Jefferson Academy Charter School
Jefferson Academy Charter School
Communication Focus Group Report
Prepared for the
Jefferson Academy Board of Directors
Prepared by the
Jefferson Academy Communications Committee
February 2013
Introduction
The goal of the communication focus groups
The goal of the communication focus groups was to gather information and feedback from parents and staff to evaluate the Jefferson Academy Board of Director’s current communication efforts. Additionally, the information gathered will be used to draft and execute a Strategic Communications Plan to improve the effectiveness of future Board communications to key stakeholders at the school. The focus groups were designed to:
• Assess the effectiveness of the Board’s current communication efforts and identify any gaps
• Solicit opinions, concerns and perceptions of parents and staff who represent a diverse group
• Suggest strategies for improving future Board communication efforts with key stakeholders
Scope and nature of the focus groups
This report presents the findings and recommendations from a series of 6 focus groups with some 60 JA parents and staff participants. A diverse group of participants were identified by the principals of the elementary and secondary schools to represent a broad range of opinions with respect to communication efforts by the Board. The focus group sessions were approximately 60 minutes long and were held in December and January, with the following groups:
• Elementary Parents
• Secondary Parents
• Elementary Staff
• Secondary Staff
Supportive quotes
Notes were taken in each focus group session but participants were assured that their comments would not be directly attributed to them. Consequently, the focus group summaries are a synopsis of what people said in each group. Some comments are direct quotes from participants, while others are paraphrased for clarity. Any direct quotes will appear inside quotation marks, without personal attribution.
Publish the results
Focus group participants were appreciative of the opportunity and extremely interested in sharing their thoughts and ideas in the focus group sessions. They were also interested in finding out the results of these sessions. Because of their high level of interest and involvement – along with the importance of closing the communication loop to build trust and credibility – we recommend publishing this report online for public review.
Summary of Themes
• Jefferson Academy maintains a long-held reputation for academic excellence and character development. However, participants indicated continuing the tradition of providing a quality education and high student achievement will become increasingly difficult with the increase in enrollment, additional staff and two separate campuses. Therefore, communication will be crucial to keeping everyone focused and on the same page to maintain this reputation. Furthermore, several parents and staff expressed the need for a detailed, long-term strategic plan because they are aware of the challenges and want the Board to be proactive in preparing for the future.
• Express appreciation for staff efforts. Without exception, parent focus groups praised the staff of Jefferson Academy. Cited were the leadership and professionalism of the administrative staff, dedication of teachers, and overall quality of the entire staff. The staff was described as “caring about kids,” responding to the needs of the child, and trying to help every kid be a success.
• Increase opportunities for interactive, face-to-face communication. Focus group feedback indicated that participants feel opportunities offered for communication and input with the Board are limited. Board meetings offer very little opportunity for dialogue. While the public comment section of the regular meeting agenda allows the public to speak, board meetings offer limited opportunity for the public to give more general input. Some participants indicated that a need exists to improve the Board’s relationship with the community. Related to this is a concern that the Board is not truly open to input and ideas from the parents and staff.
• Strive to improve communication with staff. As frontline communicators, staff members should receive important information before the parents, students and public. Overwhelmingly, staff in the focus groups recognized the ambassador role they each play in shaping JA’s reputation, but when communication from the Board is inconsistent or nonexistent, they sometimes lack the information they need to represent JA effectively.
• A concern among focus group participants involved the content of the Board’s communication and providing the rationale that supports the Board’s final decisions. Parents and staff are interested not just in what decisions the Board is making about the school, but also the rationale behind the decisions, particularly in the area of budget and program academics. The desire for transparency was a consistent theme.
• Solicit engagement in all phases of decision-making. Include opportunities for parents and staff to participate in dialogue with the Board on major initiatives or program and policy changes that affect the school. However, the Board should realize engagement is only successful when the process involves stakeholders in all phases of decision-making, from start to finish (i.e. the new building project was referenced several times during the parent focus groups).
• Share roles, responsibilities and expectations. Parents and staff in every focus group mentioned the need for a clarification of the Board’s roles and responsibilities, as well as expectations for parents and students. Several participants felt this information should be communicated annually in order to allow new and old families to operate on the same page.
Perceptions of the Focus Groups
This section provides an overview of the perceptions identified in the focus group sessions held in December 2012 and January 2013. This section is not a verbatim report of responses to our questions. Rather, it contains comments that appear to identify participants’ significant beliefs, concerns and suggestions.
