AT RISK: SCHOOLS SURVEY ATTITUDES

Parents of Cape Girardeau Central High School students are being asked if they believe issues like teen pregnancy, drug or alcohol use or peer pressure make students at risk of dropping out of school.

A survey is being done by Central High School as part of a district-wide assessment of Cape Girardeau's "at-risk" problem. The study is being coordinated by the district's At-Risk Committee.

The Central High survey will be mailed this week, and responses are requested by Monday.

As part of the overall committee's work, each school in the district is conducting some assessment of parent and faculty attitudes about at-risk students. A report of the results is expected before the end of the year.

Central High's members of the districtwide At-Risk Committee are English teacher Julia Jorgensen, counselor Pat Bratton and principal Dan Milligan.

Jorgensen said, "Since we have so many parents, we decided to do this survey."

The survey form includes 31 statements. Respondents are asked to mark agree, disagree or no opinion for each.

"We randomly selected 100 parents, by selecting every 10th student on our rolls," Jorgensen said. "But if other parents would like to respond, we would be glad to send them a survey. Or if they want to respond in writing, they may send their comments to the guidance office."

Bratton added, "Really, we would be glad to talk to anyone anytime about this. But for comments to be included in the report, we need them by next week."

A similar survey was conducted of the CHS faculty. Jorgensen said the results are being compiled now.

"Since this (high school age) is the time when children can drop out of school legally, it's where we lose so many. We're hoping to get some parent input about opinions and attitudes," Jorgensen said.

The survey asks about extra-curricular activities, policies concerning "open campus" during the lunch period, attendance and discipline, and attitudes of faculty and staff toward students.

It asks if parents agree or disagree with activities for at-risk students like peer counseling, a day-care facility and flexible school-day scheduling.

Bratton said, "We tried to think of different issues that we had heard discussed by students, parents, faculty or administrators issues that seem to play a part in at-risk students.

"We are asking that parents work on these over the weekend and turn them in as soon as possible," Bratton said.

"Once we get all this information, and we have some input from the community, we will look at the information and consider what we can do," Bratton said. "If there are things, which seem real obvious across the board, I think we will take some action."

Jorgensen said, "We hope that these results will help design a program that will benefit our students."