Parent Survey Nets Big Thumbs Up

The results of the 2010-2011 Parent Evaluation Questionnaire are tallied and, according to Executive Director Nelson Chase, "We're quite pleased and impressed with the results." The survey was sent to all parents of SYA students who completed the 2010-11 academic year. With nearly a 75 percent response rate, parents answered 19 questions, 16 of which were specifically program-related.

"In essence," said Chase, "the parents confirmed what we know to be true -- SYA sets the standard for excellence for high school study abroad programs. The SYA experience is unparalleled in terms of academic standards, educational travel, and overall quality."

The program-specific questions were answered on a five-level scale of agree to strongly disagree. The majority of answers ranked 85-97 percent agree or strongly agree. "The question that asked parents whether or not SYA provided a unique opportunity for personal growth and helped their child to grow in maturity and self confidence was, to me, the most significant question on the survey," said Chase. "A resounding 97 percent either agreed or strongly agreed. This means that although there's always room for improvement, the overall sentiment is SYA delivers on our promise of transformative growth."

Read the results of the 2010-11 Parent Evaluation Questionnaire