Group Responses: ELEMENTARY PARENTS
|Why did you choose to send your children to JA? |How well do you believe the Board is communicating with parents? |
| | |
|- Good reputation. |- Last year was a difficult experience for many elementary parents|
| |who felt left out of the decision-making process for the changes |
|- High academic standards. |taking place. |
| | |
|- Liked Core Knowledge curriculum |- As a new parent, “I have no frame of reference and do not fully |
| |understand the role of the Board or what they are supposed to |
|- Appreciate both parents and students are held accountable. |communicate.” |
| | |
|- Focus on character development. |- As a new parent, “I am thrilled to be in a school where the |
| |Board is approachable, compared to public schools and the Jeffco Board|
|- Liked the smaller community/close-knit relationships. |at the district level.” |
| | |
|- Had previous negative experience at Jeffco public schools. |- Board seems to act secretly and has not expressed concern for |
| |parent reaction or input. |
|- Quality of teachers exceptional/grateful for their dedication to| |
|students. |- Board meeting highlights are vague and don’t go very deep. |
| | |
| |- There seems to be a lack of transparency and the environment |
|What has been your most rewarding experience at JA? |around the Board seems “controlling and patronizing.” |
| | |
|- Overwhelming sentiment expressed regarding being grateful for |- With regard to changes last year, perhaps the Board |
|the teachers; they are most appreciated. |underestimated the impact a lack of communication would have and they |
| |should have been able to provide parents/staff answers to FAQs. |
|- Teachers go above and beyond to meet each child’s needs. | |
| |- Board just assumes parents are “in the know” and that is not |
|- Teachers are invested in mentoring students to their highest |always the case. |
|standard. | |
| | |
|- Hats off to the entire staff, they are an invaluable asset to | |
|our children. | |
Group Responses: ELEMENTARY PARENTS continued
|What is the best way for the Board to communicate with parents? |What questions do you have for the Board? |
| | |
|- Email. |- Will secondary sports still be held at the existing campus or |
| |only at the new campus? |
|- Open meetings that are different from Board meetings and less | |
|formal, but structured. |- Will Girl Scout and Boy Scout groups be allowed to use school |
| |facilities? |
|What essential items should the Board communicate with parents? | |
| |- Why was secondary building decision so rushed? |
|- The Board should be fiscally clean, should share school | |
|performance and future vision such as 1 year, 3 year and 5 year goals.| |
| |Suggestions for the Board… |
| | |
| |- Develop blog format to give parents easy access to info and keep|
| |them informed of important news or changes. |
| | |
| |- Provide quarterly updates from the various committees. |
| | |
| |- Offer elementary parents a tour of the existing secondary to see|
| |what next year hold for them and where their students will be going. |
| | |
| |- Develop a roles/responsibilities chart of who does what and whom|
| |to approach with questions or concerns. |
| | |
| |- The website needs some improvement. The site is hard to |
| |navigate. |
Group Responses: SECONDARY PARENTS
|Why did you choose to send your children to JA? |How well do you believe the Board is communicating with parents? |
| | |
|- Great reviews. |- There is a continuous challenge for the Board and parents to |
| |communicate. There isn’t a good forum for this now and it’s a bit |
|- Low level of discipline. |intimidating. |
| | |
|- High parental involvement. |- “When I go to a Board meeting, I feel like I’m eavesdropping on |
| |their conversation. I don’t know what they are talking about.” |
|- Smaller school – smaller classes. | |
| |- Discussions during Board meetings contain too many acronyms, |
|- High test scores. |very difficult to understand without definitions. |
| | |
|- Afraid of public middle schools. |- “Board meeting highlights provide what the Board wants parents |
| |to know versus what really happened. I don’t fully trust that.” |
|- Good reputation (especially within the local community). | |
| |- Current Board info on the school website is not useful, lacks |
| |clarity. |
|What has been your most rewarding experience at JA? | |
| | |
|- Student’s relationship with teachers (they are approachable). |What essential items should the Board communicate with you? |
| | |
|- Teachers are outstanding, they care about the kids as |- The Board should explain why it has made certain decisions (i.e.|
|individuals and take time to get to know them. |provide background and rationale). |
| | |
|- High standards for the students; students are held accountable. |- The Board should better explain the school’s vision and where we|
| |are going. |
|- Clubs/sports are very accessible. There is a welcoming attitude| |
|for kids to try different things . |- The Board should clarify and explain its role versus PTO versus |
| |Boosters. |
|- “Trust & Peace.” | |
| | |
|- The sense of community/family. |What questions do you have for the Board? |
| | |
|- Liked the congruity of one campus -- hope JA strives to maintain|- What is my place as a parent if the Board makes major decisions |
|congruity with two campuses. |without parental input? |
| | |
| |- Could the Board please share the results of the secondary parent|
|Suggestions for the Board… |survey? (Several parents commented they have never seen the survey |
| |results for secondary but have seen the elementary results). |
|- Would like communication to the parents that explains the | |
|Board’s roles and responsibilities. | |
| | |
|- The Board should clarify when and how parents do have a voice or| |
|outlet that is appropriate for them to interact with the Board. | |
| | |
|- The Board should create a blog or videos to provide info to | |
|parents. Parents would then be able to access the info when they have| |
|time. | |
Group Responses: ELEMENTARY STAFF
|Why did/do you choose to work at JA? |How well do you believe the Board is communicating with staff? |
| | |
|- Small-town feeling -- sense of community and family. |- Staff feels ill-prepared to answer questions about changes from |
