Introduction

• Analysis of feedback from community residents

regarding their usage and opinions of Community
Education programs:
– How much do people know about programs?
– Which programs do people use?
– What keeps people from using programs?

1
Survey outline

• Survey included interviews with 300 voters living

within the distribution area of Fridley Community
Education catalogs.

• Interviews were completed between November 13th

and November 18th.

2
Who we called

• Interviews included demographic targets intended

to provide a representative sample of voters in
the district.
• Completed interviews hit targets almost exactly.
• Cell phones were tracked, but were not a
demographic target.

3
Who we called: Gender

4
Who we called: Age

5
Who we called: Location

6
Who we called: Cell phones

7
Familiarity with programs

• Participants were given a list of 12 Community

Education program areas.
– Elements were given in random order to each respondent.

• For each area, respondents were asked if they had

participated in such programs, heard about them, or
were unfamiliar with them.

8
Familiarity with programs (cont.)

9
Familiarity with programs (cont.)

• More than 60% of participants were familiar with adult

classes and adult and youth sports, exercise and
fitness programs.
• Fewer than 40% were familiar with facility rentals and
child care programs.

10
Familiarity with programs (cont.)
• Most-used programs
were website/registration
system, swimming pool,
and youth fitness.
• Least-used were child
care, public events (e.g.
Family Movie Night), and
facility rentals.

11
Familiarity with programs (cont.)

• Half of respondents
indicated that they did not
participate in any
Community Education
programs at all.
• One-quarter of respondents
participated in just one or
two programs.

12
Familiarity with programs (cont.)

• Half of respondents had

heard of at least 7 of the
12 Community Education
program areas.
• 9% were unfamiliar with
any programs.

13
Satisfaction with programs

• Participants indicating that they participated in at least

one program were asked about their satisfaction with
the program they used most recently.
– 148 of the 300 respondents qualified for this question.

• Participants were asked about six elements regarding

cost, quality, and convenience.

14
Satisfaction with programs (cont.)

15
Satisfaction with programs (cont.)

• Every element was rated “Very Satisfied” by at least

60% of respondents.
• Elements with highest level of “Not Satisfied” ratings
included:
– Convenience of days and times offered (5.8%)
– Program cost (4.5%)
– Signing up for program (4.4%)

16
Reasons for not participating

• Respondents indicating that they had heard about

programs but did not participate were asked about
reasons why.
– 260 of the 300 respondents qualified for this question.

• Participants were asked for their level of agreement

with eight common reasons for not participating.

17
Reasons for not participating (cont.)

18
Reasons for not participating (cont.)

• Highest agreement with common reasons for not

participating included:
– Other options (71.4%).
– Lack of spare time (63.4%).
– Not interested in program (49.8%).
– Inconvenient days and times (47.7%).

19
Preferred days and times

• Survey participants were asked about the days and

times that would be most convenient for them to
participate in Community Education programs and
events.

• All 300 respondents were given these questions.

20
Preferred days and times (cont.)

• Respondents were fairly

evenly split between
preferring weekdays versus
weekends.

21
Preferred days and times (cont.)

• Evenings were most

convenient for the largest
proportion of respondents.

• Mornings and afternoons

each had significant
numbers as well.

22
Communications preferences

• Respondents were next asked two questions about

communications regarding Community Education
programs and events.
– The first asked how much time and attention they gave to
the Community Education catalogs distributed by the
district.
– The second asked for a preferred method for receiving
information about Community Education.

23
Communications preferences (cont.)

• One-quarter of respondents
read their catalogs
thoroughly.
• About one in five do not
read their catalogs, and one
in seven do not recall
receiving a catalog.

24
Communications preferences (cont.)

• Most respondents prefer to

keep receiving catalogs in
the mail.
• E-mailed catalogs and
website listings were also
popular responses.

25
Importance of Community Education

Near the end of the survey, participants were asked how

much they agreed or disagreed with the following
statement:

“Community Education programs contribute to the

quality of life in Fridley.”

26
Importance of Community Education (cont.)

27
Language immersion programs

• Following the Community Education survey questions,

participants who indicated that they had school-age
children were asked for their interest level in Spanish
and Chinese immersion programs that might be offered
by the School District.

• 82 of the 300 respondents were asked these questions.

28
Language immersion programs (cont.)

• 62% of participants were at least somewhat interested

in a Spanish language immersion program.
29
Language immersion programs (cont.)

• 57% of participants were at least somewhat interested

in a Chinese language immersion program.
30
Thank You!

Don Lifto, Ph.D.

Consultant
651-223-3067

Kelly Smith, Ed.D.

Vice President
651-223-3099

31