Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Watertown committee refines student and parent engagement survey; adds empathy and respect items
Summary
Committee reviewed a draft student and parent engagement survey with six question additions aimed at aligning results to core district values, discussed grades covered (4–12), term definitions ("empathy"), and confirmed background items will be hidden from students.
Watertown Unified School District staff presented revisions to a draft student and parent engagement survey, adding questions intended to better align results with district core values and to capture student experiences of honesty, empathy, respect and perseverance.
Melissa (staff member) said the survey vendor, School Perceptions, incorporated six changes and the draft aligns with the district’s core values except for six questions that staff asked the vendor to revise. "Last year our vendor challenged us to align their questions with our core values," she said, and the hard copy distributed to the committee reflects those targeted edits.
Committee members asked for clarity about which students would receive which questions; staff confirmed the student instrument targets grades 4 through 12 and that some background questions (numbers 5–8 in the draft) are for administrator use and will not appear to students. Members also recommended a brief definition for terms such as "empathy" to ensure consistent interpretation.
On the item asking how much time students spend on social media, members debated limiting the question to specific platforms versus using broader language such as "digital technology," with one committee member urging the survey remain focused on social-media platforms because the intent is to measure bullying on social media.
Staff agreed to bring suggested wording adjustments back to the vendor (Derek at School Perceptions) and finalize the instrument for distribution.
