Survey: Boost curriculum, address teacher issues

ROCKPORT — School officials' top priorities right now should be focused on curriculum improvement and improved staff management.

That's the major finding of a town-wide survey that Rockport Community Connection, a school task force, conducted over the last several weeks.

Approximately 5 percent of the town's adult population — considered to be those age 21 and over — responded to the survey, which was available online, in hard copy at various locations, and promoted through a post-card mailing to some 1,000 seniors. The survey was aimed at improving communication between residents and school leadership.

While School Committee Chairman Carl Engel said he was "disappointed" by the lower than anticipated number of responses, he was "enthused" by the input they did receive.

"I think what Cameron Smith did was fantastic for the schools and the town," Engel said yesterday. "It's something we ought to be doing on an annual basis if someone has the energy for it."

"We had a very thoughtful discussion about the results, what to do with them and how to use them to improve the schools," he said.

The task force, led by Smith, a former Rockport Education Foundation president, had hoped to generate 1,000 responses, Engel said, not the 275 who participated. The results of the survey, which cost the group $300, were presented to the School Committee at its Dec. 16 meeting.

The community agrees, in general, which initiatives are most and least important, the survey revealed. These tended to be internal school initiatives such as curriculum improvement and staff management rather than school-community relationship issues such as communication and encouraging resident participation in the schools.

With 90.5 percent of all respondents describing it as "important," the identification and dismissal of under-performing teachers was pegged as the top priority.

Engel said it "was a little bit shocking" to see "identification and dismissal of under-performing teachers" top the list of most important initiatives, but he was quick to add that the statement was vague and "misleading."

He said the same result would most likely have been attained had Rockporters been asked whether or not it was important for the schools to identify and retain high performing teachers.

Increased attention to writing, math and science were also seen as high priorities, as were increased attention to computer use, citizenship, and drug and alcohol control programs.

Engel said improving the district's math and technology offerings is already a top priority for the School Committee, but that it was good to see "the public is on the same page."

Although of lesser importance, the community is also looking for more communication from school officials about the district's financial needs.

"Nobody comes to our meetings," Engel said, yesterday. "Another outcome we'd like out of this focus group survey is more participation by the public with the School Committee."

Engel's response to residents who tell him the School Committee needs to go "line-item-by-line-item" through the school budget, is that it's already been done a few times, but no one attends the meetings. He added, however, that the School Committee is not going to post the school budget on its Web site until it is finalized.

"It's still changing on a weekly basis, the only way to stay on top of it for right now is to attend our meetings," Engel said. "All our meetings are posted and the budget will be on every agenda now."

Engel pointed out that, even though only 36 percent of respondents said it would be important for school officials to ask for an override this year — which the School Committee has said it is prepared to do to help cover its proposed 11.5 percent budget increase — another 31 percent said they didn't know if an override was important.

Engel believes the 31 percent who said they didn't know about the importance of an override request simply need to hear the School Committee defend the issue.

About 39 percent of the town budget goes to the schools.

Of the 275 respondents, 134 were parents with children presently attending classes in the district, 86 were seniors, and 55 were identified as "others."

The parents and seniors' list of top priorities differed only slightly.

Parents wanted more specific student progress information while seniors wanted greater outreach from the schools for volunteer mentor and tutor programs.

Seniors also wanted to see more support for Rockport students to help them strive for, and gain acceptance to, better colleges.

On the other hand, Smith noted, the community is united on what it views as less interesting. Residents didn't believe communication from the schools pertaining to enrollment projections were all that important, nor were invitations from the schools to open houses or the importance of MCAS scores.

Smith said the School Committee and administration should carefully consider the curriculum and program initiatives that the community favors, and should prepare and communicate its plans to address those priorities.

Some of the most interesting revelations, Smith said, were found in the survey's free-response comments.

One respondent asked if students were being taught enough about China; yet another wants to see an increase in "anti-bullying" programs. And one resident called for the elimination of teacher tenure, or at least, closer management of those teachers with tenure who are "underperforming."

Attempts to reach Rockport Schools Superintendent Dr. Susan King were unsuccessful yesterday, but King has said school officials were happy with the results and would start working to implement ideas next month. The report, along with respondents' answers to all 81 questions, will be posted on the schools' Web site, www.rockport.k12.ma.us, early next month, she said.

"Overall, the close agreement between parents and seniors on priorities is good news and should simplify the schools' communications," Smith said.

"We feel that this survey has attracted wise, considerate responses," he said. "Their opinions have strong merit. I think that residents would be gratified to know that the schools value their opinions."

Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at 978-283-7000 x 3451 or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.

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