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High school presents student‑engagement survey results; staff propose targeted interventions
Summary
Eastern York High School staff described three surveys of students and parents aimed at improving attendance and on‑time graduation. Findings highlighted relationships with teachers and barriers such as fatigue and hunger; proposed steps include expanded electives, a freshman seminar, student leadership and a mobile breakfast cart.
Eastern York High School staff on Tuesday presented survey findings to the Eastern York School District board aimed at improving student engagement, attendance and on‑time graduation.
Assistant Principal Ella (presenting for the high school) told the board the high school administered three surveys this year: a broad student engagement survey for all students, a targeted “failure” survey for students who failed at least one first‑semester class, and a parent survey for those students’ families. The initiative grew out of work by the district’s comprehensive steering committee and local graduation‑rate data the steering group reviewed.
Key findings: Ella said the top motivator students reported for staying engaged was “positive relationships with teachers,” named by 68 percent of respondents. The top barriers were fatigue — “I’m tired,” reported by roughly 75 percent of respondents — and the structure or length of class; 37 percent marked hunger as a barrier. Among students who failed a course in the fall, about 66 percent cited lack of interest in the subject or course as a reason; nearly half said they had difficulty with the material. Parents’ responses mirrored students’ concerns.
Possible responses and next steps discussed by staff included expanding elective options, reimagining course structures, strengthening intervention efforts such as freshman seminar, creating a student leadership team, and piloting a mobile breakfast cart to allow quick grab‑and‑go breakfast options for students arriving close to the start of school (the high school currently offers free breakfast from 7:00 to 7:20 a.m.). Ella said the breakfast cart conversation had already begun with the head cook.
Board members and staff praised the outreach: Superintendent‑level comments noted the administration had re‑sent the parent surveys and placed follow‑up phone calls to reach families, and that survey responses remain open as the district seeks more data.
No formal action on the surveys was recorded in the transcript; the presentation was listed as an educational report and prompted follow‑up discussion about possible programmatic responses.
