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Spearfish SD previews Cognia survey findings; external review scheduled for March
Summary
District staff summarized systemwide perception surveys submitted to Cognia, reported high student and staff participation, identified strengths and opportunities, and said an external review will take place in March with a report expected in April.
Spearfish School District staff presented a systemwide summary of stakeholder perception surveys at the Feb. 10 board meeting and said the district will host an external Cognia review in March.
Staff described surveys administered to parents, students (grades 4–12) and staff as one part of the district's continuous-improvement evidence. The presentation reported about 334 households responding, 1,386 student responses and 158 staff responses; staff said student and staff participation rates were over 95 percent and parent household participation was roughly 28–30 percent.
“Misperceptions matter because perception is their reality,” said Mr. Gottlieb (staff member), who presented the systems summary. The presentation highlighted strengths such as a high proportion of parents and students reporting that staff act as advocates for students and that the district’s mission focuses on student success. It also identified recurring opportunities—including timely communications to stakeholders and more family engagement at all schools.
Staff described a two-year cycle for these instruments and said building-specific reports would be shared with principals and then families. The district plans to begin sharing findings with building families the week of Feb. 21. The external review team will examine the district’s evidence and is expected to deliver a report to the district by mid- to late April.
Board members asked about participation rates; staff said students and staff exceeded 95 percent participation and parent household response was around 28–30 percent. Presenters said principals and building teams had already worked through raw responses and that future materials will show building-level detail and prioritized recommendations for continuous improvement.
