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Students, counselors say Long Beach Unified exceeded belonging response target; panel details mentoring and cultural events
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Summary
District staff told the board the belonging measure had roughly 44,224 responses and an 83% favorable rating (above an 80% target). A student panel described mentoring, culturally focused events and student-led prototyping to increase belonging for multilingual and distant students.
Long Beach Unified trustees heard staff and a student panel Thursday evening about how the district is measuring and acting on students' sense of belonging.
District staff reported that about 44,224 students completed the post-survey and that the district saw an approximately 83% favorable response on the belonging measure, surpassing the district's 80% target. The session was presented as part of monitoring for Protection 3B, guidance intended to ensure curriculum and programming prioritize racial equity.
Kate Kumat, the district's lead counselor for elementary schools, told the board that counselors and site teams use the Harmony social-emotional learning curriculum and Panorama survey data to identify students who need additional support. "Los consejeros todos han sido capacitados," she said, describing weekly counselor meetings with social workers, nurses and psychologists to follow up on student responses.
Staff described survey-driven interventions at the school level: counselors and leadership teams review post-survey responses, identify students flagged as needing help, and route them to individualized supports. Presenters emphasized using qualitative empathy interviews and focus groups alongside the survey to understand barriers to participation, such as long bus rides for students living far from campus.
Student leaders who serve on RSVP/RSBP, the district's student voice and participation program, told the board how they co-design solutions with adults. Jonathan Berwell, a 12th-grade RSVP member, said service and connection matter to students: "Me encanta asistir el festival de películas camboyano... Me gusta hacerlo," he said, describing community-engaged activities that helped him find belonging.
Other students recounted prototyped strategies: peer mentoring linking upper-grade students with newcomers, culturally specific events scheduled at more accessible times, and small-group activities that help students form new relationships. One student said the program assigns 30 ambassadors per high school to work with staff from idea to implementation.
Students emphasized language and cultural supports. Isaac Rodredguez, a 10th grader, noted being bilingual made outreach to Spanish-speaking peers important; one student described offering translation at school meetings and recalled a classmate who told them, in Spanish, "gracias... por mirarme," underscoring the impact of being heard.
Board members and staff noted that practices vary by site and that making resources more accessible'for example, consolidating guidance into single bulletins for teachers'would help with implementation. Staff also pointed to Harmony (a district SEL curriculum adopted in 2023) and Panorama (the survey platform) as tools used districtwide.
The special session paused so trustees could take photos with the student presenters; the board then prepared to resume the regular meeting.
What's next: staff said they will continue to use survey results alongside focus groups and empathy interviews to refine interventions and expand student-led prototypes to more sites.
