A Hard Look at Santa Ana’s Schools : Armed With Opinion Poll, Troubled District Rethinks Its Ways

It has among the lowest test scores in the county, a high dropout rate, a student population that speaks 40 different languages--and a poor self-image.

But armed with its first comprehensive survey of community opinion, the Santa Ana Unified School District is re-evaluating the job it is doing as it tries to cope with the challenges of severe overcrowding, too few dollars and the demands of a changing ethnic population--a future that school officials say is in store for many other school districts in Orange County and throughout California.

Preliminary results of the survey of more than 5,000 people is the first indication that the Santa Ana district, under the leadership of its first Latino superintendent, is challenging the traditional ways of doing business in Orange County’s oldest school district.

The survey asked students, parents, teachers and other school district employees and the business community to rate the Santa Ana schools. Preliminary results of the $70,000 poll show that while parents, for the most part, are satisfied with what the schools are doing, the business community is not.

For example, 81% of the parents said they strongly agreed with the statement: “The quality of education in the Santa Ana Unified School District is as good as in other Orange County districts.” But only 35% of the business community said it strongly agreed. Another 23% of the business community said it disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Parents surveyed also said overwhelmingly that they felt the schools worked hard to include them in the education process, but less than half of the teachers agreed. More than 80% of parents and business community leaders said that teachers should expect more from students, as did more than two-thirds of the teachers and principals surveyed.

When asked whether high school graduation requirements were too high, too low or about right, nearly three-fourths of the business community respondents said they were too low, while nearly 80% of parents surveyed said they were about right.

“We weren’t looking for strokes,” Supt. Rudy Castruita said of the preliminary results. “We’re looking for things that the board can address in terms of making this a better district.”

Today, the school board will receive the final survey results at an all-day workshop, and board members are expected to use the responses to help map out a vision for the next few years. Richard T. Serpe, director of Cal State Fullerton’s Social Science Research Center, which conducted the survey, said the final tally will not significantly change the responses presented in the preliminary draft report released this week.

“The district should be recognized favorably for taking issues surrounding the educational process and the quality of education seriously, and setting goals based on these kinds of things,” Serpe said. “That’s one of the best ways the district can improve--by taking feedback from their various constituencies seriously.”

Polled 5,107

The survey polled 5,107 students, parents, school personnel, and members of the Greater Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Respondents were asked 40 different questions on a range of issues. On most questions, they were given the choice of saying they strongly agreed, agreed, mildly agreed, mildly disagreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed.

The answers, Castruita said, were for the most part not surprising.

- On the statement, “Schools work hard at including parents in their children’s education,” 83% of parents said they strongly agreed. Among teachers, 46% strongly agreed, while 11.9% said they disagreed.

- On the statement, “Teachers should have higher expectations for children’s performance,” 81% of parents strongly agreed, as did 82% of the business community. Among teachers, 67% said they strongly agreed, while 50% of students said they agreed.

- On the statement, “The district works hard to meet the needs of students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds,” 87% of parents said they strongly agreed, while 56% of business respondents indicated they strongly agreed.

- On the statement, “The district works hard to reduce the number of children who drop out of school,” 78% of parents strongly agreed, but only 33% of business leaders concurred.

- On the statement, “The district should spend more time teaching basic skills: reading, math, writing and arithmetic,” the results differed markedly between teachers, parents and the business community. Only 54% of the teachers and principals indicated they strongly agreed. But more than 85% of the parents, business representatives and non-teaching district employees said they strongly agreed that more time should be spent on those subjects. Of the students polled, however, only 40% said they strongly agreed.

- Those taking part in the survey were asked to complete the question: “Do you think requirements for high school graduation are: too high, about right or too low?” Among business respondents, 71% said requirements are too low, while 79% of parents and 65% of teachers thought they were about right. Students were not asked that question.

Serpe said the answers came from students and parents in every Santa Ana school, and every district employee had the opportunity to participate.

The business community made up the smallest sample in the poll, he said. The surveys were mailed to all members of the Greater Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, but only 137 were returned, for a response rate of less than 20%.

School board president Robert Richardson said the negative responses from the business community indicate to him that the district is not doing a good job of communicating what the schools are doing to cope with problems.

Concern of Business

“That sentiment also reflects a nationwide concern that business leaders have about education,” he said. “It’s out of self-interest and concern for the future of the country that they have those kinds of concerns.”

The survey was 6 months in the making, and questions were drafted with the aid of people from each group to be polled in order to ensure that questions reflected the concerns of each group, Serpe said. Because the district has such a high percentage of “limited-English” students, the questionnaire was translated into Vietnamese, Spanish, Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian and Chinese. Instructional aides who help in bilingual education classes and some parent volunteers surveyed parents by telephone in the various languages.

Castruita, who is brimming over with ideas to combat the district’s high dropout rate and low achievement scores, was appointed to the superintendent’s post in November after having served for 3 years as assistant superintendent in charge of secondary education for the district.

In the last board election in November, 1987, voters ousted two incumbents and elected three new members, including the board’s first Latino and Asian members. Richardson, 28, and himself a graduate of Santa Ana High School, is also newly elected.

