Students at the Bromfield School don’t treat one another respectfully enough, given that respect is one of the core values emphasized in the school’s handbook. That was one concern raised by a school climate survey that included responses from faculty, parents, and students themselves. In many cases, however, parents felt more strongly about a lack of respect or acceptance of differences than students themselves did.
Principal Jim O’Shea presented the results of the survey, administered late last spring, to the School Committee at its Sept. 30 meeting.
O’Shea emphasized that responses were difficult to interpret because many people chose the answer “neither agree nor disagree” to a sizable number of questions. He said that unhelpful answer choice would be dropped next year.
Another problem with interpretation is that only a small number of parents responded to the questionnaire. Among students, fewer juniors and seniors answered than those in grade 10 or below, according to O’Shea.
About two-thirds of students agreed that “Students of all cultural backgrounds feel comfortable here” and “Students of all sexual orientations feel comfortable here.” However, only about one-third of parents agreed with those statements. The parental response may be open to question, though, because so many people selected the “undecided” answer. Among both parents and students, only 9 to 14 percent actually disagreed with either statement.
Drugs, alcohol are greatest concerns
The survey also indicated that both parents and students are concerned about drugs and alcohol, whether inside or outside the school. But again there was a higher level of concern among parents. Almost half the students responded that drugs and alcohol were a problem in school, with slightly higher numbers indicating that they were a problem outside school as well.
As might be expected, more parents saw drugs and alcohol as a worrisome issue both in school and in the community. Almost two-thirds of parents considered these substances as a problem within the school, and even more did so outside the school.
O’Shea suggested that several drug and alcohol incidents that took place near the end of last school year may have raised awareness of these issues among survey-takers.
Two statements that gathered the highest levels of agreement from all groups–faculty, parents, and students–were “The faculty has high expectations for student achievement” and “In general, the community is proud of our school.”
