Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports small gains on student experience survey; participation fell amid opt-in process
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Strasser presented results from the district's student experience survey showing modest gains in measures of belonging, instructional engagement and net promoter score, while overall participation fell after the district moved to an opt-in approach for student surveys.
The Rapid City Area School District 51-4 reported modest improvements on its 2024'25 student experience survey but warned participation declined after the district required parental opt-in for surveys.
Superintendent Dr. Strasser presented slide data showing increased top-box scores (the highest response categories) on several instructional-engagement items, including items asking whether learning goals help students track progress, whether teachers ask how students learn best, and whether students regularly receive teacher feedback. "Instruction is becoming more personalized and feedback driven," he said, summarizing the data.
The presentation also showed gains in students' feelings of belonging and enjoyment of school while noting small declines in bus safety and building cleanliness measures. Dr. Strasser said those declines were small (0.01 and 0.02 on the scale used) but worth addressing.
Board members asked follow-up questions about participation and grade-level breakdowns. Irvin asked whether the survey covered only high-school students; the superintendent replied the survey covered grades 2 through 12. Board member Katie Irvin suggested administering the survey during class time so more students would complete it rather than relying on email notices. Superintendent Dr. Strasser and board member Katie Schafer discussed legal and compliance considerations: Schafer said the district had moved to an opt-in model during registration this year, which reduced the number of students who received survey invites. Dr. Strasser said staff would "examine that and make sure we're in compliance" with state law and consider whether the district can administer the internally produced survey to all students without opt-in.
Board members also requested school-level breakdowns to identify schools with large gains so successful practices could be shared; the superintendent said that analysis had not yet been done and that results varied significantly by building.
The board did not take formal action beyond discussion and requested follow-up from staff on legal compliance and participation strategies.
