Quabbin data show dips in student engagement; district to add Wayfinder lessons and start parent advisory council

Superintendent and district leaders reviewed family and student survey data on Feb. 13 and flagged lower scores for school engagement and mindset among students, particularly at the middle-school level.

The family (parent) survey had 238 respondents; 44% represented middle/high families and 56% elementary/post‑grad families. The superintendent said 83% of respondents reported being satisfied or highly satisfied with the quality of education, up from 68% in 2023.

Student responses on the district’s social-emotional learning (SEL) measures showed weaker results in two areas the district will target: school engagement and school mindset (students’ beliefs that effort can improve outcomes). Miss St. George said the district will adopt Wayfinder — an online SEL curriculum — for grades 6–12 and continue Second Step at the elementary level to address those areas. The district also plans to convene a superintendent-parent advisory council in March to review survey results and identify action steps.

Committee members and building leaders discussed possible practical supports, including increasing time for unstructured breaks, expanding peer-mentoring and upstander/bystander training, linking students to nearby hands-on programs and internships, and considering schedule adjustments to reduce day-to-day fragmentation. Principal Dean Muraz noted seasonal timing and other outside pressures that can affect student responses.

The district also said it would discontinue Panorama as a paid survey platform because of cost (about $30,000 annually) and move to alternate tools and curricula for SEL measurement and instruction.

No formal committee vote was required for the curriculum steps reported; district leaders said they would return with implementation details and timelines.