January 10, 2006 Dear Miraloma Parent/Guardian, Each year, the Miraloma School Site Council surveys parents, teachers and students to gather input for the school’s Academic Plan for the following year. The Academic Plan sets the educational goals for our school and establishes priorities for allocating the school’s budget. The Parent Survey is your chance to evaluate your and your child(ren)’s experience at Miraloma, and to provide input and suggestions. Please take the time to fill out the survey and provide any comments that you have. Your candid feedback is encouraged and will be kept strictly confidential. The invaluable information you provide will help us continue to improve the education of our children! We will share findings from the survey and outline preliminary priorities for next year’s academic plan at the next Site Council meeting (February 12). Childcare will be provided. Translators will be available in Chinese and Spanish if needed. For more efficient tallying of results, we would appreciate and encourage you to complete the survey online, if possible at: http://www.eventregistration.com/miraloma Otherwise, return the hardcopy survey in the Wednesday envelope to your child’s teacher, or to the designated box in the Miraloma office as soon as possible, but NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, January 26th. Spanish and Chinese translations of the Parent Survey will be distributed in next Wednesday’s envelope (January 17). Thank you – we look forward to your input! Ron Machado for Sharon Gillenwater Miraloma School Site Council Chairperson MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Please complete ONE SURVEY PER HOUSEHOLD by FRI., JAN. 26TH Online at http://www.eventregistration.com/miraloma or Return hardcopies in Wednesday envelope or to designated box in school office All responses will be kept strictly confidential Child A Child B Child C Child(ren)'s name(s) (optional) Room # (s) Grade(s) Home Language ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your Name(s) (optional)________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please mark the appropriate box for each question. If you have more than one child, please indicate a response for each child by using the corresponding letter “A,” “B,” or “C” per the child’s designation in the above chart. Strongly Disagree Disagree 1. I feel my child(ren) is/are happy at Miraloma. Neutral A 1. I feel my child(ren) is/are happy at Miraloma. 2. I believe a good (positive) relationship exists between my child(ren) and his/her/their teacher. 3. I feel I can communicate with my child(ren)’s teacher and that she/he encourages me to ask questions and express my concerns about my child(ren). If so, please comment on how you communicate with your child(ren)’s teacher. (in person before school/after school, email, phone, etc.) Page 1 of 8 Agree Strongly Agree B Comments/Suggestions “A” is not very enthusiastic about school in general; “B” loves his teacher & classmates. MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Strongly Disagree Disagree 4. I believe I am well informed about what is going on in my child(ren)’s classroom 5A. I feel my child(ren) is/are emotionally safe at school. If not, please comment. 5B. I feel my child(ren) is/are physically safe at school. If not, please comment. 6. I believe the school appropriately teaches to the learning needs of my child(ren). 7. I understand the curriculum standards for my child(ren)’s grade level(s). 8. I am involved in volunteer activities for my child(ren)’s classroom. 9A. I believe my child(ren) is/are receiving appropriate instruction in these subjects: Arts (visual and performing) English language arts (reading /writing) Math skills and problem solving Physical education/motor skills/movement Research skills (library, dictionary, etc.) Science/health Social studies Page 2 of 8 Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Comments/Suggestions MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Comments/Suggestions 9B. Are there any additional subjects you would like your child(ren) to be taught? Please comment Strongly Disagree Disagree 10A. I believe my child(ren) receive(s) an appropriate amount of homework. If so, why? 10B. I know how much homework is mandated by the school district for students in my child(ren)’s grade level(s). 10C. I believe my child(ren)’s homework is appropriately challenging. 11. I believe my child(ren) is/are receiving satisfactory instruction in the following areas: Positive self-concept (good feeling about self) Critical thinking skills Listening skills Problem solving skills Responsibility and self-discipline Social skills (getting along with others) 12. If your child(ren) is/are in a special education program, how much do you agree/disagree with this statement: I believe the Resource Specialist Program and Speech Therapy Program have met my child(ren)’s special needs? 13A. I believe my child(ren)’s report card(s) is/ are a good indicator of my child(ren)’s success. 13B. I believe my child(ren)’s state test scores are a good indicator of my child(ren)’s success. Page 3 of 8 Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Comments/Suggestions MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Strongly Disagree Disagree 13C. I believe state test scores are a good indicator of a school’s success. 14. There are after school care options at Miraloma that meet my child(ren)’s and family’s needs. 15. Miraloma’s buildings and grounds are clean, safe and well-maintained. 