The Community Task Force
for Public Education was initiated in April 2007 for the
purpose of researching the best educational initiatives
around the United States and to make recommendations to
the Jackson Madison County School Board that will make
our schools an excellent, world class district.
In December 2007, the
Community Task Force for Public Education conducted a
survey of the residents of Jackson and Madison County to
measure their perceptions on a variety of issues such as
safety, discipline, leadership, grade span, and others.
Approximately 5,000 residents of Jackson and Madison
County were randomly selected to receive a survey. Over
500 households (540) completed the survey and returned
it to the Jackson Madison County School System (JMCSS)
central office, yielding an 11% response rate. This
compares favorably with the response rates typically
generated by marketing surveys of populations across the
United States. Random selection of participants ensures
that these survey results are reflective of results that
would have been obtained if the entire population of
Jackson and Madison County had been invited to
participate in this survey.
Demographics
Survey respondents were primarily from 2 parent
households (69%), while 11% identified themselves as 1
parent households (female). Of all respondents, 180 were
parents of JMCSS students (33%). Approximately 18% of
the respondents identified themselves as African
American, which is a disproportionately lower percentage
when compared to the overall population of African
American residents in Jackson and Madison County (34%).
Over three quarters of the survey respondents were White
77%, which is a disproportionately higher percentage
when compared to the 2006 Census data (64%) for the
county. Of those participants who responded to the
parental involvement items (N=180), approximately 50%
discussed their child’s academic achievement with their
child’s teacher one to three times in the last year and
approximately 70% of the respondents (where applicable)
volunteered at their child’s school between one and four
times during the past year.
The survey included four
sections for participant ratings; satisfaction,
importance items, general topic items, and demographics.
The satisfaction items used a response scale of 1 (Not
Satisfied) to 5(Very Satisfied) while the importance
items used a response scale of 1 (Not Important) to 5
(Very Important).
Satisfaction and
Importance Items
To provide an overall summary of the responses in the
first two sections, the highest and lowest rated items
for both sections are provided below.
Highest Satisfaction
Items
1. The welcome you receive from staff members when you
visit schools (Avg. = 3.6)
2. The quality of our after-school competitive athletic
programs (Avg. = 3.4)
3. The diversity of teachers in our schools (Avg. = 3.3)
4. The diversity of administrators in our schools (Avg.
= 3.3)
5. The leadership of our superintendent (Avg. = 3.3)
Lowest Satisfaction Items
1. The level of safety on our buses (Avg. = 2.0)
2. The discipline in our schools (Avg. = 2.0)
3. The level of our students’ academic achievement (Avg.
= 2.3)
4. The leadership of our school board (Avg. = 2.3)
5. The graduation rates of our students (Avg. = 2.4)
Highest Importance Items
1. Improved discipline in our schools (Avg. = 4.7)
2. Increased safety on our buses (Avg. = 4.7)
3. Improved academic achievement of students (Avg. =
4.7)
4. Higher graduation rates of students (Avg. = 4.7)
5. Better quality leadership from the school board (Avg.
= 4.7)
Lower Importance Items
1. A more diverse learning environment that includes all
races of teachers (Avg.=3.7)
2. A more diverse learning environment that includes all
races of administrators (Avg.=3.7)
3. Better quality after-school and/or before-school
recreational programs (Avg.=3.5)
4. Better quality after-school competitive athletic
programs (Avg.=3.5)
5. Better quality programs for students whose primary
language is not English (Avg.=3.2)
From these results, it is clear that the residents of
Jackson and Madison County are the least satisfied with
safety and discipline in our schools, academic
achievement and graduation rates, and the leadership of
the school board. They also rated these same topics as
being the most important.
In interpreting these
results, it is important to note that this survey
focused on the overall school district rather than on
individual schools. Research in other states indicates
that perceptions tend to differ between schools overall
compared with a specific school. For example,
respondents may believe that issues exist in other
schools overall, but not in the school “my child
attends.” Given that the current survey was focused on
public perception of schools overall, it is expected
that surveys targeting specific schools may yield a
different pattern of results.
Additional Comparisons
Due to the demographics in Jackson and Madison County, a
follow-up series of analyses were conducted to identify
differences in perspectives between different segments
of the population. Comparisons of responses between
African American and White participants revealed that on
the vast majority of the satisfaction and importance
survey items, the responses of both groups were
statistically identical. In the rare cases where there
were significant differences, those differences tended
to be in intensity rather than in direction. For
example, African American participants might have
strongly agreed with a specific survey item while the
White participants rated the same item someplace between
agree and strongly agree. Most comparisons fell in this
category, or hovered around a neutral rating. This
indicates that our community was fairly united in their
satisfaction and importance ratings of our schools.
