PLAZO DE ENTREGA:

We interviewed representatives of ten school districts residing within a 50-mile radius of the University of Southern Maine’s Portland, Maine campus. Results from these

interviews are presented below. The primary objectives of this study are to investigate the following topics:

Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine Recent use of outside training providers

Unmet needs of school districts

Consideration of the University of Southern Maine for education and training Interest in future contact

Following are the school districts that we interviewed: Berwick Academy

Cheverus High School Falmouth High School Jordan Small School

Lebanon Elementary School Lewiston High School Marshwood High School Pond Cove Elementary School Westbrook Middle School

Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine

Familiarity with the University of Southern Maine

To determine how familiar school districts are with the University of Southern Maine, we began by asking representatives how familiar they are with the University of Southern Maine in general. The largest proportion of these school districts—half—is very familiar with the University:

Familiarity with

the University of Southern Maine

Percent of School Districts

Very familiar 50%

Somewhat familiar 40

Not at all familiar 10

College of Education Programs with Which Most Familiar

We next asked only those who are at least somewhat familiar with the University of Southern Maine to tell us which two programs they are most familiar with at the College of Education. Respondents mentioned the Extended Teacher’s program and the regular Education program most often:

101 Extended Teachers program (three citations) Regular Education program (two citations) Assist Principal certificate

Counseling

Education - Teaching Secondary Education Music

College/University That Educates the Largest Number of Teachers

Then we asked all respondents what colleges or universities educated the largest number of their teachers. the University of Southern Maine was cited most often:

the University of Southern Maine (six citations) University of Maine (three citations)

University New Hampshire (two citations) Do not know

the University of Southern Maine Statements

Next, we read a number of statements about the University of Southern Maine and asked the representatives to rate the statements, using a 5-point scale of 1 do not agree to 5 strongly agree. Those who did not know a statement were asked not to rate it. The data follow:

Statements About the University of Southern Maine Percent/Rating of Faculty Strongly Agree Average Rating Knew Well Enough to Rate

It offers a high quality education 100% 4.60 100%

the University of Southern Maine has a good

overall reputation 90 4.60 100

Employers respect degrees earned there 90 4.50 100

It well serves the needs of commuter students 80 4.44 90

It costs are reasonable 70 4.43 70

It is responsive to the educational needs of the

community 90 4.30 100

All of the seven statements were very highly rated by school districts. Rated highest, at 4.60, are that the University of Southern Maine offers a high quality education and has a good overall reputation. School districts are least familiar with the University of Southern Maine’s costs.

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Recent Use of Outside Training Providers

Contracting with Organizations in the Past Three Years

We asked all school district representatives if they have contracted with any organization (association, training company, colleges or universities, etc.) in the past three years to provide education and training programs to faculty or staff. Thirty percent had indeed contracted with an organization in the past three years for such needs.

Contracting with Colleges or Universities in the Past Three Years

We followed up with this pool by asking them if that organization was a college or university. None of this group contracted with a college or university in the past three years.

Unmet Needs of Organizations

Anticipation of Contracting with Provider in the Next Year

Moving along, we next asked school districts a series of questions about unmet needs at their organization. We began by asking if their organization will contract with any college, training company, association, or other provider in the next year to conduct education and training programs for their faculty or staff. Ten percent will indeed, while another ten percent might:

Anticipation of Contracting with Provider in Next Year Percent of School Districts Yes 10% Maybe 10 No 80

Likelihood of Contracting with College or University in the Next Year

Among school districts that will or might contract with a provider in the next year, all of them are likely to do so with a college or university.

Subject of Interest for Education and Training in the Next Year

Staying with this pool—those who will or might contract with educational institutions in the next year—we next asked what subjects they would most likely need for their

education and training. The following data show a range of needs for future college and university providers:

Reading Outreach work

Strengthen our relationship with the university to offer us professional development courses

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Credit or Noncredit Needs for Education and Training in the Next Year

All of the representatives who will or might contract with educational institutions in the next year are looking for credit study as opposed to noncredit study.

Consideration of the University of Southern Maine as Provider in the Next Year

Staying with this pool (those who will or might contract with educational institutions in the next year), we next asked if they would consider using the University of Southern Maine to provide courses or programs in the near future. Half of this pool of respondents would indeed. The representative who would not consider the University of Southern Maine told us it is because they feel ―Columbia University staff is more state of the art.‖

Future Contact

Methods of Contact with Faculty or Staff

Moving on, we asked all school district representatives to rate several ways for the University of Southern Maine to let them know more about what it could offer their faculty or staff using a 5-point scale of 1 not a good way to 5 an extremely good way. Printed publications mailed to them or others at the school district received the highest average rating, 3.60, followed by periodic emails to them or others directing them to content on the College of Education’s web pages:

Methods of Contact with Faculty or Staff

Percent of School Districts Responding

Very Good Average Rating

Printed publications mailed to you or others at

the district 50% 3.60

Periodic emails to you or others directing you to content on the College of Education’s web pages

60 3.50

Meetings on campus between people from your

district and staff at the College of Education 30 2.80 Visits by College of Education staff to the

district 30 2.70

Meetings hosted at USM for representatives

from many districts 10 2.20

Future Contact Desired to Discuss Education and Training for Their Faculty/Staff

Toward the end of the interview, we asked the school districts whether they would be interested in having someone from the University of Southern Maine contact them to discuss providing education and training for their faculty or staff. Four of the school districts said, ―Yes,‖ they would like a representative from the University of Southern Maine to contact them. Please see the last page of this section for their contact

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We suggest that the University of Southern Maine increase its outreach to organizations in the surveyed area so that when opportunities do arise among these and other school districts, the University of Southern Maine will be approachable to those who arrange such contracts and who seek stronger ties on behalf of their faculty and staff. Increasing the University of Southern Maine’s visibility and building relationships with the area school districts are key to its success in this market.

Discussion Topic of Interest in Contact from the University of Southern Maine

Finally, we followed up with just these representatives by having them tell us their primary focus of interest in contact from the University of Southern Maine. Half of the school districts are interested in learning more about the University of Southern Maine in general:

Discussion Topic of Interest

Number of School Districts

General interest in learning more about the

University of Southern Maine 1

Contract training opportunities (where the University of Southern Maine would provide onsite courses)

-- Arrangements to facilitate the use of tuition

reimbursement by your employees --

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School Districts Desiring Contact with