District to Survey Stakeholder Groups
Harris Interactive of Rochester, New York will be used to collect the data of the firm's School Poll Program. 
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The District is again surveying parents, students and staff as part of a total quality measurement of key District stakeholders. The survey of more than 28,000 individuals will be conducted, with the main goal of improving educational services District wide.
Students, parents and staff were previously surveyed in 2007. The results of that process revealed overall satisfaction ratings of a “B+”. Leadership teams throughout the District have been focused on making improvements in areas specified from the 2007 results.
“The District remains committed to its guiding philosophy of “continuous improvement” and core value of customer satisfaction,” noted Dr. Jay Marino, Associate Superintendent. “This provides us with a formal and standardized method to determine satisfaction levels of our students, staff, and parents. By measuring it, we can work to improve it over time.”
Harris Interactive of Rochester, New York, will collect the data using the firm’s School Poll Program. The use of the Harris Poll will provide valuable information about the Cedar Rapids Community School District as well as information about other school districts across the nation.
Students in grades 3-12 will be surveyed, along with teachers and staff, during April 22 through May 1. Parents will be mailed a survey during the week of April 27 and asked to respond via mail. All responses to the survey questions are confidential and anonymous.
Each stakeholder group will provide input regarding a number of key service areas important to District performance. As in 2007, results from the survey will focus on three key pieces of information:
- Levels of satisfaction for such areas as atmosphere, equipment and facilities, communications, and administration.
- The frequency of occurrence of specific events within the District, including the availability of extra help during the school year and parental involvement.
- The effect special events have on stakeholder satisfaction, and a prioritized list of issues that should be addressed to improve satisfaction.
“This comprehensive survey will give us additional, up-to-date, and accurate feedback about our performance,” noted Dr. Dave Markward, Superintendent. “The results will give us a much better idea of our constituents’ opinions about the job we are doing and how we can continue to improve.”
“We are anxious to receive the results of this year’s survey to see the growth that has occurred since our last administration of the survey in 2007,” added Dr. Marino. “Using a norm-referenced survey instrument that is implemented in hundreds of school districts around the country ensures that we will have comparative data. Our District will be able to measure its results and compare them to similar school districts.”
“Based on our District vision of Excellence for All, we are committed to improving the quality of education provided for each and every student,” Dr. Markward added. “We recognize the need to actively seek and thoughtfully consider responses from our parents, staff and students regarding our schools and programs. The survey is a quality improvement tool that allows us to assess our current standing and evaluate our progress over time.”