Board reviews student-climate survey, highlights Memorial High pilot after LGBTQ students report lower school connectedness

The Eau Claire Area School Board heard a district presentation on supportive learning environments and student climate data, including the results of a districtwide student climate survey taken March 1 and school-level interventions piloted at Memorial High School.

The district presented a three-part supportive learning environment framework — engagement, safety and environment — and tied that work to strategic goals for student social, emotional and academic progress. Christy Watkinson, the district’s director of student services, told the board that “when students feel comfortable, respected, and valued, they will make more gains academically, socially, and emotionally.”

The presentation’s nut graf: the board was shown district- and school-level climate survey results and the concrete steps Memorial High School has taken as a pilot to improve peer relationships and inclusion, after the survey found notable gaps for LGBTQ students and declining peer-to-peer responses over a multi-year trend.

Dane Yang,…