A Study of Parents’ Reactions and Expectations from their Schools’ Program Conducted at Iroquois School in West Irondequoit Rochester, New York

Abstract

Parents, as an active voting community, have a profound impact on the facilities and operations of their local public schools. This paper seeks to better understand parents’ reactions to and expectations of the educational programs at Iroquois School in West Irondequoit, NY. Following a pilot study of the author’s sixth grade, the researcher sent surveys to the parents of all 5th-8th grade students. The researcher categorized parent responses by parent education levels, grouping those with two or fewer years of college/technical training together (Group A), and those with college and/or post-graduate degrees together (Group B). Of the 409 surveys distributed to the community, 294 were returned, with 41.8% of group A responding versus 58.2% of group B. The survey found strong correlation between the opinions of parents from both groups, however, the two groups tended to diverge over questions of school-taught obedience and job preparation. Parents expressed positive opinions about school programs and about the role of the school in student development. However, parents express dissatisfaction with teacher attrition, as well as school programs/policies regarding remedial students and those who are not heading for college. The author suggests a number of topics for future research, including sex instruction in school, guidance policies, and adult education.