McFarland district reports survey gains but flags 38% proficiency gap for students with disabilities

Mr. Tarnitzer presented results from the district’s annual parent/guardian satisfaction survey and connected those findings to the McFarland School District’s strategic-plan update, telling the Board on May 5 that the district saw “a 20% participation rate, which is a little bit lower than last year” but that most indices rose compared with prior years.

The presentation showed high scores on facilities, safety and feeling welcome — with districtscale comparisons described as “very high” — and steady increases in measures of communication, parent involvement and student supports. Mr. Tarnitzer also highlighted results the administration called the district’s “biggest area of concern”: assessment proficiency gaps. “The gaps between different subgroups — especially that 38% gap between students with and without disabilities — is the one that we’re really working on,” he said.

Why it matters: Board members and staff said the survey and the district’s key performance indicators (KPIs) feed directly into the…