2018 Parent, Staff, and Student Survey Results: We Hear You!

We are committed to gathering the perspectives of parents, staff, and students to better understand our strengths and challenges as a district.

Last spring parents, students, and staff were invited to complete a survey to measure our progress as a District toward meeting school and District goals.  1,940 parents completed the District Survey – a 34% response rate. We combined the results of the Parent Survey with responses from 2,981 Students in grades 3 to 12 and 669 Staff to share highlights of the key findings:

Evidence of Progress Toward Meeting District Goals Shown for each goal as the average of percent favorable responses for Parents, Students, and Staff combined :

Goal 1 - Advance Learning for All Students: 85% favorable

·   Efficacy: How much students believe they can succeed (87%) / Parent perception on supporting their child’s learning (86%) / Staff perception on supporting students’ learning (96%)

·   School Engagement (student-only measure): How attentive and invested students feel about school (69%)

·   Homework furthering learning: Student perception (52%) / Parent perception (71%) / Staff perception (76%)

·   Involvement in decision-making about education: Student perception (71%) / Parent perception (88%) / Staff perception of encouraging parent involvement (93%)

·   Curriculum meeting needs: Student perception (86%) / Parent perception (91%) / Staff perception (92%)

·   High Academic Standards: Student perception (96%) / Parent perception (86%) / Staff perception (98%)

Goal 2 - Develop Social, Emotional, Wellness, and Citizenship Skills: 89% favorable

·   School Belonging: Students feeling like valued member of the school community (83%) / Parents reporting: “School matches my child’s development needs” (88%) / Staff feeling ready to address diversity in school community (95%)

·   School Climate: Perception of overall social and learning climate of school (Students 81%; Parents 92%; Staff 94%)

·   Social Awareness (student-only measure): How well students consider others’ perspectives and empathize (92%)

·   Feeling Safe: Student perception (93%) / Parent perception (95%) / Staff perception (94%)

·   Feeling Stressed: 39% of Students report feeling quite stressed or overwhelmed / 17% of Parents perceive their child feels quite stressed or overwhelmed by school / 35% of Staff perceive students feeling quite stressed and overwhelmed

                       

Goal 3 - Ensure Infrastructure Supports Learning Goals: 84% favorable

·   Adequacy of programs/services: Highest measures for Nursing (94%) and Media Center (95%), and lowest measures for Afterschool Programs and Food Services (85%)

·   Resources: Perception of adequacy of school’s resources including instructional, human, technology, facility (81%) with highest measure for “Ease of accessing extra support” (92%) and lowest measure for “Adequate number of staff/specialists to help students” (61% according to parents and 45% according to staff)

·   Effective Communication: Student perception (83%) / Parent perception (89%) / Staff Perception (87%)

·   Professional Learning: (staff-only measure) Perception of the amount and quality of professional growth and learning opportunities available to school staff (80%)

Representative open-ended comments from Parents, Students, and Staff:

Parents: “I think the teachers and administrators do a wonderful job of creating a positive learning environment for the students.” “I truly appreciate everything the district does to ensure a top-quality education for our children.” “Schools are underfunded and caseloads are way too high!” “Student-to-teacher ratios are such that we feel the teachers do not have enough time/energy to really get to know each student.” “Facilities could use some attention.” (701 parent comments)

Students: “Teachers are always there for me.” “I think this is a very strong school system and I think I am lucky to be in it.” “Homework can really make kids get stressed and overwhelmed if they have a lot.” “We need consistent heat and AC in every room.” “Get more assistant teachers to help some kids that need more help.” (1,411 student comments)

Staff: “Overall, NPS provides a positive, supportive teaching environment.” “I feel fortunate to work in a district that is dedicated to improving itself by soliciting feedback.” “Anxiety is significantly impacting students in my school more each year.” “Wish we had more support staff to help kids who struggle academically.” (54 staff comments)

Your voices have been heard, and we appreciate your feedback!  The survey allows our district to celebrate strengths and respond to goal areas needing attention. Over the next several months we will engage parents, staff, students, and our School Councils in analyzing the survey findings and incorporate the data, and appropriate action steps, into our school improvement plans.

To view the survey results, check out the District’s website: 2018 NPS Parent, Staff, and Student Survey Results

Update on Portrait of a Needham Graduate – A Shared Vision of the Future for our Students

In response to my blog last March, more than 200 Needham community members and staff expressed interest in the Portrait of a Needham Graduate process, and 53 have participated in workshops and represented their stakeholder groups: students, educators, parents, business and civic leaders, and higher education. We have met for three full-day workshops and have grounded our work in research and data on future trends in education and changes/challenges in society that we must prepare our children to address. The presentations, articles, and videos previewed by the Portrait participants are available to the entire community at https://goo.gl/KsfeJk.

The speakers and panelists at the Portrait sessions have been thought provoking and our small group discussions helped shape the vision for the future of education in our community. Perspectives of local leaders from business and higher education influenced our understanding of how to prepare students for jobs and life-long learning. Although the conventional wisdom about 21^st century skills holds that students must master STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering, math – because that’s where the jobs are, according to our research, the top characteristics of success are soft skills, like communicating and listening well, having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues, being a good critical thinker and problem solver. STEAM skills—in Needham we also include an “A” for the Arts—are vital to the world we live in today, but these skills alone are not enough. Broad learning skills are what some large companies seek when they hire new employees and what some higher education institutions care more about than grades or results on standardized tests. Furthermore, in a fast-changing workplace, the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills is critically needed. At the very least, learning how to learn just may be one of the puzzle pieces for navigating an uncertain future.

