1. education
2. high school

TH
9
GRADE RECONFIGURATION
SURVEY OF PARENTS & GUARDIANS IN
COTTONWOOD HIGH SCHOOL NETWORK
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Interviews of parents and guardians of K-10 students in
Co!onwood network randomly selected from Granite
District contact database. Each selected household
could only take the survey once.
Multimodal – 433 total interviews, 200 over landline/
cell phone and 233 online fielded April 11-20, 2015.
Margin of error +-4.6 percentage points.
Demographics (school type, student age, ethnicity,
lunch status, etc.) balanced and representative of
entire parent/guardian database (see topline).
Compliance rate for phone interviews was 55%.
Response rate for online survey was 18%. Both are high
response rates compared to similar research (most
survey research gets low single digit compliance rates).
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Nearly two-thirds of parents and guardians of
students from Co!onwood High School and its
network support 9th grade reconfiguration.
We find majority support along every
demographic we measured.
Support is highest among those who received and
read the informational packet provided by
Granite School District.
Reasons for support differ among parents of
students at elementary schools, junior high
schools, and Co!onwood – however, many cite
educational opportunity and accountability as
their main reason for support.
Opponents are largely concerned with the
maturity levels and age difference between 9th
graders and the current high school students.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
“ Granite School District is considering a
proposal to have 9th grade students a!end
school with the rest of the high school
students at Co!onwood High School. This is
referred to as 9th grade reconfiguration. The
district will support the proposal if the local
community desires to implement this model.
” INFORMATION FLOW
RECEIPT OF DISTRICT DETAILS PACKET
INFORMATION PACKET
Half of parents & guardians remember receiving the packet, over 1/3 read it.
Q
Did you receive the information packet about 9th grade reconfiguration at
Co!onwood High School? Have you had a chance to read it?
100
0
37 %
OTHER REPUBLICANS
50
50
Yes, and I read it
11
Yes, and I have not
yet read it
3
No
DK / SKIPPED
Combined QBALLOT1A & QBALLOT1B by strength
LINGERING QUESTIONS
No questions was most common, followed by when, how, and why.
Q
Do you have any questions about the proposal?
IF TELEPHONE – Interviewer read answer from a FAQs script
IF ONLINE – Many of your questions may be answered by the information
packet, which you can find online here.
8
% Asked or wrote
question
92
% Did not ask a
question
2% When would this take place?
2% Will 6th graders move to middle school?
1% Why?
1% What are the benefits?
1% Are 9th graders old enough to go to high school?
1% Why is Co!onwood doing this first?
1% Will my junior high age student be safe at Co!onwood?
1% How much more traffic will be at the school?
1% Would this be a permanent change?
<1% Is there enough room?
<1% How many more students would go to Co!onwood?
<1% What junior high programs would be cut?
<1% What happens to the half-empty junior high schools?
<1% Will the boundaries change?
<1% What happens to gi%ed student programs?
OVERALL SUPPORT/OPPOSITION
A MAJORITY OF PARENTS SUPPORTS RECONFIGURATION
RECONFIGURATION SUPPORT AMONG PARENTS
The vast majority support adding 9th grade students to Co!onwood High School.
Q
Do you support or oppose the proposed 9th grade reconfiguration –
meaning that 9th grade students would a!end school with the rest of the
high school students at Co!onwood High School?
0%
SUPPORT
DK / SKIPPED
OPPOSE
62 %
14
23
50%
100%
RECONFIGURATION SUPPORT BY SCHOOL TYPE
A majority of parents across all school communities is supportive. Q
Do you support or oppose the proposed 9th grade reconfiguration –
meaning that 9th grade students would a!end school with the rest of the
high school students at Co!onwood High School?
100
68
57 %
61
20
23
DK
OPPOSE
0
SUPPORT
50
High School
Confidential – not
for distribution
QUESTION
BREAKOUT:
29
17
22
3
Junior High
Elementary
Results by student school type – 8% HS, 23% Jr., 69% Elem. RECONFIGURATION SUPPORT BY INFORMATION
Those who received and read the district information are the most supportive.
Q
Do you support or oppose the proposed 9th grade reconfiguration –
meaning that 9th grade students would a!end school with the rest of the
high school students at Co!onwood High School?
