Marshalltown — The Marshalltown Community School District presented results Monday from its first‑year use of the Panorama SEL survey, reporting high scores for supportive adult‑student relationships and lower scores in emotional regulation and secondary school climate.

Overview: Valerie Corson, the district’s CPDL for social‑emotional learning, told the board the Panorama survey was administered three times this year (fall, winter, spring) with participation highest in the K–2 teacher surveys. The district chose domains tied to its SEL competencies: self‑management, social awareness, emotional regulation, social perspective, and supportive relationships.

Key findings: Corson said teachers rated K–2 students more favorably across domains; grades 3–5 and 6–12 student responses showed supportive relationships were the strongest domain (approximately 83% favorable at secondary), while emotional regulation and social awareness trailed. Secondary school climate averaged about 37% favorable, which Corson identified as an area needing attention.

Corson told the board that while the district’s emotional regulation scores look low, the pattern aligns with national trends. She recommended the district focus next year on building a sense of belonging, calling it the “bridging connection” to attendance, behavior and mental‑health outcomes.

Planned steps: The SEL steering committee will add Panorama questions focused on belonging and teacher‑student relationships, track growth over time, and pursue inclusive, data‑informed practices. Corson said district staff will continue to embed SEL into regular instructional and operational practice.

Board response: Board members asked about alignment between Panorama domains and existing curriculum and how the district will track changes year to year. Corson confirmed Panorama maps to the district’s SEL core competencies and said the district will use the new baseline as the starting point for longitudinal measurement.

No board action was taken; this item was presented for information and planning.