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Watchdog and trustees press district for details on student survey, privacy and Hanover Research contract
Summary
A community watchdog and trustees asked for more information on a Hanover Research student-survey contract, including who is surveyed, question examples, data storage, opt-out mechanisms and corrected funding source; staff said students may opt out and results inform LCAP and school dashboards.
A community watchdog speaker and several trustees asked the board for greater transparency about a proposed contract with Hanover Research to administer surveys and analyze school data.
Mary Davis said the item appeared on the consent calendar without an attachment and urged caution when the district contracts for "data, privacy, surveying students." She asked who would be surveyed (students, parents or staff), whether students could opt out, what questions would be asked, where the data would be archived and whether district data would be shared beyond the district.
"Anytime you talk about data, privacy, surveying students, that should be a red flag," Davis said and asked for sample surveys and a presentation to the board and public.
Superintendent Eduardo Reyes and district staff explained the contract covers an annual survey historically used by the district to gather student experience data; staff said the survey goes to students (with opt-out available), parents and staff depending on the instrument. Staff said the district is using only the end-of-year student survey component for now and that the three-year contract cost cited in the agenda is $58,000 but that the district reduced the scope to the end-of-year survey component.
Staff said survey results are deidentified and used to inform the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and site planning; each school receives a school dashboard and staff said parents may review questions in advance and can opt out on their student's behalf.
Trustees requested a presentation with sample questions and screenshots of the dashboard and asked that staff confirm the funding source (staff corrected the agenda to show payment from the unrestricted general fund rather than EOP). The board approved the consent item after the staff clarifications and asked for a future presentation to show the survey instrument and how data are used.
