Franciscan Montessori Earth School
and
St. Francis Academy

2004 Parent Survey


Welcome to the first formal all-parent survey in over a decade! The nature of Earth School parents has changed quite a lot. Of interest to both parents and Earth School staff are what parents are like now, of course in terms of demographics, but also in your attitudes, values, and beliefs.

To completely protect your confidentiality, our Consulting Research Director is fielding this through his website. He will only provide summary data to the Earth School. The only way to identify you is if you reveal something in the open-ended questions.

The only required question is the first one. We are asking for your name because we plan to select a random sample of parents who do not fill out the online version, in order to administer the survey over the telephone. We want to find out if voluntary responders (such as yourself) are different from other parents. Your names will be stripped from the data file. The final report will be available for all to read.

This is a somewhat long survey. If you wish to finish it in two separate sections, just write down the question number of your next question, scroll down and submit the survey, and when you are ready, return to the survey, enter your name in the first question, then skip to your next question. I will merge your responses into one survey.

First, the demographic questions.

What is your name? (Required)


[Last, First]

1. What is your relation to your oldest child at FMES?

Mother
Father
Female, other relative or guardian
Male, other relative or guardian

2. How many children, and in what levels, do you have students at FMES?

 Children's House
 Lower Elementary
 Upper Elementary
 St. Francis Academy

3. What is your marital status?

Married
Separated
Divorced
Widowed
Single-never married

4. [If separated or divorced] With which parent, relative, or guardian does your oldest FMES student live with most of the time?

Mother
Father
Both Equal
Other (Specify:)

5. Is the household in which the oldest FMES student lives a rental or is it owned?

Rented
Owned

6. In what part of the Portland Metro area does the household with the oldest FMES student reside?

Washington State
Southeast Portland
Northeast Portland
Northwest Portland
Southwest Portland
East and South of Portland

7. Please list the numbers of pets you have in your household. If you are divorced or separated and your oldest student spends significant time with the other parent, include pets from both households.

  Dogs
  Cats
  Birds
  Fish
  Rodents
  Reptiles
  Other (Specify:)

8. For both mother and father combined, what was the annual household gross income before taxes in 2002?

Under $30,000
$30,000 to $40,000
$40,000 to $50,000
$50,000 tp $75,000
$75,000 to $100,000
$100,000 to $150,000
Over $150,000
Refused

9. Considering your oldest Earth School student, through which level do you plan to stay?

Children's House
Lower Elementary
Upper Elementary
St. Francis Academy
10. Why?

11. [If St. Francis Academy] Would you stay through high school if it were available?

Yes
No
Unsure

Next is a series of paired questions, one each for the Mother and Father. Please treat other relatives and guardians as 'acting' mother and father.

12. What is the Mother's age?

18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 54
55 and Over

13. What is the Father's age?

18 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 54
55 and Over

14. How far did the Mother go in school?

Some high school
Completed high school
Trade or technical school
Some college
Completed college (2-year degree)
Completed college (4-year degree)
Some graduate school
Completed graduate school with Master's degree
Completed graduate school with Doctorate degree

15. How far did the Father go in school?

Some high school
Completed high school
Trade or technical school
Some college
Completed college (2-year degree)
Completed college (4-year degree)
Some graduate school
Completed graduate school with Master's degree
Completed graduate school with Doctorate degree

16. What is the Mother's primary ethnicity?

Caucasian
African-American
Asian/Pacific
Hispanic
Other (Specify:)

17. What is the Father's primary ethnicity?

Caucasian
African-American
Asian/Pacific
Hispanic
Other (Specify:)

18. What is the Mother's occupation?


19. What is the Father's occupation?


20. What is the Mother's employment status at the present time?

Employed full time
Employed part time
Not employed
Student
Retired
Homemaker
Not working due to disability

21. What is the Father's employment status at the present time?

Employed full time
Employed part time
Not employed
Student
Retired
Homemaker
Not working due to disability