100
68 %
63
48
50
DK
5
26
26
16
OPPOSE
0
SUPPORT
27
Yes, read it
Confidential – not
for distribution
QUESTION
BREAKOUT:
Yes, did not yet read
22
No
Results by information receipt – 23% read, 27% unread, 17% no REASONS FOR POSITION
OPPORTUNITY VS. MATURITY
REASONS WHY SOME PARENTS SUPPORT
Environment, accountability, and opportunity cited as top reasons for support.
Q
What is the biggest reason why you support having 9th grade
students a!end school at Co!onwood High School? 17 %
Be!er environment
14
9th grade counts
11
Educational opportunities
7
7
No reason
More focused
6
Parent’s school
5
Other
4
Transition to high school
3
3
3
Other districts
Be!er life preparation
High school athletics
More extracurriculars
Be!er college preparation
Ease transportation
2
2
2
37% who solely handle recognition programs in house COMMON SUPPORT VERBATIMS
Some examples of common sentiments expressed in the open-ended question.
“Educationally it makes more sense to have 9th
graders, who are considered high school students
at the high school.”
“I want to keep as many AP and other
programs flourishing at Co!onwood.”
“It will help with the
transition for 9th graders
to start going to High
school.”
“It makes taking advanced math
and other classes easier.”
“I was in high school in 9th grade, and
I can't imagine it any other way.”
“To give them a be!er foundation for leading into college.”
“I never understood why 9th graders were separated from
the other high school grades.”
“…my ninth-grade student
would have be!er access
to upper division classes.”
REASONS FOR SUPPORT BY SCHOOL TYPE
Parents with students in different stages see different benefits.
ELEMENTARY
JUNIOR HIGH
17
14
Be!er environment
9th grade counts
10
Educational
opportunities
8
8
No reason
Parent’s school
Other
More focused
Other districts
Be!er life
preparation
Transition to high
school
High school athletics
Be!er college
preparation
Ease transportation
More extracurriculars
5
4
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
16
15
15
14
Educational
opportunities
Be!er environment
More focused
9th grade counts
8
7
Transition to high
school
No reason
High school athletics
Ease transportation
Be!er life preparation
More extracurriculars
Be!er college
preparation
Parent’s school
Other
Other districts
HIGH SCHOOL
5
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
15
13
11
Be!er environment
Other
More focused
8
7
Parent’s school
9th grade counts
5
5
4
4
3
2
2
2
No reason
Other districts
High school athletics
Ease transportation
Educational
opportunities
Be!er life preparation
Transition to high
school
More extracurriculars
Be!er college
preparation
0
REASONS WHY SOME PARENTS OPPOSE
By far the largest reason to oppose was maturity issues due to age differences.
Q
What is the biggest reason why you oppose having 9th grade
students a!end school at Co!onwood High School? 15 %
Maturity issues
4
Bullying
3
Hurts junior high
Other
2
No reason
1
Wants consistency
1
No need
1
Dating
1
High school overpopulation
1
37% who solely handle recognition programs in house COMMON OPPOSITION VERBATIMS
Some examples of common sentiments expressed in the open-ended question.
“I think 9th graders are too young for the high
school environment.”
“I have concerns about how it affects the
junior high once a whole grade is gone.”
“I believe 9th graders
are too young and
impressionable to go
school with 18 year olds.”
“Space issues-overcrowding.”
“Age difference between 14 and 18
year old.”
“The biggest reason I oppose the change is because the
district will not take a stand for all schools district-wide. If
GSD believes this change is the best educational decision
for its students, then commit to the decision and enforce it
in all high schools together.”
“Ninth grade girls mingling with 12th grade boys.”
“My daughter is not
emotionally ready for high
school. Three years in high
school is enough.”
REASONS FOR OPPOSITION BY SCHOOL TYPE
Doubts about students’ maturity dominate across the board.
ELEMENTARY
JUNIOR HIGH
16
Maturity issues
5
Bullying
2
Hurts junior high
HIGH SCHOOL
16
Maturity issues
3
Hurts junior high
9
Maturity issues
7
Hurts junior high
Bullying
2
Wants consistency
2
High school
overpopulation
5
4
Other
1
High school
overpopulation
No reason
1
Other
1
No need
2
Wants consistency
1
No reason
1
Dating
2
No need
0
Wants consistency
1
Bullying
0
Dating
0
No need
1
Other
0
High school
overpopulation
0
No reason 0
0
37% who solely handle recognition programs in house Dating
Sco! Riding & Quin Monson Ph.D.
[email protected]