Calvert School's First Annual Family Satisfaction Survey

Calvert School takes pride in knowing that the Calvert curriculum has as a foundation the best educational materials produced by publishers or by Calvert’s own Curriculum Development Team. In addition, one of the hallmarks of Calvert School is the exceptional personal support we offer our enrolled families. Combined, these attributes make up the Calvert experience that has been enjoyed by our families for over a century.

In our continued effort to provide outstanding materials and service to our students and Home Teachers, last fall we conducted a survey to determine the satisfaction level of our enrolled families. We are grateful for the overwhelming response and appreciate the accolades—and the criticism—delivered by the participants.  

Our Survey Technique

Calvert proposed a simple survey question, “Would you recommend Calvert School to a friend, relative, or colleague?” knowing that such a recommendation puts your reputation on the line as well as ours. Only those who are truly satisfied with their Calvert experience would give a high rating. We then asked for an open-ended explanation of why the respondent gave their particular rating in order to learn what satisfied families like best and what dissatisfied families like least.

The survey technique is based on Fred Reichheld’s research study outlined in his book, The Ultimate Question. It yields a single percentage called the Net Promoters Score (NPS)—and as reason would dictate, the higher the NPS, the higher the satisfaction of the respondents.

In October 2006, Calvert e-mailed a web survey to over 10,000 families around the world that asked if they would recommend us to a friend. We received approximately 3,000 responses.  

Calvert’s Report Card

The average NPS across many industries is 5-10%. Calvert School is proud to report an NPS of 62%, which places us in the company of organizations renowned for their high levels of customer service—companies like Federal Express, Southwest Airlines, and Apple Computer.

We learned a lot from our families. They love our Education Counselors and Client Service Representatives. They value the Advisory Teaching Service. On the other hand, some wished that we offered a high school curriculum. Some felt that the Calvert Online program needed to be a better experience. Our families did not hold back!

We feel it is important to hear such feedback—and it is even more important to act. We have instituted changes to the Calvert Online program. We are exploring ways to offer our families some opportunities for high school credits. We are focusing on making sure the Education Counselors are equipped with the tools that they need and we are enhancing the ATS program with even more support across the grade levels. In short, your opinion matters!

We pride ourselves in being more than a curriculum provider, but a partner in education throughout your child’s academic career from pre-K through Eighth Grade. If you have any questions, concerns, or have a recommendation for improvement, there is no need to wait for an annual survey. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 888-487-4652 or e-mail inquiry@calvertservices.org.

Sources: NetPromoter.com; The Ultimate Question by Fred Riecheld, Harvard Business Press, 2006.