Comparisons with Tennessee and the United States
While public perception is influenced by a number of
factors, it is important to compare public perception
with the realities provided by empirical data as
reported in State report cards or Federal documents. For
example, the Task Force Community Survey reveals that
the public is not satisfied with current student
achievement and graduation rates. It is a given that we
all would like our students to achieve at higher levels
and that every student would graduate. However, some
historical and current comparisons can provide context
and framing for these two issues.
Student achievement in Jackson Madison County Schools
was higher than the average for Tennessee in 2007. In
Algebra I (a Gateway course), 80.7% of our students
scored proficient or advanced, which is higher than the
state average of 76.7%. In Biology I, another Gateway
course, 95% of our students scored proficient or
advanced, compared to 94.5% for the state. Finally, in
English II, 94.6% of our students scored proficient or
advanced, compared to 93.3% for the state. While we
would all like for our students to score even higher
than they are currently scoring, the fact that a greater
percentage of our students scored proficient or advanced
than did the state overall on all three Gateway tests,
is evidence that we should be proud of our students and
our system.
Graduation rates are
another item with which the public is not satisfied. In
the past, graduation rates for JMCSS students have
lagged behind those of the state. For example, in 2005,
our graduation rate was 71.4% compared to 77.9% for the
state. In 2006, we still lagged behind the state (76.4%
versus 80.7%). However, our students, teachers, and
administrators have worked even harder since then. On
the 2007 JMCSS report card, the graduation rate for
JMCSS was 81.8%, which is identical to that of the state
(81.8%). Jackson Madison County Schools students have
caught up with the state levels of graduation.
Just as a historical
perspective (for those of us who long for the “good old
days”), graduation rates for the United States in 1880
was approximately 2%. In the 1940’s the graduation rate
was slightly over 50%, and with the advent of No Child
Left Behind, the 2014 goal is for 100% of all students
in the nation to graduate from High School. JMCSS is
moving forward with meeting this goal and has now caught
up to the state average.
Survey Section Three Items
Communication and Involvement
Communication between schools, parents, and the public
is an important issue, and the majority of survey
respondents agreed with its importance. However,
approximately 40% of the respondents were not satisfied
with the topic of communication. Additionally, only 6%
of the respondents agreed that Jackson Madison County
Schools is doing a good job sharing information with the
public. Regarding involvement, only 20% of the
respondents were satisfied with the level of parental
and community involvement in the schools. The vast
majority (82%) agreed that more parental and community
involvement in the schools was important.
Grade configuration
Currently, Jackson Madison County Schools has
intermediate schools (grades 5 and 6). When asked what
grade arrangement provides the best outcomes for
students, 75% identified an option that did not include
an intermediate school. This approach eliminates one of
the current four school levels.
Funding
One of the final questions on the survey was related to
funding. When asked if they would support an increase in
funding for Jackson-Madison County Schools to provide a
quality maintenance program, renovations, and/or new
construction of schools, 65% of the people who responded
to this question agreed. When comments were made on this
item, the comments tended to state “only if current
money is well spent.”
Summary and Recommendations
This survey was randomly
distributed to 5,000 residents of Jackson and Madison
County, with an 11% response rate. The respondents were
satisfied with the quality of our competitive athletic
programs, the diversity of our teachers and
administrators, the welcome received by school visitors,
and the leadership of the superintendent. Lower levels
of satisfaction related to discipline and safety,
academic achievement, graduation rates, and the
leadership of our school board. For comparison purposes,
it should be noted that student achievement in Jackson
Madison County Schools was higher than the average for
the state of Tennessee in our Gateway tests on the 2007
Report Card and our graduation rates are now the same as
the state average.
Residents also voiced
their opinion that there should be better communication
from the schools and there should be more parental and
community involvement with the schools. These topics are
important to the majority of residents. Residents also
feel that one school transition (e.g. intermediate
schools) should be eliminated. Finally, the majority of
respondents agreed to an increase in funding, but some
wrote caveats for this item (e.g. only if current money
is well spent).
Recommendations for
action based on these results are provided by the Task
Force for Public Education. More details are available
in the Task Force Survey full report and in the
recommendations of the Task Force presented to the
Jackson Madison County School Board in April 2008.
