January 2014
Telephone Survey of Parents in 7 Districts
and the Kent School District
2 Kent Parent Poll
Methodology
Due to rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%
• Telephone survey of parents/guardians of children in 7 districts -- Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Tukwila and South Seattle.
• A total 2,051 interviews were completed, overall margin of error of ± 2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval.
• In Kent, 454 interviews were completed for an overall margin of error of ± 4.6. • Margins of error vary; the smaller the subgroup, the higher (worse) the margin of error.
• The survey was conducted October 8th-30th, 2013.
• At least 6 attempts were made to encourage participation.
• Survey offered in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Spanish and Vietnamese speakers were called back by a bilingual interviewer.
• The demographics of respondents are similar to OSPI data, though OSPI data is collected using a different approach.
3 Kent Parent Poll
Map of Survey Area
Kent
Auburn
Federal Way
Highline
Renton
South Seattle School Districts 2010 2013
Auburn 10% 10%
Federal Way 17% 19%
Highline 16% 15%
Kent 22% 23%
Renton 15% 14%
Seattle 16% 17%
Tukwila 3% 2%
Indicators
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Three aggregate “Indicators” were developed using component questions:
1. Indicator 1: Parent Knowledge and Confidence (7 component questions)
2. Indicator 2: Welcoming Climate (7 component questions)
3. Indicator 3: Leadership Opportunities and Influence on School Decision Making (4 component questions)
Component questions were asked on a 5-point Agree/Disagree scale, where 1 is “strongly disagree” and 5 is “strongly agree.”
A threshold of 4.0 was set as the cut off to indicate whether or not the Indicator was being met.
Constructing Indicators
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Indicators – Kent vs. Overall
66% 69%
60% 63%
43% 44%
AllDistricts
Kent AllDistricts
Kent AllDistricts
Kent
1: Parent Knowledge
2: Welcoming Climate
3: Leadership Opportunities & Influence on
School Decision Making
Indicator 1: Parent Knowledge and Confidence
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Indicator 1: Parent Knowledge and Confidence*
7. I know special programs available at school or the district to help my child.
8. I know what my child will learn this year at school.
9. I understand the steps my child needs to take in order to go to college
10. I know the community resources to help my child.
11. I know who to talk with regarding my concerns or questions about my child’s education
12. I feel confident in my ability to support my child’s learning at home.
13. I feel confident in my ability to make sure my child’s school meets my child’s learning needs.
(*must answer at least 4 of 7 questions)
Indicator 1: Component Questions
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Indicator 1: by School District Parents in Kent are most likely to agree with the indicator questions than parents in other districts.
66% 69% 68%
65% 64% 64% 63% 63%
All Districts
Kent Federal Way
Seattle Tukwila Auburn Renton Highline
Indicator 1 : Parent Knowledge and Confidence % Above Threshold
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Indicator 1: Overall and by Subgroup The greatest difference on this indicator is found on lunch eligibility.
69% 68% 71% 68% 71% 67% 73%
65% 71%
66% 71% 71% 69%
Indicator 1: Parent Knowledge and Confidence % Above Threshold
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65%
63%
63%
50%
41%
40%
34%
24%
21%
18%
31%
28%
22%
23%
5%
10%
10%
13%
22%
20%
25%
6%
5%
6%
5%
9%
15%
15%
12. I feel confident in my ability to support my child’s learning at home
11. I know who to talk with regarding my concerns or questions about my child’s education
9. I understand the steps my child needs to take in orderto go to college
13. I feel confident in my ability to make sure my child’s school meets my child’s learning needs* (n=432)
8. I know what my child will learn this year at school
7. I know special programs available at school or thedistrict to help my child
10. I know the community resources to help my child
5: Agree 4 3 1-2: Disagree
* - Question wording was changed after initial night from “I feel comfortable making sure my child’s school meets my child’s learning needs”
Indicator 1: Component Questions Awareness of special programs at schools and community resources offer the greatest opportunity
for improvement on the Parent Knowledge and Confidence indicator.
