Survey: District 191 gets high marks on pandemic response, overall quality

Ninety-two percent of parents rated District 191’s response to the pandemic as “good” or “excellent” and 88 percent of parents said the quality of education in the district is “good” or “excellent,” according to a community survey conducted this spring. 

The survey, which was conducted by phone over two weeks in April, asked the opinions of community members and parents on issues related to academics, decision making, values and culture. 

“Knowing whether our community members see us as good partners and good stewards of taxpayer money is an important way to measure our success,” said Superintendent Dr. Theresa Battle. “It’s a major affirmation to see that our families, overall, are supportive of the direction we’re headed and feel positive about their children’s education in One91 schools.”

In general, parents of current students gave the district higher ratings than the community overall, which may reflect a difference between what students and families experience in District 191 schools and what the broader perception of the district is. 

Among the notable survey results are:

• 92% of parents rated the district’s handling of the pandemic as good or excellent (82% for community overall);
• 88% of parents rated the overall quality of education provided by the district as good or excellent (83% community);
• 90% of parents agree or strongly agree that they are proud of District 191 schools (84% community);
• 96% of parents agree or strongly agree with the statement “Our family feels welcome in my child’s school” (not asked of non-parents);
• 96% of parents agree or strongly agree with the statement “My child’s learning is preparing them for the next level” (not asked of non-parents); 
• 85% of parents agree or strongly agree with the statement “Students at my child’s school are treated fairly no matter their race, primary language or socio-economic background” (not asked of non-parents);
• Of parents who said they had at least some familiarity, 85% said they were somewhat or very happy with the district’s Pathways model.

When asked how the quality of education provided by District 191 had changed in the past five years, more than half of parents  – 53 percent – said the quality of education in One91 schools is somewhat or much better than five years ago, with 33% saying it’s stayed about the same and 10% saying they weren’t sure. 

“The fact that most parents believe we’re improving as a district is encouraging,” Battle said. “We have more work to do to make sure all students and families have positive experiences, that they feel they are receiving a high quality education, and that they feel welcome and included in our schools. But these results show we can be proud of what we’re doing and where we’re headed.” 

In combination with informal feedback and community input opportunities, survey results will help the district evaluate how students and families are experiencing District 191 schools The survey also asked about communication and engagement issues, which will help the district make decisions about how best to keep families and community members informed and involved.