school time task force survey — parents

© 2014 K12 Insight

Results and Analysis

School Time Task Force Survey — Parents

Charlotte Mecklenburg SchoolsApril 3 – 25, 2014

© 2014 K12 Insight 2

Overview

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools established the School Time Task Force to study current bell schedules and to make recommendations to help inform district leadership about potential changes in bell schedules.

In order to gather as much feedback as possible, the task force designed a School Time Survey which examines various daily start and end times. Survey questions focused on a variety of issues, including how school bell schedules might impact student learning, physical well-being, extracurricular activities and family schedules. Parents, staff members and students were asked to participate. This report summarizes the results of the parent survey.

The School Time Task Force Survey was open April 3-25, 2014. Parents for whom the district had email addresses were emailed unique URL invitations to participate. Additionally, a public URL was available on the district’s website, and paper surveys were made available at Central Office and in all schools.


Technical Notes

Survey Development• In order to increase content validity, survey questions were jointly developed in collaboration with the

School Time Task Force.• Most questions were voluntary; however, individuals were required to identify how many children they

had enrolled in CMS Public Schools, the school level of each of their children, the name of their children's schools, and whether or not their children use CMS Public Schools’ transportation services to or from school. The required information was necessary for data analysis.

• Most items used 5-point Likert scales (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree, No Opinion)

Survey Deployment• Pre-survey communications included a press release and a letter to parents announcing the survey.• The survey was administered via a public URL, email invitations with unique links and on paper. • Out of 48,490 emails, 45,178 were successfully delivered. • The survey was offered in English and Spanish.


Technical Notes (Continued)

Data Analysis and Reporting • The findings for each question in the report exclude participants who did not answer the item.

• Results do not reflect random sampling; therefore, they should not be generalized to the entire CMS parent population. Rather, results reflect the perceptions and opinions of just those 11,233 parents who responded to the survey.

• The denominator for all analyses is the actual count of responses to a given question or set of questions. This number may be the same or lower than the total number of survey responses.

• Data labels of 5% or less are not shown.

• Stacked bar charts show the full distribution of responses across all statements in each topic area. Sum of percentages may exceed 100 due to rounding.

• Theme analysis procedure: 10% or 100 (whichever is greater) of randomized open-ended responses were analyzed for common themes.


ParticipationMore than 11,000 parents participated in the survey. Six out of 10 parents have children attending elementary school and approximately four out of 10 have children attending secondary school.

Elementary School (N=7,006)

Middle School (N=4,304)

High School (N=3,976)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

62%

38%

35%

Note: The sum of percentages may exceed 100% because participants could select more than one response option.

Responding Group

EmailInvitations Delivered

EmailResponses

Public URL Responses

Paper Survey Responses

Total Responses

Parents 45,154 8,364 2,787 82 11,233

All Parents


Children Enrolled in CMS

How many of your school-aged children are enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools? (N=11,232)

44%

42%

11%

One (N=4,963) Two (N=4,770) Three (N=1,226) Four or more (N=273)

All Parents


Transportation

Do you currently use CMS transportation services to or from school? (N=11,225)

71%

29%

Yes (N=7,969) No (N=3,256)

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight

Themes from Open-Ended Responses

8

Please explain why you do not use CMS transportation services.

The participating parents reported that . . .• They use alternate transportation such cars, carpools, walking or transportation services provided by

after-school care providers. • They have bus safety concerns such as the ability of drivers, bullying, inappropriate behavior on the

bus, and lack of supervision on the bus and at bus stops. • Bus pickup and drop-offs were either too early or too late. • They lived outside of the transportation zone.

Note: Only participants who indicated that they do not use CMS transportation services to or from school were given the opportunity to answer this question.

