Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District presents Youth Truth survey showing gains in belonging and safety; vendor cost may affect next-year participation
Summary
District staff presented Youth Truth survey results showing improved student-reported belonging, academic challenge and safety at elementary and middle-school levels; presenters said the vendor cost (about $15,000–$17,000 last year) may lead the district to consider an internal survey next year.
Mrs. Westright presented results from the district's Youth Truth (U-True) student survey, which the board heard was designed to capture student voice across grades and highlight trends in academic challenge, belonging and safety.
Westright said participation rates included nearly all elementary students in grades 4–5 (97%), about 90% of middle-school students and roughly 71% of high-school students. She reported percentile improvements: elementary students' sense of being challenged rose (from the mid-30s to roughly 60th percentile), middle school and high school figures also improved, and elementary safety measures rose from roughly the 30th percentile in 2022 to about the 70th percentile.
Westright linked those changes to district practices that emphasize student voice, noting that principals used the data for goal-setting and that the district's superintendent’s cabinet and student cabinet helped gather representative input. She also flagged areas needing work — for example, concerns about hallway safety and peer-to-peer respect — and said the survey includes open comments that staff use in listening sessions.
On cost, board members and staff said the district paid between $15,000 and $17,000 for the vendor last year. Westright said the district must decide by January whether to continue the Youth Truth vendor or develop an internal survey that would be more limited in comparative trend data.
No formal vote was required for the presentation; staff said they would bring cost and administration recommendations back to the board if the district cannot fund the vendor next year.
Westright concluded by thanking principals and the superintendent’s cabinet for using survey results to guide initiatives tied to the district strategic plan (academic excellence, belonging, stewardship and safety).
