Division safety/climate survey: high-school staff and SRO/SSO measures show improvement, staff professional development flagged
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Summary
Staff presented the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (2024) to the board. Findings show modest positive trends in student and classroom-instructor responses, SRO/SSO roles rated positively, and a gap where non-classroom staff reported lower professional-development support.
Division staff presented results from the Virginia Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (conducted in 2024) for Spotsylvania high schools, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for targeted improvement.
Safety director (presenter) told the board that student responses were generally in line with regional and state results and that many measures trended positively since 2022. Notable findings included students reporting that they generally feel safe in class and that adults care about students. The presentation also highlighted an area of particular administrative focus: perceptions of campus safety related to School Security Officers (SSOs) and School Resource Officers (SROs). The presenter said the division’s SSOs and the sheriff’s office SROs had shown notable increases in “making students and staff feel safe,” which staff attributed in part to expanded SSO staffing and targeted engagement efforts.
Classroom instructors reported improved working conditions and professional-development measures improved for classroom instructors since 2022. However, staff who are not classroom instructors — counselors, nurses, custodians and other adults — reported a drop in satisfaction with professional development and some workplace supports; the presenter flagged this as an area for focused response.
The survey includes separate subgroup reporting; results for one high school (Riverbend) did not meet the state’s minimum participation threshold for the student subgroup and therefore did not generate student-level results for that school. Presenter recommended that administration use the data to prioritize professional development for non-classroom staff and to continue the safety and SSO/SRO engagement work that correlated with positive shifts in perceptions.
Board members asked clarifying questions about methodology, survey timing (the survey is state-administered in even years for high schools), participation rates, and whether parents are notified (families are notified and the survey includes an opt-out option). The superintendent and staff committed to distribute the full report and to bring the data into strategic-planning and budget discussions where relevant.