All Parents


Current CMS Bell Schedules

CMS is open to exploring changes to bell schedules. One option is to "flip" schedules, so that elementary students will take on the high school schedule and high school students will take on the elementary school schedule. Below is a list of the current CMS schedules:

7:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. (High School)7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. (Elementary School)8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Elementary and Middle School)8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. (Elementary and Middle School)9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Middle School)9:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. (Elementary, Middle and 6-12 School)

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 10

CMS Bell Schedule OptionsOf the participating parents, 48% indicated the middle school schedule start and end time should be 15 minutes earlier, while 36% indicated the elementary start and end time should be 15 minutes earlier.

Please indicate how strongly you disagree or agree with the following statements.CMS should . . .

Replace the elementary school schedule with the high school schedule. (N=10,870)

Replace the high school schedule with the middle school schedule. (N=10,781)

Replace the middle school schedule with the elementary school schedule. (N=10,662)

Start and end the elementary school schedule 15 minutes earlier. (N=10,721)

Start and end the middle school schedule 15 minutes earlier. (N=10,694)

Start and end the high school schedule 15 minutes earlier. (N=10,700)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

18%

15%

15%

17%

24%

7%

12%

14%

18%

19%

24%

7%

18%

19%

20%

17%

11%

18%

43%

33%

24%

22%

13%

43%

9%

19%

23%

25%

29%

25%

Strongly Agree Agree DisagreeStrongly Disagree No Opinion

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight

Elementary School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 12

Preferred Length of School Day

Of the participating parents with children attending elementary schools, 41% prefer a 7-hour day and 34% prefer a 6.25-hour school day.

In 2011, CMS extended the elementary school day by 45 minutes, providing additional instructional time. This resulted in reduced transportation costs and avoided extra cuts to classrooms. The elementary school day was extended from 6.25 hours per day to 7 hours per day. The state of North Carolina requires a minimum of 5.69 hours. Please select your preferred length of school day from the list below. (N=6,956)


34%

17%5%

41%

4%

6.25 hours (N=2,353) 6.50 hours (N=1,198) 6.75 hours (N=318)7.00 hours (N=2,823) Other (N=264)

© 2014 K12 Insight 13

Current Bell Schedule Sentiment

Six out of 10 elementary school parents feel the current bell schedule works for their family.

Please select the statement that best describes how you feel about the current bell schedule (start/end time) at your elementary school. (N=6,856)


61%12%

27%

It works for our family. (N=4,178)It is too early. We would prefer a later start/end time. (N=824)It is too late. We would prefer an earlier start/end time. (N=1,854)

© 2014 K12 Insight 14

Preferred Tiered Elementary Bell Schedule

The majority of participating elementary school parent responses are split between the two earliest bell schedules: 40% for the 7:45 a.m. schedule and 30% for the 8:15 a.m. schedule.

From the list of current CMS tiered elementary bell schedules, which do you prefer? (N=6,887)


30%

40%

18%

7%5%

7:45 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. (N=2,065) 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. (N=2,788)8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (N=1,208) 9:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. (N=486)Other (N=340)

© 2014 K12 Insight 15

Factors Considered When Selecting Preferred Bell Schedule

The most important factor elementary school parents considered when selecting a preferred bell schedule was their child’s health and sleep.

Please rank order the following factors when considering your child's preferred school bell schedule.1 = Most Important to 6 = Least Important

Items Relative Weighted Score Overall Rank

My child’s health and sleep 100 1

Student academic performance 87 2

My work schedule 65 3

Timing of athletics, after-school activities or extracurricular activities 56 4

Availability of transportation 56 5

Before- and after-school care 44 6


© 2014 K12 Insight


16

Are there any other factors you consider when considering your child's preferred school bell schedule?

Participating parents expressed a desire for increased free time in the afternoons so that children have more time to play, spend quality time with the family, complete homework, and attend to other obligations.

Some expressed a concern for scheduling conflicts due to the varying grade levels among their children.

A small number of respondents insisted that the school day is too long and children need more sleep.


© 2014 K12 Insight


17

What do you feel are advantages or disadvantages of a shorter elementary school day?

Advantages reported by respondents included • Increased free time in the afternoons so that children have more time to play, spend quality time

with the family, complete homework and attend to other obligations. • A shorter elementary school day would result in increased academic engagement and well-rested

kids.