| |parents because they are not informed, yet they are the first point of|
|- Liked the Core Knowledge curriculum. |contact and the ones most likely to field questions. |
| | |
|- Appreciate mindset of charter school parent’s involvement in |- Staff without children attending JA do not get as much |
|child’s education. |information with regards to happenings within the school. |
| | |
|- Teachers here share wisdom/wealth of knowledge. |- Board meeting highlights are vague and need more description |
| |(context) about discussions. |
|- Wanted to work with/for the former principal. | |
| |- Staff does not feel comfortable coming to the Board with |
| |concerns – “we don’t want to hear from you.” |
|What has been your most rewarding experience at JA? | |
| |- This year has been difficult with the amount of changes and the |
|- Knowing all the kids and families – seeing the kids grow up. |staff doesn’t feel appreciated by the Board. |
| | |
|- Love the K-12 environment – going to miss having the big kids | |
|around. |How well do you believe the Board is communicating with parents? |
| | |
|- Being invited to graduations and special events of former |- Parents come to teachers with questions and teachers don’t |
|students. |always know the correct answers |
| | |
|- Teaching second generation children of former students. |- Board meetings are not a forum for communication – parents don’t|
| |feel welcome at meetings |
| | |
|What essential items should the Board communicate? |- This year has been overwhelming (for parents and students) with |
| |the amount of changes |
|- The Board should share important news with staff so they are | |
|better informed to field questions from parents (and students). |- With respect to last year, parents were confused – the whole |
| |building project was a surprise that was done so quickly and appeared |
|- The Board should communicate with parents the history and vision|secretive |
|of a charter school. | |
| |- Concerned the Board views the elementary parent population as a |
|- The Board should communicate Board responsibilities, parent |set of angry parents. |
|responsibilities and student responsibilities to parents. | |
| | |
| | |
|What is the best way for the Board to communicate with parents? | |
| | |
|- Email. | |
| | |
|- Mini-meetings with staff. | |
Group Responses: ELEMENTARY STAFF continued
|Suggestions for the Board… |What questions do you have for the Board? |
| | |
|- Implement blog to report important news and changes so parents |- What is the vision (1yr, 3yr, 5yr) for elementary? |
|can easily access information (with specific reference to the move and| |
|transition) |- Why did the elementary need to grow so fast? |
| | |
|- Provide quarterly updates from committees |- What is the commitment of resources and the schedule/timeframe |
| |for renovating the existing secondary campus for the elementary? |
|- Staff would prefer additional opportunities to connect with | |
|Board members either face-to-face or in small groups |- Is JA one (K-12), two (elementary and secondary) or three |
| |(elementary, junior high and senior high) schools? One charter or |
|- Staff would like to see additional professional development |multiple? |
|resources made available for learning (training and technology) | |
| |- If JA is one school, why two budgets? |
| | |
| |- Is the elementary mission really the same as the secondary? |
Group Responses: SECONDARY STAFF
|Why did/do you choose to work at JA? |How well do you believe the Board is communicating with staff? |
| | |
|- Love the camaraderie, it’s like a family. |- Very pleased with the Board and believe they are working hard. |
| | |
|- Liked the small-town atmosphere. |- Board meeting highlights are sometimes cryptic -- would like to |
| |see more of the decision making process and info to understand how the|
|- Like that everyone (staff, parents, students) are vested in the |Board came to make its decisions, not just what it decided. |
|community. | |
| | |
|- Love the diversity of the teaching staff. |How well do you believe the Board is communicating with parents? |
| | |
|- Enjoy the flexibility to make changes relatively quickly if |- Last year and this year have been very difficult to hear some |
|something is not working, -- this is not possible in a larger public |parents talk (sometimes inappropriately and in the presence of |
|school. |children) to Board members at meetings. |
| | |
| |- JA’s vision has not changed but it is new to the new families |
|What has been your most rewarding experience at JA? |and perhaps not very well understood. |
| | |
|- The kids stay in touch. |- Regarding upcoming changes (i.e. the move), parents seem to |
| |think the Board is keeping secrets and then they ask teachers who |
|- Teachers are able to stay a part of the kid’s lives, even as |don’t always know the correct or most current answers. |
|they grow. | |
| | |
| |Suggestions for the Board… |
|What essential items should the Board communicate with staff? | |
| |- When there are big changes, the Board should send a |
|- Schedule changes. |representative to a staff meeting to inform the staff of upcoming |
| |changes. |
|- Important news is better received directly from the Board, | |
|rather than the principal, because the perspective is more neutral. |- The Board needs to educate the parents (especially new parents) |
| |on the school’s vision. |
| | |
|What questions do you have for the Board? |- The Board needs to educate all JA parents on what being a |
| |charter schools means. |
|- Will the staff salary issue be addressed and when? “I would | |
|like to be assured that there is a plan to bring salaries closer to |- Regarding upcoming changes, the Board should communicate more |
|what other teachers in the district are making.” This was promised |regular status updates with parents regarding the progress and |
|five years ago. |timeline. |
| | |
|- Is there a plan to change the benefits package? |- Staff would like to request parent volunteers for various |
| |events/efforts but not clear how best to do this. Perhaps they need |
| |help in implementing a parent survey to identify areas of strength |
| |and skill. Or perhaps, they need help to create an online job board |
| |to request specific needs. |
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