Summary of District 200 Questionnaire Responses
February 2005 Focus Groups  

A summary of each focus group session was prepared by the principal or meeting facilitator. The session summaries included the top three responses to each question and a listing of the other responses given to that question. The District summary includes the top three responses to each question based on each of the 24 session summaries. More than 1000 people participated in the focus group sessions.

Question #1

We all have things in our lives – families, work, religious beliefs, social situations – we are not willing to compromise. What do you think are the things District 200 should not be willing to compromise in the work that it does and services it offers?

1. Safe and secure environment
2. Quality Programs/High Standards
3. High Quality Teachers

• Small class sizes
• Curricular programs, including Title I/reading support/special programs
• Teacher evaluation tied to high standards
• Character/values education
• Music programs
• Extra-curricular activities
• Addressing individual student needs
• Respect for language/cultural differences
• Parent meetings
• Technology
• Motivating students
• Resources for parents
• Multi-cultural interaction
• Teach whole child

Question #2

What would you expect your local public schools to do or to have to make them the best in the world?

1. Quality staff
2. Challenging curriculum/high educational standards for all students
3. Integration of technology in classroom and between home and school

• Parent involvement/community feedback
• Adequate funding
• Ability to motivate teachers and students/strong leadership
• Modern facilities
• Foreign language programs
• Small class sizes
• A united community
• Life long learners/global citizens
• Adequate supplies
• Partnerships between school/business and school/government
• Character education
• Emphasis on health and fitness
• Top ranking in all areas
• Adequate preparation for post graduate choices (education or career)
• Encourage greatness and provide resources to achieve
• Diversity training for students and staff

Question # 3

A. What is District 200 currently doing to help us get there?

1. Communication with parents/community involvement
2. High quality teachers and administrators
3. Facilities—new, renewed and well maintained

• Technology
• High academic standards
• Quality curriculum and support programs
• Staff Development
• Character education/development
• Early childhood program
• Before and After school program
• Accountability through testing
• Small class sizes
• Addressing all student needs
• Raising graduation requirements
• Refining the vision and mission
• Relationships with the community, including emergency officials
• Creativity in addressing financial issues/building budgets
• Respect for all groups
• Involvement of Hispanic parents

B. What are we currently doing that is getting in the way of our getting there?

1. Lack of funds
2. Emphasis on standardized tests, teaching to the test
3. NCLB/government regulations
4. Lack of communication

• Lack of emphasis on creative funding/partnerships/grants
• Teacher tenure
• High class sizes
• Lack of decision on Hubble
• Wheaton/Warrenville conflicts
• School start times
• Overcrowding/lack of space
• Lack of vision/thinking outside of the box
• Lack of technology to support curriculum and improve communications
• Issues of inclusion versus self contained
• Deviation from long term plans/goals
• Central office making too many decisions
• Having only one parent/teacher conference a year
• Extra-curriculars and other extras
• Poor use of materials
• Ineffective management of budgets and facilities
• Inertia—unwillingness to change
• Teacher overload
• Slow decision making
• Lack of boundary reevaluation
• Lack of respect for cultural differences
• Lack of funds to adequately support all students with special needs

C. What should we be doing that we may not be doing that will help us get there?

1. Increase parent/student/community involvement/communications
2. Seek creative funding sources through grants, partnerships, state
3. Offer more foreign language and start earlier

• Lower class sizes
• Stop friction between Wheaton and Warrenville
• Build the new middle school
• Evaluate curriculum relative to benchmark districts
• Manage more effectively
• Hire facilities manager
• Promote teacher accountability/evaluation
• Get rid of budget deficits
• Hold state and federal governments accountable
• Offer more parent education
• Help at risk/under performing students
• Set up regional billing and purchasing cooperatives
• Deal with issues and communicate results
• Expand parent/teacher conferences
• Move to site based management
• Officer competitive salaries to teachers and administrators
• Allocate more funds to the classrooms
• Model top school districts
• Change the status quo/look outside the box
• Move to smaller schools
• Require full fiscal disclosure/accountability
• Use technology to communicate
• Hire quality educators
• Have a long range vision
• Offer study skills/test taking classes
• Survey parents/students regarding teachers
• Develop facility standards
• Address issues related to students who have a native language other than English
• Make timely decisions
• Increase staff development/diversity training
• Continue creative funding
• Address drug and alcohol issues
• Allow more time for core subjects
• Increase volunteer opportunities
• Hire ethnically diverse staff