16. I am satisfied with how school information, events and news are communicated to me. (Wednesday envelopes, Handbook, The Gazette, community group meetings, Principal’s chat, listserve) 17. I am satisfied with the efforts made to communicate in my primary language. (translations for Wednesday envelopes, parent/teacher conferences, PTA & SSC meetings) 18. I am satisfied with the level of outreach Miraloma provides to the broader community (tours, school fairs, diverse organizations, neighborhoods, preschools, other schools, community celebrations, etc.) 19. I feel Miraloma helps all students to understand and respect similarities and differences in people and families. (cultural, ethnic, racial, physical, sexual orientation, etc.) 20. I feel welcome and comfortable at school events. 21A. I believe the principal at Miraloma encourages me to ask questions and express my concerns about my child(ren), his/her/their classroom, and the school. 21B. I believe Miraloma’s principal is accessible when I need to contact him. Page 4 of 8 Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Comments/Suggestions MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree Comments/Suggestions 22. I understand the procedures for handling student discipline. 23. I believe student discipline is handled appropriately at Miraloma School. 24. I am aware that I am welcome to participate on the School Site Council (SSC) which develops the school academic plan and manages the school’s budget 25. To help the SSC determine funding priorities, rank the following list of programs/positions in order of importance from 1 to 11, with 1 being highest. (Use each number only once) Assemblies – A school-wide educational opportunity where Rank Comments/Suggestions students are exposed to enriching presentations (plays, cultural performances, scientific lectures, etc.) Computer Skills Program – A program that provides computer lab instruction (keyboard skills, desktop organization, photo editing, etc.) to students on a weekly basis. Field Trips - School-sponsored and school-chaperoned activities that provide an effective means of accomplishing the stated objectives of the instructional program. Field trips are a method of instruction and are planned with definite objectives determined in advance. Gardening Program - A consultant that provides gardening instruction for each classroom on a weekly basis in the educational garden G.A.T.E. (Gifted & Talented Education) Program A program for students in 3rd -5th grade who are classified as gifted and talented through a number of different factors. Library – Purchasing books and educating students in library arts (Dewey Decimal System, checking out materials, finding subject materials, etc.) Page 5 of 8 MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Rank Comments/Suggestions Literary Specialist/Tutor - A teacher that provides intervention instruction to students who do not qualify for special education, but are considerably behind in reading/language arts or mathematics. SF Arts Education Project - A program that provides weekly enrichment to all students in dance, percussions/rhythms, and performance and visual arts. Sports 4 Kids/P.E. coach - Provides sports programming both during school, lunch recess, and after school. Tribes Program (including teacher training workshops, behavior coach) - A program that focuses on building a positive school community through mutual respect. USF Interns (counseling) - On-site child and family internship counselors that build relationships with students who are referred by teachers and staff as having need(s) for extra support. 26. In addition to the previous list of funded programs, rank the following list of programs/positions that you would like added at Miraloma from 1 to 12, with 1 being highest priority. (Use each number only once) Community/Diversity Awareness – Programs to increase involvement in our local community and awareness of global diversity. Computer Technician - A technician to provide maintenance and upkeep on site computers and server. Computer Instructor - A consultant that provides computer instruction for each classroom and teacher on a regular basis. Page 6 of 8 MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Rank Groundskeeper - A consultant to provide upkeep and maintenance on surrounding gardens and grounds. Minimizing Class Size – Reducing 4th and 5th grade Comments/Suggestions classes to less than 30 students for a more conducive learning environment. Nurse - Provide basic health care to students two days per week. Outreach Liaison – A coordinator with focus on communication and relationship-building with community members/organizations. Parent Liaison – A position that provides a central focal point to assist families Poetry Program - A consultant that provides poetry instruction for each classroom on a weekly basis. Visual Arts - A program specializing in teaching watercolor, print-making, sculpting, etc. Writing Skills Program - A consultant from UC Berkeley that provides professional development to teachers in the teaching of writing. World/Foreign Language Program – An enrichment program, adding/incorporating world languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Korean, Russian, etc.) for all students. Other (write-in): Page 7 of 8 MIRALOMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2006 / 2007 School Year Comments/Suggestions Please feel free to express yourself on this page, as well as the flipside. Additional comments or suggestions on how to improve our school are welcome and encouraged! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME Page 8 of 8