RESULTS OF THE 2023 PARENT SURVEY
The winter 2023 Parent online survey was conducted by Kevin Graham of Lookout Management Inc. (LMI) and parents were asked 127 questions. LMI has conducted hundreds of Parent Surveys for independent schools in Canada and the U.S. and provides detailed comparative scores for questions in common across measured schools.
Our Parent Survey indicated that 88% of CDS parents rated their general satisfaction with The Country Day School at a high (4) or very high (5) level of satisfaction yielding an overall score of 4.3 on the scale of 1 to 5 (very low to very high).
We view these scores not just for the numbers that follow, but as a reliable gauge and benchmarking exercise that indicates we’ve done well on most fronts and compare favorably to our peers at 200+ schools across North America.
Was CDS your first choice among schools?
Unchanged from 2018, parents rated their general satisfaction with CDS at 4.3.
2014 2018 2023 84% 88% 88% 100% 90% 10% YES NO 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 5 5–veryhigh 1–very low 5 5 5 5 2
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PARENT SURVEY RESULTS
Please note 2018 comparisons in parentheses following 2023 results.
1)
88% of respondents have recommended CDS to a friend or acquaintance. (93%)
2) The CDS Vision success ratings ranged tightly between 4.2 and 4.3.
The Country Day School:
4.3 (4.4) 4.2 (4.2) 0 1 2 3 4 5 3
is sensitive to the needs of each student 4.2 (4.3)
enables learning and equips students for life 4.2 (4.3)
is committed to offering a superior educational experience
3) From a list of 7 specific school-life elements, 6 out of 7 received scores above 4.0, including:
4) Of 18 communications and accessibility ratings, 18/18 achieved or exceeded the 4.0 threshold. Accessibility to
teacher
5) In terms of contributions to their children’s growth, parents scored the school highest and lowest for:
Respect for others
Working cooperatively in a group
Working independently
Test taking strategies
Coping with peer pressure
Handling stressful situations
6) From the series on attitudinal measures, the highest scores where our community ranked us a 4 or higher, and the lowest two scores (both 3.9):
My child feels physically safe while at CDS
When I call CDS with a general enquiry, my needs are satisfactorily addressed
There is at least one trusted adult my child can talk to at school
Faculty genuinely care about my child
CDS teaches my child to respect differences in others
My child was well prepared academically for transition into the current school year
My child is enthusiastically involved in CDS Arts
My child is enthusiastically involved in CDS Clubs
Class Size 4.4 (4.3) Parent Teacher Meetings (Grades 7-12) or Student Led Conferences (Grades K-6) 4.4 (4.4) University Counselling (Grades 10-12) 4.1 (4.4) Availability of extra help 4.3 (4.3) Standards of behaviour to which students are held 4.0 (4.1) General Store 4.3 (4.2) Sense of community for parents 3.9 (3.8) 0 1 2 3 4 5
of communications with your child’s
(Grades K-8) Accessibility with your child’s Divisional Director Accessibiity with your child’s non-homeroom teachers 4.6 (4.7) 4.4 (4.5) 4.5 (4.5) 4.5 (4.5) 0 1 2 3 4 5
your child’s homeroom
(Grades K-8) Quality
homeroom teacher
4.3 (4.3) 4.4 (4.3) 4.3 (4.2) 3.9 (3.9) 3.8 (3.8) 3.8 (NA) 0 1 2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3 4 5 4.6 4.6 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.4 4.4 3.9 4
Three of the most frequently identified sources of information for parents to stay up-to-date on school activities were the parent weekly e-newsletter, The Backpack, which scored a 4.3, the website 4.1 and CDS social media channels 4.1.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PARENT RESPONSE GROUP:
1) Unchanged from the previous survey (2018), parents rated their general satisfaction with CDS at 4.3 on the scale from 1 to 5. Average general satisfaction, across 200+ schools parent surveys completed by LMI is 4.2.
2) 21.3% of respondents indicated that their children regularly travel to CDS by bus, up from 15.7% in 2018. Average driving time from home to CDS is 18 minutes.
3) Respondents visited the school an average of 3.9 times between September and the date of completing the questionnaire. This is down from 5.1 in 2018, likely influenced by changes in behaviour from the pandemic.
4) CDS Vision component success ratings ranged tightly between 4.2 and 4.3. Ratings for the school’s performance in supporting, knowing, and inspiring respondents’ children scored between 4.1 and 4.3.
5) 19.2% of respondents rated use of technology in my child’s education as “too much”. 28.3% rated emphasis on leadership development as “too little”.
6) 28.1% of respondents indicated that their children have accessed learning resource or student service support from the school this year (Grades K-6), down slightly from 2018 at 32.1%. 50.0% of respondents indicated that their children have sought support from the Student Services Centre this year (Grades 7-12), down from 54.6% in 2018.
7) Largely unchanged from 2018, parents scored highly on their experiences with the Admissions Office, with the low score assigned to availability of information on financial aid (3.8), and all other ratings between 4.4 and 4.5.
8) From a provided list, the greatest number of parents (218, or 48%) named enhanced facilities for academics as a priority new investment for the school.
