GRAVETTE — Over 100 parents came to the Spring Semester Parent/Teacher Conferences on February 9. The conferences started at 11 a.m. and lasted until 7 p.m. There was some concern that wintry weather would limit the number of parents who came. However, for a spring conference, attendance was about average.

The spring conference is also when the GMS parental involvement survey is given. Parents are asked to fill out and return a 30-item survey and write comments about the educational program at GMS. 23% of the parents who attended the conferences filled out a survey, though not all questions were answered. Here are the results.

“I believe:

1. The information provided by GMS about my child’s academic progress - needs improvement (4%), is good (48%) or is excellent (48%).

2. The information provided by GMS on rules and regulations governing student behavior - needs improvement (0%), is good (23%) or is excellent (77%).

3. The information provided about course offerings for my child at GMS - needs improvement (12%), is good (12%) or is excellent (76%).

4. The information provided about extracurricular activities for my child at GMS - needs improvement (8%), is good (65%) or is excellent (27%).

5. The information provided about upcoming activities at GMS - needs improvement (8%), is good (16%) or is excellent (76%).

6. The education offered to my child at GMS - needs improvement (0%), is good (19%) or is excellent (81%).

7. When I contact the school for assistance, the treatment I receive - needs improvement (4%), is good (15%) or is excellent 81%).

8. The availability of the teachers - needs improvement (0%), is good (15%) oris excellent (85%).

9. The availability of the administrators - needs improvement (0%), is good 15%) or is excellent (85%).

10. The professionalism of the teachers - needs improvement (0%), is good 11%) or is excellent 89%).

11. The professionalism of the administrators - needs improvement (0%), is good 11%) or is excellent(89%).

12. The professionalism of the office staff - needs improvement (0%), is good (7%) or is excellent (93%).

13. The atmosphere at my child’s school - needs improvement (0%), is good 52%) or is excellent (48%).

14. The general appearance of the classrooms/ buildings/grounds - needs improvement (4%), is good (66%) or is excellent (30%).

15. The safety of my child’s school - needs improvement (4%), is good (15%) or is excellent (81%).

16. The image of GMS - needs improvement (4%), is good 15%) or is excellent (81%).

17. Have you ever volunteered at school before? Yes (26%) No (77%).

18. Would you be interested in volunteering atGMS? Yes (26%) No (74%).

19. If you would want to volunteer, how often would you be available? Once a year (84%) or several times a year (16%).

20. If you would like to volunteer, what time of day would be best for you? Morning (62%), afternoon (4%), evening (19%) or all day (15%).

21. Mark buildings in which you presently havestudents enrolled other than at GMS: Glenn Duffy Elementary (8%), Upper Elementary (19%), GMS (100%) and GHS (8%).

22. Do you use Edline? Yes (100%) No (0%).

23. If yes, how often? Daily (38%), Weekly (50%), About once a month (12%).

24. Do you use the lesson list server? Yes (88%) No (12%).

25. If yes, do you receive the lessons that concern you most? Yes (96%), No (0%) or Sometimes (4%).

26. Do you read the monthly newsletter which was sent home by your student? Yes (92%) No (8%).

27. Do you attend parent/teacher conferences?Yes (96%) No (0%) Sometimes (4%).

28. If your student had a failing grade in math, would you enroll him/her in an afterschool tutoring program? Yes (96%) No 4%).

29. If your student had a failing grade in English, would you enroll him/her in an afterschool tutoring program? Yes (96%) No (4%).

30. Are you familiar with the ALE (Alternative Learning Environment) program? Yes (15%) No (85%).”

News, Pages 6 on 02/24/2010