News from Stamford Public Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
August 25, 2009
Contact: Sarah Arnold, Public Affairs Officer; (203) 977-4095
(SArnold@ci.stamford.ct.us)

STAMFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHARES RESULTS OF THE SPRING 2009 SURVEYS OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS, EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND FAMILIES

• Results of the Spring 2009 Surveys of various stakeholders highlight key measures of satisfaction and quality in Stamford Public Schools.
• For the first time in many years, Stamford Public Schools (SPS) administered surveys to several stakeholder groups: students in grades 7 & 10; teachers, educational assistants; school administrators and families.
• More than ever, perceptual data are critical to understanding SPS strengths and opportunities for growth.

The report released today presents the themes of the survey data that were collected. The survey results will be revisited regularly in a variety of ways throughout the school year by school- and district-level leaders. The report contains six questions that attempt to address the most important elements of service in SPS. The survey data were analyzed to provide evidence of progress in four major areas, which are the strategic areas in the emerging SPS Strategic District Improvement Plan: (1) Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment; (2) De-Tracking; (3) Professional Learning Communities and Data Teams; and (4) School Culture.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joshua P. Starr noted the need for using multiple types of data to understand the district’s progress. “Hearing the voices of all the stakeholders in our community creates a richer picture of our educational environment, particularly in light of the high-stakes testing that has grown out of NCLB,” he said. “Stamford Public Schools will collect survey data periodically and I am committed to using it as a baseline from which we can continue to improve.”

The report can be viewed or downloaded here (pdf file; 25 pages, 178 KB).