22. What is the Mother's religious affiliation?

Catholic
Baptist
Buddhist
Christian Scientist
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Hindu
Jehovah's Witness
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
Mormon
Muslim/Islamic
Presbyterian
7th Day Adventist
Agnostic/Atheist
None
Other (Specify:)

23. What is the Father's religious affiliation?

Catholic
Baptist
Buddhist
Christian Scientist
Episcopalian
Evangelical
Hindu
Jehovah's Witness
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
Mormon
Muslim/Islamic
Presbyterian
7th Day Adventist
Agnostic/Atheist
None
Other (Specify:)

We now move to ask about your values, beliefs, opinions, and behaviors. From this point on, all questions pertain solely to your oldest Earth School student.

24. For how many years has your oldest child been a student at FMES?

 Years

25. If your oldest child attended another Montessori school, for how many years was that?

 Years

26. When you first came to FMES, did you attend a parent education seminar?

Yes
No
Don't remember

27. [If yes] Were there specific things that made little sense at the time? What were they?


28. How has your understanding of the practical application of Montessori in your home changed from when you started at FMES? By practical application, we mean specifically what has changed in your family routine, decision making practices, discipline, kitchen and bedroom behavior, and the like?


29. From your perspective as a Montessori parent, what are the strengths of FMES/SFA?


30. From your perspective as a Montessori parent, what are the weaknesses of FMES/SFA?


31. Using single words and very brief phrases, describe what Montessori is to you. What are your key words and phrases?


32. Which television shows, if any, do you often watch with your oldest student?


33. Combined, what are the Mother's and Father's hobbies, major interests, recreational pastimes and spare-time activities?


34. Which of these does the Mother or Father participate with the oldest FMES student?


Below is a list of 8 activities. Please rate each activity in terms of how much you personally value it, compared to your friends who do not send their children to a Montessori school. Note we are not asking how often you actually do these activities. Choose any number between 1 and 7, where:

1=Very LOW Value (to me personally)
4=MEDIUM Value (to me personally)
7=Very HIGH Value (to me personally)

 35. Compared to your friends who have non-Montessori educated children, what degree of value do you place on:

 A. Helping your child to cook, or learn to cook.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
B. Taking a walk in the neighborhood, but not in a park.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C. Day trips to nature, such as hiking or strolling in parks.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
D. Educational day trips such as the museum or theater.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
E. Recreational day trips such as amusement parks, sports events, the mall, or errands.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
F. Overnight camping in nature.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
G. Gardening.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
H. Leisure reading.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7


Below is a list of 16 activities. As before, please rate each activity in terms of how much you personally value it, compared to your friends who do not send their children to a Montessori school. Note we are not asking how often you actually do these activities. Choose any number between 1 and 7, where:

1=Very LOW Value (to me personally)
4=MEDIUM Value (to me personally)
7=Very HIGH Value (to me personally)

 36. Compared to your friends who have non-Montessori educated children, what degree of value do you place on:

 A. Life-long learning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
B. Collaborative working in groups.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C. Self-confidence.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
D. Hands-on and experiential learning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
E. Tolerance and open-mindedness.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
F. Thinking before speaking.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
G. Self-directed learning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
H. Patience and calmness.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
I. Learning for learning's sake, not just a means to an end.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
J. Personalized and self-paced education.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
K. Social awareness.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
L. Actively seeking knowledge.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
M. Environmental awareness.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
N. Effective decision-making.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
O. Life long self-improvement.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
P. Understanding, questioning, analyzing, comprehending and discussing, not just memorization or just completing the assignment.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

37. How do you teach independence to your oldest child, both the concept and specific behaviors?


38. How do you teach cooperation to your oldest child, both the concept and specific behaviors?


39. How do you teach self-control to your oldest child, both the concept and specific behaviors?


40. Please make any additional comments here.


Thank-you! Please make sure you have answered the first question before you submit this survey.