On Monday, October 30th, parents in the Coronado Unified School District (CUSD) received a survey from the Superintendent regarding our Board Goal on Learning. To ensure alignment with current LCAP language and data, we used the same questions presented to parents during the 2016-17 school year. Topics included academic rigor, relevance, homework, feedback, and supports/intervention. The survey solicited 275 responses (279 responses in 2016-17). Parents had an opportunity to answer nine questions through a rating scale that measured responses as ‘strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, or strongly disagree’ and to write narrative responses to each question. At the conclusion of the survey, parents were encouraged to share any comments, questions, or concerns regarding learning experiences and/or supports in our district.

2017-18 Identified areas of strength:

• 79% of parent responders believe (strongly agree/agree) that topics covered in our classrooms are relevant and connect content to the real world. (72% in 2016-17)

• 76% of parent responders believe (strongly agree/agree) that CUSD academic experiences challenge our learners to meet high expectations. (75% in 2016-17)

• 76% of parent responders believe (strongly agree/agree) that CUSD educational programs are preparing our learners for success in the next grade level and/or college and career readiness. (72% in 2016-17)

2017-18 Identified areas of growth:

• 19% of parent responders do not feel (strongly disagree/disagree) that homework is value-added and supports learning. (26% in 2016-17)

• 21% of parent responders do not feel (strongly disagree/disagree) that their child’s individual learning style and academic needs are being met. (24% in 2016-17)

Themes gleaned from parent comments, questions, and concerns:

• Provide additional opportunities across CUSD for acceleration

• Design programs and designate resources which increase rigor and challenge high achieving students

• Decrease amount of ‘screen time’ at the elementary level

• Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of math and reading/writing curricula

• Create opportunities for parents to learn about and how to best support district initiatives at home

• Limit class size across CUSD - large class sizes impact differentiation, feedback loop, and effective communication with parents

This year, we sent the same survey to our current middle and high school students. The student survey solicited 44 responses. Coronado Unified School District did not include students in the 2016-17 survey.

Identified areas of strength:

• 82% of student responders believe (strongly agree/agree) that CUSD schools provide appropriate academic learning supports and interventions

• 80% of student responders believe (strongly agree/agree) that CUSD educational programs are preparing them for success in the next grade level and/or college and/or career.

• 80% of student responders believe (strongly agree/agree) that CUSD academic experiences challenge them to meet high expectations

Identified areas of growth:

• 34% of student responders do not feel (strongly disagree/disagree) that homework is value-added and supports learning

Themes gleaned from student comments, questions, and concerns:

• Value-added homework supports content mastery; busy work is often redundant and impacts healthy sleep and wellness

• Robust elective course of study and specialized programs (COSA, Engineering, NJROTC, etc.) align with student interests and passions

• Discussions on current events are engaging, but teachers should not share their own political views

• Teachers encourage students to challenge and advocate for themselves