The “Balanced” concept fits our requirement for a private school. Not only the academic excellence, but also physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. Our goal is to help our child develop the skills and attributes they need to thrive in all aspects of their lives, not just in the classroom.
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AREAS IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT AND ATTENTION:
1) As noted in the 2018 Parent survey, parents of students with a higher involvement in extracurricular activities (clubs, athletics, arts and community service) gave the school higher overall satisfaction scores and visited CDS more often. Likewise, students involved in these extracurricular activities, expressed a similar overall satisfaction level. We will continue to work to expand upon these offerings in order to achieve and sustain higher engagement levels through graduation.
2) Parents expressed concern in areas of coping and time management skills, such as organizing time effectively, study skills, test-taking strategies, coping with peer pressure and handling stressful situations.
These are areas that our faculty, advisors and Student Services Centre will continue to address and improve on an individual and group basis.
3) Continue to strive for full participation by students in out-of-classroom activities at CDS. Associations with a high level of participation remain (universally across schools) numerous and meaningfully positive.
4) Explore opportunities to expand upon all parent activities and offer a broader set of community experiences so that working parents have more opportunities to become involved.
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RESULTS OF THE 2023 STUDENT SURVEY
The April 2023 Student Survey indicated that 70.4% of CDS students (compared to 77.2% in 2018) rated their general satisfaction with The Country Day School at a 4 or 5 on a 5-point. We heard back from 75.3% of students enrolled in Grades 7 through 12 (362 students). This decline is explained in part by the exclusion of Grade 6 students who historically offered consistently higher ratings throughout. It is also worth noting that overall satisfaction scores from both parent and student surveys are lower across all North American schools now than pre-pandemic.
Our student survey was also conducted by Lookout Management Inc. (LMI) and provided detailed comparative scores for questions in common across measured schools. School leaders will be pouring over the results and engaging with students on pertinent issues throughout the year.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS
Please note 2018 comparisons in parentheses following 2023 results.
1) CDS Vision success ratings ranged between 3.6 and 4.1. The Country Day School: enables learning
3) From the series on attitudinal measures, highest scores with a ranking of 4 or higher, juxtaposed against lowest score:
I have at least one close friend at CDS I am passionate about the study of at least one academic subject Extra academic help is available when I need it I get enough sleep at night 4.4 4.2 4.1 2.9 0 1 2 3 4 5
2) Among specific school-life elements, students rated 4 out of 8 above the 4.0 threshold and 4 out of 8 below the 4.0 threshold, including:
Extra-curricular activities 4.1 (4.1) Leadership opportunities Availability of personal counselling (Grades 7-12) 4.0 (4.3) 4.0 (4.0) 0 1 2 3 4 5 Sense of community 3.8 (4.0) Respect and caring among students 3.5 (3.8) Security of person and sense of belongings 3.9 (3.9) 8
4.1 (4.2)
equips students
life is committed to
superior educational experience 4.0 (4.2) is sensitive to the needs of each student 3.8 (3.9) 3.6 (3.7) 0 1 2 3 4 5
and
for
offering a
I feel physically safe while at school 4.2
4) Asked to rate their own preparedness across a series of academic and life skills, students rated themselves best prepared for:
Respect for others
Working independently
The five areas they ranked the lowest were:
Self confidence
Study skills
Coping when things get tough with: Handling stressful situations
Organizing time effectively
Similar to the Parent Survey, students who are involved in the arts, athletics, clubs or community service at CDS feel more prepared in willingness to face new challenges and rated CDS with a higher satisfaction score overall.
AREAS IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT AND PARENT PARTNERSHIP/SUPPORT:
1) Only 14% of our students indicated they get more than 8 hours of sleep a night. The Canadian Institute of Child Health recommends 8-10 hours each night for children ages 14-17.
2) 53% of students claim to spend between 2 and 5+ hours on social media each night during school week.
3) Students feel that their teachers could be more sensitive to their workload in other classes.
4) Broader student involvement in out-of-classroom activities (community service, arts, athletics, clubs).
5) Greater focus on study skills, time management and handling stress.
6) Ensuring CDS continues to be a place where all are welcome.
Important to note: Not surprisingly, there was a direct correlation between those students who feel they get enough sleep each night and their self-reported level of preparedness toward time management, test-taking strategies and study skills, as well as their attitudinal feelings on teachers’ sensitivities to workload, looking forward to coming to school each day, and management of academic workload compared to those who reported not getting enough sleep.
HOMEWORK PRACTICES & SLEEP HABIT HIGHLIGHTS:
How many hours do you sleep, on average, on school nights?
How many hours do you spend on social media, on average, each day during the school week?
Weighted Average 2.5 hours
How many hours do you spend on homework, on average, each day during the school week?
Weighted Average 1.9 hours
Taking responsibility for
own success Setting high expectations for myself 3.6 3.6 4.2 3.6 3.5 4.2 3.5 4.1 4.1 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Oral communications (public speaking, formal presentations)
my
less than 1 hour 20% between 1-2 hours 39% between 2-3 hours 23% more than 3 hours 18%
less than 1 hour 15% between 1-2 hours 32% between 2-3 hours 23% between 3-4 hours 11% between 4-5 hours 10% more than 5 hours 9% less than 6 hours 21% between 6-8 hours 65% more than 8 hours 14%
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