The purpose of the study was to determine the satisfaction of parents with the magnet program in which their child was enrolled as a part of the system-wide elementary magnet alternative plan of the Fort Wayne Community Schools. The level of parent satisfaction was determined by forwarding 1,651 parent questionnaires to randomly selected parents of students attending Fort Wayne Community Schools' elementary magnet schools and magnet program schools for the 1989-90 school year. Nine hundred ten of the 1,651 distributed parent questionnaires were completed, resulting in a 55 percentage response of all possible survey participants.Data frequencies and percentages were tabulated for each question on the parent questionnaire. As a result of a review of related literature, research, and data, the following conclusions were developed:1.The Fort Wayne Community Schools' system-wide elementary magnet alternative plan has a high degree of parental satisfaction. The parents were very satisfied with the educational programs, the varied educational opportunities, and the school staff. Specifically, the following lists highlight unique features of some MAP schools: a. Each school offered a unique specialty curriculum.b. The school operated on an Academy basis, which had certain academic and behavior codes.c. The school provided a full-day kindergarten program.d. The certified staff made application and were selected to teach at magnet schools.2. Race was not a factor determining the high level of parental satisfaction with the MAP plan. a. Magnet Schools(1) Ninety-four percent of the white parents who participated in the survey were satisfied with the magnet school attended by their child.(2) Ninety percent of the black parents who participated in the survey were satisfied with the magnet school attended by their child.b. Magnet Program Schools(1) Eighty-eight percent of the white parents who participated in the survey were satisfied with the magnet program school attended by their child.(2) Eighty-five percent of the black parents who participated in the survey were satisfied with the magnet program school attended by their child.3. There was no significant difference in the degree of parent satisfaction with MAP, whether a parents' child attended a magnet school or a magnet program school. Ninety-three percent of the magnet school parent survey participants indicated satisfaction with their child's school. Eighty-seven percent of the magnet program parent survey participants indicated satisfaction with their child's school.4. The Fort Wayne Community Schools elementary magnet schools and magnet program schools were meeting the expectations of parents.5. Parents felt that "help when needed" for their child was more readily available at an elementary MAP school. Specifically, elementary MAP schools were provided with additional resources above non-magnet school resource allocations, such as; an assistant principal and/or a resource teacher, an administrative aide, fourteen extra hours of school aide time per day, and more dollars on a per pupil basis.6. Although, the two primary purposes for the Fort Wayne Community Schools developing and implementing MAP were: (1) to racially balance its elementary schools, and (2) to serve the needs of students with special interests; "closeness to home" was the main reason parents selected a certain school for their child.7. Magnet program schools were very desirable to parents due to the fact that a change in one's neighborhood attendance area was not required.8. Parents who were given a "choice" regarding the school their child was to attend was more satisfied with the educational setting.9. Based on the high degree of parental satisfaction with MAP, the Fort Wayne Community Schools should explore the possibility of offering more elementary alternative programs.10. The length of time a child was in the elementary magnet school program, had no significant impact upon parental satisfaction.11. An effective transportation system was identified as essential for the success of magnet schools.12. Surveys and parental assessment instruments must be continually used by the Fort Wayne Community Schools to help develop alternative educational programs and to monitor progress.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/175586 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Coleman, Charles E. |
| Contributors | Wagner, Ivan D. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 4, xvi, 185 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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