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Indicator 1: Aware of Special Programs The greatest differences for this component are based on respondent age, ethnicity, and number of
kids in the household.
62% 59%
67%
58% 64%
61% 63% 63% 60% 58% 64%
60% 63%
Indicator 1: Aware of Special Programs % Above Threshold
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Indicator 1: Aware of Community Resources
There are minor differences on this question by number of kids in the household, ethnicity, and birth country.
58% 57% 59% 54% 60% 58% 57% 55%
58% 60% 56% 61%
56%
Indicator 1: Aware of Community Resources % Above Threshold
Indicator 2: Welcoming Climate
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Indicator 2 – Welcoming Climate*
24. I am greeted warmly when I call or visit the school.
25. Teachers work closely with me to meet my child’s needs.
26. I am invited to visit classrooms to observe teaching and learning.
27. The school encourages feedback from parents and the community.
28. My child’s teachers know my child well.
29. My home culture and home language are valued by the school.
30. At this school, it is difficult to overcome the cultural barriers between staff and parents.
(*must answer at least 5 of 7 questions)
Indicator 2: Component Questions
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Indicator 2: by School District Six-in-ten Kent SD parents meet the threshold for Indicator 2. There is little variation by school district
on this indicator.
60% 63% 61% 60% 60% 60% 60% 57%
All Districts
Kent Renton Tukwila Seattle Federal Way
Auburn Highline
Indicator 2 : Welcoming Climate % Above Threshold
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Indicator 2: Overall and by Subgroup Non white and non-US born parents don’t agree as much on this indicator.
63% 65% 58%
68%
59% 60% 67%
60% 64%
60% 65%
57%
66%
Indicator 2: Welcoming Climate % Above Threshold
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58%
59%
44%
44%
44%
48%
44%
22%
16%
27%
27%
25%
15%
17%
14%
12%
16%
18%
17%
15%
16%
5%
8%
11%
8%
10%
15%
21%
Q24. I am greeted warmly when I call or visit theschool
Q29. My home culture and home language arevalued by the school
Q25. Teachers work closely with me to meet my child’s needs
Q28. My child's teachers know my child well
Q27. The school encourages feedback from parentsand the community
Q30. At this school, it is (NOT) difficult to overcomethe cultural barriers between staff and parents*
Q26. I am invited to visit classrooms to observeteaching and learning
5: Agree 4 3 1-2: Disagree
* - Question responses reversed for comparison purposes.
Indicator 2: Component Questions Being invited to visit classrooms is the weakest performer for this indicator. Most agree that their culture is valued, but there is still some concern about cultural barriers between staff and parents.
This suggests that the cultural obstacles are likely more functional than attitudinal.
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Indicator 2: Overcoming Cultural Barriers Non-white, non-U.S. born, and lunch eligible parents are the least likely to agree that cultural barriers
between parents and staff are easy to overcome.
62% 62% 63% 64% 61% 58%
67%
54%
68%
52%
69%
45%
70%
Indicator 2: NOT Difficult to Overcome Cultural Barriers % Above Threshold
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Indicator 2: Invited to Visit There is very little difference among sub-groups as to how invited they feel to visit classrooms.
61% 61% 60% 62% 60% 60% 62% 60% 60% 62% 61% 59% 62%
Indicator 2: Invited to Visit % Above Threshold
Indicator 3: Leadership Opportunities and
Influence on School Decision Making
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Indicator 3 – Leadership Opportunities and Influence on School Decision Making*
31. I am involved in making the important decisions in my child’s school.
32. I have opportunities to influence what happens at the school.
33. My school involves me in meaningful ways in improving the school.
34. My school or district helps me develop my leadership skills.
(*must answer at least 3 of 4 questions)
Indicator 3: Component Questions
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Indicator 3: by School District This is the lowest performing indicator for all Districts. Four-in-ten Kent SD parents meet the threshold.
