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Wake County reports improved family‑engagement scores; board questions response‑rate gaps
Summary
District staff reported increases in family survey favorability: school climate up to 78% and low barriers to engagement at 89% (board target 95%). The board pressed staff on low response rates among Hispanic families (11% of respondents vs. 20% of student population) and asked for outreach improvements.
At the Nov. 18 work session, district leaders presented findings from the Panorama family survey and framed the results as part of Priority 3 (operational effectiveness) of the strategic plan.
Dr. Kimberly Burton said two measures — school climate and barriers to engagement — showed modest improvement since 2023. School climate favorability rose to 78% in 2025 (up from 75% in 2024) and the percentage reporting low or no barriers to engagement rose to 89% (up from 86%). The district noted the board’s target of 95% remains unmet.
Staff also reported raw response numbers: roughly 36,000 family responses, representing about 22% of families. Response‑rate disparities were raised repeatedly. Dr. Burton and staff noted that white families represented a larger share of survey respondents (about 45% of respondents) while Hispanic families accounted for approximately 11% of respondents despite making up about 20% of the student population. Staff said the survey is offered in multiple languages and the district plans more intentional outreach through community partners and professional learning for staff to improve participation from historically underrepresented groups.
Board members pressed for clarity on how survey questions were developed, whether Title I and non‑Title I schools received the same instrument and how engagement results align with academic outcomes. Staff said the survey is district‑wide (with three additional federally required questions for Title I schools) and that a community engagement strategy will be expanded in future deployments to increase representation from marginalized groups.
Several board members asked staff to provide the full set of survey questions and to explain how engagement measures connect to achievement metrics; staff offered to return with additional detail and to provide disaggregated response‑rate follow‑ups.
