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With 565 students enrolled– including 137 new students -- Friends Select is the choice of more families this year than in over 20 years. What is drawing families to the school and what are they saying about their experience here?
Says Admission Director Roger Dillow, “Based on numerous conversations and on solid survey data, we see that both new and current families recognize and value the distinctive kind of learning experience their children have at Friends Select.”
Last year, the school benefited from the perspectives provided by three sources: two different surveys and a visiting team of evaluators. The outcomes of these studies confirmed several strengths of the school and highlighted some areas meriting further attention. Some highlights:
Parents of new students rank their selection criteria. Each year, the Admission Department asks newcomers to review a list of 13 factors they may have considered when making their decisions. Last spring, 54 parents responded to the survey. The top three, cross-divisional factors were the academic program, quality of the faculty and Quaker education, three aspects of school life likely to be considered interrelated by prospective families. Another factor was location, cited as particularly important by lower school families, who also mentioned the campus facilities, knowing families already at Friends Select, transportation, and the size of the school. Guidance/support was a strong factor for the middle school and upper school families who completed the survey.
Parents of current students offer their perspective. Last year, Friends Select participated in a parent satisfaction survey by the consulting firm Independent School Management involving a representative sample of 37 private schools from 16 states. The responses by 227 Friends Select parents were largely affirmative, with the largest percentages in the “very satisfied,” “satisfied” and “neutral” columns.
Survey participants were asked to rate a series of specific statements. Friends Select received a report tabulating parents’ responses and the overall survey results for each statement. For example, asked to respond to, “Students and teachers work well together,” 94 percent of Friends Select parents “agreed” or “strongly agreed,” compared with 87 percent of the overall respondents.
Overall, Friends Select ranked very high for excellent value, sense of community, communications, excellent teachers and integrity. Areas where parents expressed less satisfaction included highlighting the accomplishments of the faculty.
Visiting professionals weigh in. A third set of evaluative data came from a visiting team of educators from the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), who spent four days at the school as part of last year’s accreditation process. The findings, which resulted in Friends Select’s accreditation being renewed for another ten years, were somewhat expected, but nonetheless gratifying. Overall commendations included:
- The school’s integrity and devotion to Quaker beliefs and practices
- The use of the urban environment
- The diverse and talented faculty and staff
- The creation of a rich and encouraging atmosphere for teaching and learning
The team also provided a list of specific recommendations, which included increasing employee compensation, development of a strategic plan, enhancing the engagement of the board of trustees and funding for professional development.
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