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District data show high overall belonging but notable gaps for non‑binary and some student groups
Summary
Northshore School District presenters said Panorama survey results show generally high, stable belonging and happiness across grades but detectable disparities for students identifying as non‑binary and by program group; staff emphasized access to adults as a protective factor and noted suppressed low‑income data for privacy reasons.
Northshore School District staff presented Panorama survey results indicating that most students report high levels of belonging and happiness, but that those averages decline slightly with grade and show measurable gaps for some groups.
Dr. Craig Foster, director of research and evaluation, said Panorama (administered twice yearly) yields the majority of the district's social‑emotional data and that overall belonging is “really stable over time,” with the highest means in early elementary and gradual decreases through high school. He highlighted that students identifying as non‑binary report substantially lower belonging scores than their peers and that special education and highly capable groups differ in predictable ways, with highly capable students reporting higher belonging and happiness on average.
Board members asked whether small differences are meaningful. Dr. Foster recommended comparing mean differences to standard deviations and said a tenth of a standard deviation is a small effect while around a third would be more notable.
When asked why the report does not show low‑income (free and reduced‑price meal) breakdowns, staff said those data are suppressed in the Panorama dataset for privacy and regulatory reasons at the national level and therefore cannot be shared in those reports.
District presenters described classroom and school practices intended to bolster belonging and adult support: elementary curricula (Second Step), Kelso’s Choice conflict resolution, PBIS frameworks, Zones of Regulation, lunch‑time social groups, and secondary advisory and check‑in/check‑out systems. A presenter summarized the access question as, “Do you have a teacher or other adult from school who you can count on to help you no matter what?” and said year‑to‑year results show strong levels of perceived adult support.
Board members and staff agreed that while having trusted adults at school is protective, broader community influences — including national messaging and targeted harassment of LGBTQ students — affect students’ off‑campus experiences and therefore their school well‑being. The presentation closed with offers to refine future reporting (for example, separating middle and high school reporting) while noting the tradeoffs in slide and table complexity.
The district did not propose formal board action at the study session; presenters recommended continuing targeted tiered supports and further data refinement.
