about the District.
A total of 1,345 people responded to the survey, representing a cross-section of the community, including district employees, parents, business leaders, government officials and other community members. Open from Tuesday, September 27, 2011, to Friday, October 14, 2011, the survey is part of a larger strategic plan to increase communication between the district and key stakeholders.
“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to participate. Sharing the feedback we received is part of the continuous two-way communication we hope to establish with our supportive community,” said Dr. Maria Ott, Superintendent of Rowland Unified School District. “We are pleased to find that staff and parents overall believe we’re doing a good job of fulfilling our mission and providing our children with a quality education.”
Other findings indicate that the majority of respondents support a proposed change to the school calendar, whereby school would start one to two weeks earlier in August and end one to two weeks earlier at the end of the school year.
The survey also revealed that better communication is needed around various education programs and around the district’s budget situation. Staff had a higher level of awareness than parents about programs that improve teaching and learning, such as the District’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and its newest school that opened, Telesis Academy of Science and Math. Some respondents expressed concern regarding the widespread availability of those programs and others. In response to questions about the district budget, just 30% of parents and 41% of the broader community knew about the Friends of Rowland Unified Schools (FOR US) educational foundation that raises funds to support innovative classroom instruction.
“We are committed to increasing our outreach and communication efforts around both our education programs and our budget situation,” said Dr. Ott. “And we encourage even greater participation in future surveys, particularly from parents and community members. It’s critical that we hear everyone’s voice as we work toward empowering all of our students to realize their full potential and make productive contributions to our global society.”