The senior staff has begun the work...
The senior staff has begun the work of analyzing the
data and the responses to the three open narrative
questions about the school's areas of strength and
weakness and areas on which to focus in the future. In
general, the survey results are in line with the goals and
objectives of our current Strategic Plan, as well as the
recommendations from our CAIS/WASC accreditation.
Specifi cally, the survey data and comments confi rm
several areas within our school that are in need of
further analysis and action:
√ Academic program and educational
innovation -
We must continue to look for
opportunities to strengthen our programs further
and to be more innovative, and we must ensure
that all program areas meet Parker's high
standards. We must also ensure, via assessment,
professional development, and future hiring, that
we maintain the level of excellence that we expect
in our faculty.
√ Communication - Compared to the data
from the 2005 Survey, there is a measurable
increase in the level of satisfaction with the
School's focused communications. However, the
2007 survey narrative suggests that our community
desires to learn more about developments in
academic programs and curriculum, and the
direction in which our School is heading.
√ Faculty evaluation - On this issue, the
survey results are a clear validation of both the
goals of the Strategic Plan and the CAIS/WASC
recommendations. I am pleased to report that we
have in fact just completed a new school-wide
evaluation policy, which will be put into effect in
September. It supports our standards of
professional excellence and the long-term
advancement of the School and its mission.
√ Food service and nutrition - The overall
satisfaction of our food service is up from 2005.
However, we still have work to do, primarily in the
areas of increased nutritional value and the
selection and/or appeal of the menu - areas that
may often pull in opposite directions when we are
talking about foods that appeal to students.
√ Socio-economic diversity - The desire to
remain both affordable and accessible to all of our
current and future families remains a priority for
the School. Balancing tuition with the rising
demands of both program and curriculum is one of
our greatest long-term challenges.
√ Specifi c school programs - While the
overall satisfaction with program and personnel is
very high, at each of the three divisions, in discrete
areas, there is opportunity for continued growth
and development.
The Strategic Plan, the WASC/CAIS recommendations and
the results of the survey remind us of our ultimate goal, which
is to continue to improve the quality of the education that we
provide for our Parker students.