Disadvantages reported by respondents included • Limited instructional time and child care obstacles.


© 2014 K12 Insight 18

Sleep for Elementary School-Aged Children

How many hours of sleep does your elementary school-aged child get on most school nights? (N=6,983)

25%

43%

27%

More than 11 hours (N=92) Between 10 and 11 hours (N=1,727)Between 9 and 10 hours (N=2,980) Between 8 and 9 hours (N=1,896)Less than 8 hours (N=282) Not Sure (N=6)


© 2014 K12 Insight 19

Description of Most School Mornings

Which of the following statements best describes your oldest or only elementary school-aged child on most school mornings? (N=6,974)

14%

51%

33%

My child wakes up without an alarm, alert and ready to start the day (N=975)My child is easy to wake up and gets out of bed without much effort or delay (N=3,590)My child is difficult to wake up and struggles to get up and get moving (N=2,318)My child oversleeps and is frequently late to school (N=58)I don't see my child before school (N=33)


© 2014 K12 Insight 20

Description of Elementary School-Aged Child at End of School Day

Which of the following statements best describes your oldest or only elementary school-aged child at the end of the school day? (N=6,956)

28%

33%

36%

Seems to be energetic (N=1,963)Appears to be exhausted (N=2,321)Seems to be neither exhausted nor energetic (N=2,527)I don't see my child at the end of the school day (N=145)


© 2014 K12 Insight

Middle School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 22

Current Bell Schedule SentimentThe slight majority of participating middle school parents (55%) indicated the current bell schedule is too late and they would prefer an earlier start/end time.

Please select the statement that best describes how you feel about the current bell schedule (start/end time) at your middle school. (N=4,271)

42%55%

It works for our family. (N=1,791)It is too early. We would prefer a later start/end time. (N=132)It is too late. We would prefer an earlier start/end time. (N=2,348)


© 2014 K12 Insight 23

Preferred Tiered Middle School Bell Schedule

Six out of 10 middle school parents prefer the 8:15 a.m. schedule.

Below is a list of current CMS middle school bell schedules. From the list, which do you prefer? (N=4,262)


60%22%

6%

7%4%

8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. (N=2,564) 8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (N=946)9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (N=256) 9:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. (N=306)Other (N=190)

© 2014 K12 Insight 24


Similar to elementary school parents, the most important factor middle school parents considered when selecting a preferred bell schedule was their child’s health and sleep.

Please rank order the following factors when considering your child's preferred school schedule.1 = Most Important to 6= Least Important




Timing of after-school athletics, after-school activities or extracurricular activities 65 3





© 2014 K12 Insight


25

Are there any other factors you consider?

Participating parents reported considerations for the amount of free time kids have after school to complete homework, participate in extracurricular activities and attend to other obligations.

Participating parents also reported concerns over traffic congestion, bus schedules and bell schedules.

Participating parents reported concerns about child care and ways to ensure children get enough sleep.


© 2014 K12 Insight


26

What do you feel are advantages or disadvantages of an earlier middle school end time for students?

Advantages reported by participating parents included • Increased free time to spend quality time with the family, complete homework and attend to other

obligations. • According to respondents, an earlier middle school end time for students would

• Create additional child care options• Ease traffic congestion• Allow children more time to sleep

Disadvantages reported included • Limited instructional time• Child care obstacles• Tired kids


© 2014 K12 Insight

High School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 28

Current High School Bell Schedule Sentiment

A slight majority of participating high school parents feel the current bell schedule is too early and would prefer a later start/end time.

The current high school schedule is from 7:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Please select the statement that best describes how you feel about the current bell schedule (start/end time) at your high school. (N=3,929)

44%54%

It works for our family. (N=1,734)It is too early. We would prefer a later start/end time. (N=2,141)It is too late. We would prefer an earlier start/end time. (N=54)

High School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 29

Preferred Tiered Secondary Bell Schedule

The majority of participating high school parents were split between the 8:15 a.m. schedule (44%) and the 7:15 a.m. schedule (32%).

