Several trustees encouraged incorporating student feedback in programming in addition to investigating disparities between employee and parent satisfaction at the Sept. 8 agenda review meeting.
"I wonder if there's a way to bridge the gap between what the campus staff sees and what the parents see,” Trustee Afshi Charania said. “What transparency means to parents and what transparency means to staff, because it can look differently.”
The gist
Chief of Organizational Development Stephanie Williams said the district utilizes the K12 Insight Survey for gauging school culture and climate among parents, staff and guardians, and the National Association of Independent Schools Student Engagement Survey for assessing student engagement in grades 3-12.
The online survey took place from April 28-May 12 with nearly 50,000 respondents including parents and guardians, district and campus staff and students, Williams said.
The last time the district conducted the climate and culture survey for parents, campus staff and district staff was in 2023, while the student engagement survey is conducted annually, she said.
Breaking it down
Both parents and staff were asked to rate the dimensions of campus culture as "good" or "excellent," per the presentation.
For parents, the highest-rated dimension was family involvement and academic support, while for staff it was academic and student support in addition to safety and behavior.
Williams said parents reported a 3% to 8% drop in satisfaction compared to 2023 across several school climate dimensions compared to previous years, citing concerns including:
- Lack of consistent communication regarding student progress
- Need for access to higher quality learning experiences
- Overcrowding and facilities
Meanwhile, employees showed a higher satisfaction in school climate across all categories compared to parents, with the highest disparity being a 17-point gap in safety and behavior trends, though Williams said both groups rose 3% in the category.
Additionally, FBISD matched or did better than the national averages in all areas of employee engagement, which Williams said shows staff feels positive about their jobs, workplace culture and connection to the district.
Williams said while satisfaction with compensation is still the lowest-rated area, it increased by 3-points since 2023.
Diving in deeper
Williams said elementary students showed higher overall engagement than secondary students, especially in cognitive engagement where they demonstrate strong ownership of their learning.
While secondary students maintained moderate engagement levels across all areas, they showed positive trends in motivation and future aspirations, including:
- 93% of students expressed aspirations to attend college
- 88% reported clear career goals
- 85% said at least one adult at school knows them well—most often a teacher
Moving forward
Williams said key priorities moving forward include:
- Activating families to support student learning
- Facilitating more meaningful peer relationships in classrooms
- Creating learning opportunities that promote critical thinking and real-life application
- Addressing parent concerns around discipline, facilities and communication