Kent’s parents answers are siimilar to 4 of the other Districts, with Federal Way the highest.
43% 47% 44% 44% 42% 42% 40% 39%
All Districts
Federal Way
Kent Tukwila Renton Highline Seattle Auburn
Indicator 3: Leadership Opportunities and Influence on School Decision Making
% Above Threshold
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Indicator 3: Overall and by Subgroup The greatest differences on indicator 3 are based on income/free lunch eligibility and birth country,
and ethnicity.
44% 45% 40%
48% 40%
46% 41%
51%
36%
56%
36%
54%
40%
Indicator 3: Leadership Opportunities and Influence on School Decision Making
% Above Threshold
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42%
30%
31%
17%
22%
27%
23%
19%
20%
24%
25%
25%
14%
17%
19%
32%
Q31 I am involved in making the importantdecisions in my child's school.
Q33 My school involves me in meaningful ways inimproving the school.
Q32 I have opportunities to influence what happensat the school.
Q34 My school or district helps me develop myleadership skills
5: Agree 4 3 1-2: Disagree
Indicator 3: Component Questions Getting help developing leadership skills is the weakest component, although there is room for improvement
across the board, as this indicator has among the highest levels of disagreement for all components.
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Indicator 3: Help Develop Leadership Skills Not lunch eligible respondents, white respondents, and those born in the US are the least likely to
agree that they get help developing their leadership skills.
36% 37% 34% 37% 36%
39% 32%
45%
28%
45%
30%
50%
30%
Indicator 3: Help Develop Leadership Skills % Above Threshold
College and Continuing Education
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Importance of a College Education Nearly all parents believe a college education is important.
89% 8% 2%
Q20. Howimportant is a
college educationtoday?
Very important Fairly important Not too important
89% 91% 87% 89% 90% 87% 92% 92% 88% 92% 87% 96%
87%
“Very Important” to Go to College
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Importance for “Your Children” Nearly all parents believe it is very important for their children to continue their education after high
school.
92% 7% 1%
Q21. How importantis it to you that your
children go tocollege or a trade or
technical schoolafter high school?
Very important Fairly important Not too important
92% 92% 91% 93% 93% 91% 94% 93% 91% 94% 91% 95% 91%
“Very Important” for Your Child
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Likelihood of Child Continuing Education Most parents say it is likely that their child will continue their education after high school. Parents without a college
degree or who are lunch eligible are least likely to say their child will continue.
85% 12% 1%
Q22. And how likely doyou think it is that your
oldest K through 12 childwill go to college or a
trade or technical schoolafter high school?
Very likely Somewhat likely Not that likely
85% 83% 87% 83% 88% 77%
94%
76% 90%
82% 86% 86% 84%
“Very Likely” to Continue
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Deflection: Importance vs. Expectation The biggest driver of deflection is whether or not the parent has a college degree or is lunch eligible.
7%
9%
4%
11%
5%
14%
0%
17%
1%
11%
5%
9%
7%
Deflection = Importance - Likelihood Importance: College “Very Important” for my child Likelihood: “Very Likely” my child will go to college
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“4-yr College” vs. “More Education” Parents are much more likely to strongly agree schools should prepare all children for “more education
beyond high school” compared to “a 4-year college.”
61%
71%
16%
15%
Schools shouldprepare all
children for a 4-year
college
Schools shouldprepare allchildren for
more educationbeyond high
school
5: Strongly Agree 4
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45%
35%
31%
34%
40%
39%
14%
19%
25%
Q35 -I am aware that advisors are available to help mychild decide what classes to take to be ready for college
Q37 -I am aware of events or programs to help my childthrough the steps of applying to college.
Q36 -I am aware of events or programs to help ourfamily or my child with financial aid for college
5 3 and 4 1-2: Disagree
Aware of Resources to Reach College College preparedness and awareness of resources is strong among less than half of parents.