EOCS 7450
Pamela
Barnett

Practicum in
Leadership                                                      Planned
Standards Activity #6

Parent/Community Members Interviews
on Ideas for School Improvement

In
interviewing community members and parents about ideas and methods to improve
HMS, several specific concerns and suggestions emerged.   Individuals from varied
socioeconomic statuses, races, ages and backgrounds expressed ideas and
concerns centered on the same themes including the following:

1)     Discipline

a)     Safer
school—more random drug/weapon checks

b)     Less
bullying—severe punishment and more supervision/counseling/mentoring

c)      Less
classroom disturbances—deal with disruptive students outside of/after
class

d)     More
opportunities to check on child’s behavior—website, behavior
reports

2)     Communication

a)     more
2-way communication—schedule specific times/days for conferences

b)     more
accessibility to information/communication—newsletters, newspaper
articles, phone recordings, website

3)     Academic
Performance

a)     Efficient
and several opportunities to check on grades—website, progress reports,
parent conferences, phone messages/recordings

b)     More
recognition of student success—newspaper, bulletin boards, academic
pep-rally

4)     Character
Education

a)     More
emphasis on student values, morals and dress—develop higher expectations,
mentoring, goal setting

5)     Preparing
for the workforce

a)     Career
education—job shadowing, job requirements

b)     Professional
etiquette—mock interviews/filling out job application