Focus Group Data Analysis

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Columbus’ Supplementary School Initiative

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Presented at Summit June 6, 2010

Group Huddle Examine the “key elements” of best educational practices and the characteristics of an ideal learning environment.

– At your tables, try to come to a quick consensus over the “top three” in each of those categories.

– Does your group want to add items to either list?

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” Areas of consensus: KNOW Basic literacy -Shabbat rituals -Holiday rituals -Hebrew decoding -Prayer recitation -History of the Jewish people (including Holocaust & family history) -History, Politics, Land & State of Israel

FEEL

DO

Confidence, pride & security in their knowledge & beliefs

Make choices informed by Jewish knowledge

Secure/legitimacy in their Jewish choices

Go to Jewish sources for answers to questions/ challenges/problems in their lives

Strong connection with Israel and Jews around the world (peoplehood)

Have Jewish friends

Community connection

Connect with Jewish community in college and beyond

Curiosity/desire to learn more

Celebrate Jewish holidays & milestones

Judaism adds to their lives

Be a “thinking Jew”

Basic Jewish beliefs Different ways of expressing Judaism (Jewish streams) WHY they are doing what they do Where to find Jewish information and answers

Contribute to the community through tzedakkah, hesed & tikkun olam 2/9/2011 | 3

Focus Group “Take-Aways” Additional Emphases: KNOW

FEEL

DO

RABBIS

Kashrut Deep textual knowledge Ability to speak Hebrew

EDUCATIONAL DIRECTORS

‫תנ״ך‬ Hebrew for ‫ סדור‬understanding Hebrew to manage in Israel

Fulfillment in living Jewish life Had good experience Guilt at not knowing

Seek to teach others Answer questions re Judaism & Israel Marry Jews; Raise Jewish kids

TEACHERS

Basic modern Hebrew

Sensitivity to Jewish issues Something to offer to Jewish community that is of value to Jewish community

Create own religious identity Choose university with sizable Jewish community Visit Israel Ask question: who am I? What is my relationship to God and the Jewish people.

Find a teacher/mentor

PARENTS

Jewish Values: How Judaism relates to everything in life Hebrew Conversation

Comfort to go to other synagogues & feel welcome Respect for synagogue Has a spiritual place to go Sensitive to the risk of prejudice and not take part toward others

Have Judaism add value to their lives & world Do good in the world through Jewish actions Raise Jewish kids; Have Jewish home Be part of something like we have at home Help others as expression of Jewish ID ; Fight injustice.

Live Jewishly in secular place; Communicate they have Jewish needs

TEENS

How to discuss Jewish texts How to experience holidays on own How to keep Jewish identity in college

Connected/bonded to Israel Connected to God, etc. by their own choice Connected to Jewish community

Whatever needs to be done “religiously” 2/9/2011 | 4

Key Learning After analyzing the last two charts,

what was your key learning?

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” Family involvement and impact: • Professionals (rabbis, educational directors, teachers) seek deep family involvement and impact • Some parents welcome and crave involvement; others are wary of changes to their life style; others are concerned about time constraints

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” Challenges to getting desired/desirable supplementary education: • Programmatic challenges: – – – – –

Not enticing Not individualized/supportive Spending afternoon with strangers and not feeling included Time: Lack of contact time Timing: Lack of available time/how to fit everything in of one piece so it is meaningful and not compete with other options.

• Organizational challenges – – – – – – –

Inflexibility Not user friendly Tension: community vs individualization Competition Denominational labels Rich community in terms of synagogues – but too siloed in how we educate children Need courage to shake it up and get leadership to do it

• Finances – –

Cost to families (when do cost/benefit analysis decide to wait till 2nd or 3rd grade Economic resources: lack of resources in synagogue (human, financial)

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Looking ahead‌

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” •

Community approach – Larger Jewish community experience – Community recognition that open doors benefit all – Not silos – more interconnection • Cross congregational PT Jewish education • All meet together (or by denomination) More connection between OSU and community educational institutions (sharing resources, taking advantage of assets) • Not feel “the divide”

– More options • • • • • • • • • •

More self-guided tools. Option of home schooling model “University concept” “Transdenominationality” – Greater interaction across denominational lines’ Each learning style validated and respected Low threshold activities for people not ready to fully commit Opportunities for “next step” Multiple choices for “nibblers” Flexibility “Home Groups” /One-room schoolhouse a la Kehilla Bonding experiences

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” • Students – – – – – – – – – –

Excitement Students asking “why” Peers outside niche Higher retention in High School/Post Bar/t Mitzvah education = norm Earlier and continuing enrollment (Jewish early childhood and early grades) 90% of eligible Columbus kids involved Accessibility for all kids according to their needs Student input included Focus on learners/audience Measurable learner outcomes • Metrics for success • Accountability – incentive – commitment

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” • Educators – – – – – – –

Cadre of educators Higher value on quality of educators Passionate and knowledgeable teachers “teaching across the lines” Young well-trained teachers in Jewish education Accessible teacher support (resources, media, coaching) Teachers engaged and excited Interest from clergy & teachers who “really care”

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Focus Group “Take-Aways” Educational Approach • Individualization - Meeting needs of individual learners (rather than congregation’s needs) • Experiential - Jewish experiential learning and travel - More Jewish camp and Israel experience; integrate more Jewish content in JCC camp - Variety of learning modes (e.g., arts, music, outdoor/environmental education) - Tie together youth activities and more formal education; more education through youth groups - Retreat Center/retreat component (e.g., Sukkot camping) - “Young Life”/Hillel/Chabad model (experiential and fun, with solid content)

Curriculum • • • • •

Integrate building blocks (know/feel/do) of education Relevant to life Variety of available options (e.g., art, social justice, environment, intensive Hebrew) Effective use of technology Meshed with congregational visions 2/9/2011 | 12

Focus Group “Take-Aways” What is needed to achieve idealized vision?

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Measurable goals Systematic well-thought out curriculum (throughout community) Relevance of content Openness to innovation Support for risk-taking and growth Consistency Diversity Variety of methods and tools Timing (when, how long, enough hours per week) Full-time teachers (to maximize preparation, PD, integration) Low student/teacher ratio Support for teachers (rabbis, board) High quality professional development (embedded, systematic, intensive, ongoing) Resources (financial, educational, human) Parental involvement Social group to support learning Welcoming buildings 2/9/2011 | 13

Group Huddle -Is Anything Missing?

Are there any glaring omissions from these last 5 slides lists (slides 24-28) that your table believes should be added?

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Clarifying Questions and Sharing •

Are there any clarifying questions related to any of the data presented?

•

Reflect on all you heard in this presentation – What was your major learning, insight or discovery?

– What surprised you?

– What challenged you?

– What’s missing from this picture?

What are not seeing? What do we need more clarity about?

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