District presents middle‑school 'belonging' efforts as student engagement measure

Kevin Rhine, principal at Pioneer Middle School, presented the district’s middle‑school efforts to build student belonging, focusing on acceptance and purpose as key components of engagement.

Rhine said the district uses a logic model to align inputs, activities and outcomes and relies on Panorama surveys alongside interviews with student leaders. He described spring‑to‑spring and fall‑to‑spring supports such as counselor visits to elementary schools, sixth‑grade orientation, Shadow Day, Web Day ("Where Everyone Belongs"), mentoring by eighth‑grade Web leaders, and extracurricular options that promote connection and attendance.

Student co‑chair Arjun Sominathan asked how belonging was measured; Rhine said all five middle schools use the Panorama survey and that the data are supplemented by web leader feedback and parent/family interviews. Board members pressed for comparisons across years and asked whether subgroup gaps exist; Rhine said increases have been gradual and attendance improvements were a notable early sign of progress.

Trustees recommended comparing fall‑to‑spring growth year over year and tying the district’s dynamic plan dashboard to these measures. The board welcomed a planned December presentation of the dashboard prototype and asked administration to provide historical fall‑to‑spring comparisons for context.

The presentation emphasized proactive MTSS supports, counseling interventions and efforts to ensure new families connect to school life as part of a strategy to reduce absenteeism and improve academic outcomes.