‘New Perspectives’

“Those three brand-new board members brought some new perspectives, new thought to the school district,” said Michael Metzler, president of the Greater Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce. “This new majority and the new administration is working together and is bringing a lot of change to the school district that I think is long overdue.”

One change is an offer of early retirement to teachers and principals who have reached the age of 55. About 100 are taking advantage of the new plan and will not be returning in the fall. To fill their spots, and also to replace teachers for normal turnover and for increased enrollment, the district is faced with hiring almost 500 new teachers for the fall.

In an effort to attract the best teachers, the district is working with the public relations firm of Mendoza, Dillon & Asociados Inc. of Newport Beach to prepare a video that will be used for recruitment. The firm is donating its creative talent and the district will pay only for materials for the video that will feature local teachers talking about why they like teaching in Santa Ana schools.

The schools are also coping with the problems of tremendous growth. In this school year, enrollment increased by 1,800 students, twice what the district had projected. Next year, the schools are projected to grow by another 900 students.

Problems to Spread

Board members and administrators say that Santa Ana schools are dealing with growth and demographic changes that will soon become realities in many California schools, and indeed in many parts of the country.

The percentage of white students in the Santa Ana district has fallen to just under 10% during the current school year, according to the Orange County Department of Education. And 52% are categorized as “limited English speaking.” This is a higher percentage than found even in the diverse Los Angeles Unified School District, according to Betty Poggi, director of bilingual education for the district.

But as the nonwhite population of the entire county, and the state, continues to grow, Santa Ana officials say that other districts are beginning to look to them to learn how a district can deal with the implications of demographic changes.

“You can’t just say it’s Santa Ana’s problem or Los Angeles’ problems,” said board member Sal Mendoza, who was elected in 1987. “It’s the problem of the total state.”

Richardson said: “I think if you look at California and the changing demographics, I think Santa Ana represents in many respects where California will be in the next 10 years or by the turn of the century, and we have the opportunity to be on the leading edge and create the model that other people are looking to emulate.

‘Neat Opportunity’

“That’s kind of a neat opportunity,” he said.

While school officials complain that much of the reputation for Santa Ana schools is the result of bad press, there is no getting around the fact that test scores have been consistently lower than at other county schools, that teen-age pregnancies occur in the Santa Ana district with more frequency than in other districts, and that gangs exist in their schools.

But officials say it is important to improve communication between the schools and the community, especially the business community, which is making decisions on whether or not to locate new companies in the district.

It is important to let them know, for example, that Santa Ana students, who perhaps have not been in the United States very long, will naturally test lower on achievement tests than, say, children of well-educated parents in Mission Viejo, officials add.

“What you’re seeing is the first round of an effort between the school district, the community colleges, the business community and others to work on educational issues in a very comprehensive fashion, Metzler said. “We are very concerned about education, because it affects our future plans, affects the types of employers who come into the area and will provide employment for years to come.”

SANTA ANA SCHOOLS REPORT CARD

In a recent survey of parents, teachers, students and businessmen, the Santa Ana Unified district earned generally high marks from parents and low marks from the business community. The quality of education is as good as other Orange County Districts? Strongly agree-agree: Parents: 81.4% Teachers and Principals: 56.2% Business*: 34.7% Mildly agree-disagree: Parents: 12% Teachers and Principals: 29.6% Business*: 42.4% Disagree-disagree strongly: Parents: 6.7% Teachers and Principals: 14.1% Business*: 22.9% Are requirements for high school graduation: Too high: Parents: 6.2% Teachers and Principals: 3.5% Business*: 0.9% About right: Parents: 78.5% Teachers and Principals: 64.9% Business*: 28.2% Too low: Parents: 15.3% Teachers and Principals: 31.6% Business*: 70.9% Training children receive for a job after graduation?

Excellent--good: Parents: 81.8% Teachers and Principals: 28.6% Business*: 20% Fair: Parents: 14% Teachers and Principals: 41.4% Business*: 46.7% Poor--very poor: Parents: 4.2% Teachers and Principals: 30% Business*: 33.3% Quality of teachers?

Excellent--good: Parents: 82.8% Teachers and Principals: 66.3% Students: 75.5% Business*: 49.5% Fair: Parents: 14.8% Teachers and Principals: 25.1% Students: 18.4% Business*: 35% Poor--very poor: Parents: 2.4% Teachers and Principals: 8.6% Students: 6.1% Business*: 15.5% Amount of homework? Excellent--good: Parents: 75.6% Teachers and Principals: 71.8% Students: 57% Business*: 38.6% Fair: Parents: 19.6% Teachers and Principals: 23.1% Students: 32.8% Business*: 36.6% Poor--very poor: Parents: 4.9% Teachers and Principals: 5.1% Students: 10.2% Business*: 24.8% District works hard to meet needs of students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds? Strongly agree--agree

Parents: 86.7% Certificated: 69.8% Business*: 56.4% * Members of the Greater Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Source: Santa Ana Unified School District