Survey: CHS gets passing grade

COLUMBUS -- By about every yardstick, Columbus High School is making the grade when it comes to preparing graduates for going to college or plunging straight into the work place.

Download PowerPoint show of survey results.

A presentation of the results from the 2008 LifeTrack Senior Exit Survey earlier this week left Columbus Public Schools Board of Education members with smiles on their faces.

At the high school, slightly more grads are choosing to attend a two-year college over a four-year college. Meanwhile, big majorities said they thought their guidance counselors were helpful in their selection of high school classes and in smoothing the transition into the working world.

Only a couple of years of data are available, but so far, so good.

The primary reason for undertaking the annual survey is to see what grads think of the quality of education they have received and to learn what school officials can do to improve, CHS Principal Amy Romshek told the school board.

CHS officials want students to feel they’ve received the direction and preparation they need to go on to college and future careers, the principal said.

The grads were surveyed at the end of the school year under the supervision of CHS staffers. The survey results didn’t rely on responses being returned after graduation.

The results of the grad surveys will continue to be fleshed out, with grads questioned again 18 months and five years after receiving their diplomas, Romshek told school board members.

By just about every measure, the high school earned higher marks from grads this year compared to the same survey taken following the 2006-07 school year.

Students choosing to attend a two-year college after graduating high school total 34.2 percent in 2008, up from 31.5 percent a year earlier. Those going on to four-year schools in 2008 totaled 48.3 percent, down from 54 percent in 2007.

More students are opting to pursue a high-tech skill at a two-year college with the knowledge they can make a good living, Romshek said.

A sampling of survey results follows:

• 74.8 percent in 2008 said their counselor helped them select classes to ready them for future plans, a boost from 59.5 percent in 2007.

• 89.3 percent said they were prepared for the transition to college or the workplace, up from 81.5 percent last year.

• 74.8 percent said the high school offered enough elective classes for them to explore career opportunities, an increase from 67 percent in 2007.

• 71.8 percent in 2008 rated their preparation in the use of computers/technology excellent or good, compared to 63.5 percent a year ago.

• 81.6 percent of 2008 grads said their teachers held high expectations and demanded quality work, a rise from 70 percent for 2007 grads.

• 74.8 percent of 2008 grads gave the school excellent or good ratings for preparing their creativity, decision-making and problem-solving skills, a sharp gain from 54.5 percent a year earlier.

• 79.5 percent of 2008 grads said their preparation in writing and reading was excellent or good, compared with 69 percent giving the same ratings in 2007.

• 78.2 percent of 2008 grads rated their overall educational experience as excellent or good, while 63 percent gave the same ratings two years ago.

These are good scores, Romshek told the board, but they also show room for improvement.

The board will get a clearer picture of the report card that grads give the high school when one or two more years of data are compiled, she said.