The current CMS high school bell schedule is 7:15 a.m. - 2.15 p.m. From the list of secondary bell schedules below, which do you prefer? (N=3,913)

High School Parents

32%

44%

8%

8%7:15 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. (N=1,268) 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. (N=1,730)8:45 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (N=324) 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (N=159)9:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. (N=132) Other (N=300)

© 2014 K12 Insight


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The current CMS high school bell schedule is 7:15 a.m. - 2.15 p.m. From the list of secondary bell schedules below, which do you prefer? [Other (Please Specify) Responses]

The majority of respondents reported a preference for • 7:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.• Followed by 7:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m.

Some expressed an interest in new start times: 7:45 a.m. followed by 7:30 a.m.

© 2014 K12 Insight 31


The most important factor high school parents considered when selecting a preferred bell schedule was their child’s health and sleep.

Please rank order the following factors when considering your child's preferred school schedule.1 = Most Important to 7= Least Important




Timing of after-school, athletic and extracurricular activities 67 3



My child’s part-time job 47 6


High School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight


32

Are there any other factors you consider?

Participating parents reported concerns about the early start time for high school students. Most respondents indicated a desire to push back the start time to ensure students are well-rested. Participating parents also reported considerations for the amount of free time kids have after school to complete homework, participate in extracurricular activities and attend part-time jobs. Some respondents reported safety concerns including waiting at bus stops early in the morning or drowsy adolescents driving during early hours of the morning. A small number of participating parents expressed concerns over conflicting schedules due to the varying grades levels of their children.

High School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 33

Sleep on Average School Night for Secondary StudentsThe majority of participating secondary parents (64%) indicated their child gets between 7 and 9 hours of sleep on an average school night.

Some research suggests that a child's biological clock is reset during puberty, causing many teens to naturally fall asleep about 11:00 p.m. or later. How many hours of sleep does your oldest or only secondary school-aged child get on an average school night? (N=6,727)

7%

29%

35%

28%More than 9 hours (N=473) Between 8 and 9 hours (N=1,962)Between 7 and 8 hours (N=2,372) Less than 7 hours (N=1,880)Not Sure (N=40)

Middle or High School Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 34

Secondary Student Readiness for School Day

On most school days, my oldest or only secondary school-aged child . . . (N=6,671)

8%

40%45%

Wakes up without an alarm with enough time to get ready for school (N=549)Is easy to wake up and gets out of bed without much effort or delay (N=2,657)Struggles to wake up and get ready for school (N=3,030)Is often late because he or she is unable to wake up in time for school (N=308)I don't see my child before school (N=127)


© 2014 K12 Insight 35

Time for After-School ActivitiesWhile the majority of parents (69%) indicated their child has enough time to complete schoolwork, 61% indicated their child does not have enough for a part-time job.

How strongly do you disagree or agree with the following statements?

My child has enough time to complete schoolwork. (N=6,617)

My child has enough time to participate in extracurricular activities. (N=6,471)

My child has enough free time available to spend with our family. (N=6,643)

My child has enough time to participate in community activities. (N=6,395)

My child has enough time for a part-time job. (N=4,847)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

18%

16%

14%

12%

11%

51%

49%

44%

41%

29%

20%

24%

27%

33%

33%

11%

12%

15%

14%

28%

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Notes: Not Applicable responses have been excluded from calculations. Sum of percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding.


© 2014 K12 Insight 37

School Schedule and Effect on FamilyThe School Time Task Force is charged with learning how parents feel about the current bell schedule, school day length (school start and end times), and how your child(ren)'s current school day schedule affects you and your family.

