Principals Continue to Report High Levels of Satisfaction with Department’s Services
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today released the results of the Department of Education’s sixth Principal Satisfaction Survey, which is administered twice per year as part of the Chancellor’s commitment to improving the quality of services that the Department of Education (DOE) provides to schools. Nearly 84 percent, or 1,291, of the City’s 1,532 principals responded to the anonymous online survey in April and May of 2010, rating the effectiveness of the DOE in supporting schools operationally and academically. As with previous principal satisfaction surveys, a large majority of principals said they were satisfied with the supports they receive, and their satisfaction has increased in several key areas since the first survey was conducted in the fall of 2007. Overall, 80 percent of principals feel supported by the DOE in attaining their overall school goals, up from 77 percent in fall 2008 and 71 percent in fall 2007.
“Effectively supporting our principals is critical to our schools’ success, and the survey allows us to hear from them as to whether we’re on the right track,” Chancellor Klein said. “The results provide us with valuable information about what the Department is doing well and what needs to be improved.”
The Principal Satisfaction Survey addressed four main topics: the DOE’s overall support; the quality of academic services provided to schools by their network teams and the central offices of student enrollment, talent, students with disabilities, English language learners, and labor relations; the quality of operational services provided to schools by their former Integrated Service Center or current Children First Network and the central offices of facilities, food, pupil transportation, health, safety, finance, technology, family engagement, legal, and compliance; and the effectiveness of the DOE’s accountability and achievement tools. Participation in the survey was voluntary, responses were anonymous, and principals did not have to answer all of the questions.
Highlights from this spring’s survey results include:
- 80 percent of principals feel supported by the DOE in attaining their overall school goals, an increase of 9 points since November 2007 (71 percent);
- 83 percent of principals feel the Department has helped them to set clear measures of progress for student achievement, an increase of 9 points since November 2007 (74 percent);
- 89 percent of principals feel satisfied with the quality and responsiveness of support for ARIS, an increase of 16 points since November 2007 (73 percent);
- 89 percent of principals feel the Principals' Portal helps them to easily find the information, resources and systems they need, an increase of 6 points since November 2008 (83 percent);
- and 83 percent feel the Principals’ Calendar is a useful planning tool to help them organize their work, an increase of 3 points since November 2009 (80 percent).
The DOE will conduct the next survey in the fall. Click here to view the full results of the survey.