A new source of information about schools for parents, students, and other interested community members is available on the System of Shared Accountability (SSA) web site for Montgomery County Public Schools at the web link below.

The web site now includes results from the 2001-02 Parent and Student Surveys of School Environment. The surveys are designed to gather information on student and parent opinions about their schools and the services provided by their schools and are part of an effort to gain greater insight into areas of school strengths and areas that may need improvement.

Surveys were sent to students in Grades 3, 5, 6, 9, and 11 and their parents in the spring of 2002. In elementary schools where Grade 2 is the highest grade, parents of Grade 2 students received the survey form. Students and parents at special schools and alternative programs also received surveys.

The surveys asked parents and students at each school about a number of quality indicators, including the academic environment, school atmosphere and communication, guidance, school safety and discipline, social environment, and physical environment of their school. The resulting data include information on each school as well as districtwide results.

Also new on the SSA web site is a link to the current edition of Montgomery County Public Schools Schools at a Glance, which provides information on enrollment, programs offered, and test scores.

In the fall of 2003, the SSA web site will be expanded to include data on academic indicators as well as quality indicators, along with results from the 2002-2003 Parent and Student Surveys of School Environment.

The SSA was identified four years ago in the Our Call to Action document as one of the Trend Benders for moving the school system forward to more rigorous academic standards and increased opportunities for students.