How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

There would be little impact on my family's schedule with a change in the school bell schedule. (N=11,071)

An earlier start time for elementary schools would help improve my child’s academic performance. (N=10,837)

A later start time for middle school students would help improve my child’s academic performance. (N=10,773)

A later start time for high school students would help improve my child’s academic performance. (N=10,863)

An earlier start time for elementary school students would have a negative impact on my family's after-school care. (N=10,710)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

9%

9%

21%

11%

24%

13%

8%

18%

11%

33%

23%

23%

11%

24%

27%

23%

23%

11%

20%

7%

31%

41%

39%

33%

Strongly Agree Agree DisagreeStrongly Disagree Unsure

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 38

School Schedule and Effect on Family (Continued)

How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

An earlier start time for elementary school students would cause them to leave for school too early. (N=10,757)

A late bell schedule and longer school day make it difficult for my child to complete homework. (N=10,934)

A late school end time would cause my child to return home too late. (N=10,976)

A late bell schedule would have a negative impact on my child’s after-school activities, athletics and extracurricular activities. (N=11,009)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

22%

38%

40%

40%

20%

26%

25%

24%

21%

19%

18%

17%

14%

9%

9%

9%

23%

9%

7%

11%

Strongly Agree Agree DisagreeStrongly Disagree Unsure

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 40

Potential Trade-Offs

Based on a preliminary review, the district may need to increase the transportation budget in order to accommodate any bell schedule change. This may require reallocation from and/or cuts to other areas in the budget.

Please select potential trade-offs CMS should consider.

Increase class size (N=909)

Reduce school-based instructional staff (N=191)

Reduce non-instructional staff (N=3,087)

Reduce current levels of transportation (N=2,980)

Increase the length of bus rides (N=2,709)

Increase walk zone to bus stops (N=5,308)

Other (N=1,816)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

9%

31%

30%

27%

54%

18%

Note: The sum of percentages may exceed 100% because participants could select more than one response option.

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight


41

Based on a preliminary review, the district may need to increase the transportation budget in order to accommodate any bell schedule change. This may require reallocation from and/or cuts to other areas in the budget. Please select potential trade-offs CMS should consider. [Other (Please Specify) Responses]Participating parents favored reducing or eliminating funding in a variety of areas including:• Cafeteria budgets, energy costs, standardized testing, professional development facilitators, after-

school programs, transportation to magnet schools, extracurricular activities, school choice, and non-instructional staff and programs.

Some participating parents suggested using alternate funding sources such as bonds, donations, fundraisers, tax increases and advertisements on school buses. In addition, some recommended charging fees for a variety of services including school registration, bus and carpool fees. Participating parents favored a change to the current bus system including consolidated bus stops, more buses/drivers, greater use of shuttle buses, examination of efficiency of bus routes and use of city buses.Some participating parents recommended a reduction in administrative positions and lower administrative salaries. Some participants suggested no change to the current system and some suggested an increase in walk zones.

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 42

Altering the Current Tiered Bus ScheduleEstablishing start and end times for the school day is a complex process that must balance multiple factors that include instructional time, curriculum requirements, transportation and budgetary constraints. In order for CMS to consider any school-day bell schedule adjustment, the current tiered CMS bell schedule and bus routes would need to be evaluated for feasibility.

Tier 1 7:15 - 2:15 Tier 2 7:45 - 2:45Tier 3 8:00 - 3:00

Tier 4 8:15 - 3:15 Tier 5 8:30 - 3:30Tier 6 8:45 - 3:45

Tier 7 9:00 - 4:00 Tier 8 9:15 - 4:15

Based on this information, do you think the district should consider altering the current tiered bell schedule?

46%

27%

27%

Yes (N=5,054) No (N=2,963) Not Sure (N=2,909)

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight


43

Please share any additional comments or suggestions related to school bell schedules.

Participating parents favored changing the entire bell schedule, although a similar number of respondents wanted to keep the same bell schedule. • They wanted to see a change to the high school schedule to ensure students are well-rested and a

change to the elementary bell schedule due to the long school day. • Some favored changing the middle school bell schedule.• Others favored a change to the bell schedule so that students have more free time after school.

All Parents

© 2014 K12 Insight 44

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