Westford school officials are examining student feedback on belonging, relationships and school climate after an anonymous district survey showed largely positive results but also identified groups of students who do not feel connected or valued at school.
The School Committee reviewed the results Sept. 8 from surveys administered to students in grades 3-5 and 6-12.
The questions explored topics including whether students feel valued at school, their connections with classmates and teachers, opportunities to work collaboratively, cultural inclusion and how schools respond to inappropriate behavior.
Superintendent Christopher Chew and committee members emphasized that even relatively small numbers of negative responses deserve attention.
Among students in grades 3-5, officials focused on a question asking whether students feel they belong and are valued at school.
Chew described belonging as a priority for the district and said responses falling below “agree” warranted closer examination.
Officials also discussed whether differences among schools or grade levels could help identify areas needing additional attention. Because students provided information about their school and grade, the anonymous results can be filtered to look for patterns.
An initial review did not indicate that negative responses were concentrated in one particular school.
At the secondary level, officials also examined student connection.
During discussion of a question asking whether students feel connected to classmates, teachers and activities in a way that makes them want to attend school, officials noted that 63 students responded negatively.
Committee members said that the wording combined multiple concepts, meaning a student could feel connected to school while disagreeing that the connection makes them want to attend.
Other findings were more encouraging, however.
Officials said 76% of students in one portion of the survey reported that adults help them solve problems, while 72% agreed or strongly agreed that they have opportunities to work in groups and sometimes serve as leaders.
The district plans to compare the anonymous survey findings with information collected through Wayfinder, a platform used by schools to monitor social-emotional learning and help counselors and educators identify students who may need support.
Wayfinder surveys will continue in the fall and spring.
The district does not currently anticipate administering the same ThoughtExchange survey annually. Instead, ThoughtExchange can be used to analyze aggregated data and provide additional opportunities to hear directly from students.
Committee members also suggested that future surveys seek greater participation from middle school students to ensure those grades are adequately represented.
Officials said the results were reassuring overall, but also provided areas for improvement as the district continues its focus on student belonging and connection.