After discussing, debating, and articulating our vision for students at all grade levels as we propel them towards graduation, the 53 members of the Portrait committee drafted a framework for the broader community’s consideration. A graphic facilitator from a local firm, Collective Next, assisted in synthesizing the attributes, skills, and knowledge we believe Needham’s young people need, now and as far into the future as we can see. I invite you to review the draft list of competencies at https://goo.gl/4pNaUc and to provide us with your feedback on the overall Portrait process by completing a short survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/Needham-Portrait.

Using multi-pronged approaches, the Portrait committee is communicating with as many stakeholders as possible throughout the month of October and into early November. Community forums are being held; presentations are being made at various organizations’ meetings; the Needham Education Association is involved; and discussions are scheduled in each school. The intent is for members of the Portrait committee to be ambassadors for this effort by presenting information and soliciting feedback so that everyone’s voice can be heard.

The last of four sessions with the Portrait committee will take place on November 16^th. Informed by feedback from the broad community, the 53-member committee will be poised to consider strategic priorities with the Portrait in mind. We will look at instructional practices and professional learning that integrates the attributes, skills, and knowledge made explicit by the Portrait. The committee will generate suggestions for actions to help us make progress in a new direction.

Developing a Portrait of a Needham Graduate has been inspirational and the impact at the school, department, and classroom level will be considered before this framework is finalized. At a regularly scheduled School Committee meeting in the spring, the members will be asked for their approval of the Portrait and the critically important work ahead of helping us prepare ALL students for the challenges and opportunities that await them.

I welcome and invite your feedback and support!

Back to School: It's All About Equity

The following is excerpted from my remarks to the staff at our annual "back to school" meeting held on August 29th.

I’m so proud to work with you in the coming year as we create the conditions needed to engage Needham’s young people.

As you think about the new year ahead, as you prepare for your students, I’ll ask that you frame your thinking and your planning around one critically important concept that, as your superintendent, I expect we will prioritize:  Equity.  It’s time we make a coordinated and thoughtful plan to address equity in the Needham Schools.  It’s time we move the needle on performance for those students who have historically not achieved at levels commensurate with many of their peers.  It’s time to ensure our instruction is engaging and our schools safe for each child and free of bias, bullying, and hurtful acts that demean and diminish.

As you instruct your students throughout the year, work with colleagues, and collaborate with families and caregivers, consider how your efforts, actions, programs, and conversations can be based on a foundation of equity.

Now to avoid any confusion about what I mean by equity in our schools, allow me to share my definition of equity. I considered several sources, including dictionaries, language and educational texts, and civil rights organizations.  I’ve reviewed the Equity Audit we commissioned last year and its implication for our students and families. I’ve listened to teachers, parents, and students, and I’ve arrived at this, admittedly, imperfect definition:

Equity:  Fair and just access, inclusion, and participation; the practice of nurturing a learning environment in which all children are empowered to grow, create, and achieve; freedom from bias and discrimination; an understanding that each child possesses personal gifts and attributes and brings these to the classroom which strengthen learning for all; a process by which we promote justice, engender respect, and inspire hope.

Let’s consider this a working definition, a starting point for our work. I’ll ask that you use this definition as a basis for the development of curriculum and assessments, the design of learning activities, the purchase of books and materials, hiring staff, the facilitation of meetings, and just generally going about the business of school.  Keep this definition in the forefront, take action based on its intent and meaning, and be part of the change that is so urgently needed.

So my charge to you is this:  Take small steps and learn from mistakes to ensure an innovative and high quality educational program for all the children we serve.  Take small steps and learn from mistakes to ensure equity and to assist all children—gay/straight, brown/white, English speakers and English learners, abled and differently abled, Muslim, Jew, Christian, or non-believers—to assist all kids to develop the skills, mindset, imagination, and courage to tackle the challenges and envision the opportunities ahead.

Let’s do this work with honor, humility and a profound sense of hope and joy in all of our young people whose learning we support today and whose leadership we will depend on tomorrow.

Caution! School Construction Zone in Needham!

This has been a busy summer for school renovation and construction projects in Needham! 

The Mitchell Elementary School is getting a new playground, the Broadmeadow Elementary School is having new flooring installed, and a bathroom renovation project at Pollard Middle School means new plumbing, fixtures, walls, and handicapped accessibility. We have also just kicked off the design process for new modular classrooms at Mitchell to accommodate Full Day Kindergarten anticipated in the fall of 2019. 

The biggest projects, however, involve the Needham High School expansion and renovation project and the construction of the Sunita L. Williams Elementary School. Here is a quick update of progress to date: 

 •  The Sunita L. Williams Elementary School is on target to be opened next summer for the 2019-20 school year. Construction is well underway with exteriors being built and interior classrooms roughed out with walls, conduit, fire suppression systems, and HVAC components. The play areas in the back, including the trails, are also being prepared. A quick tour of the building allows one to see how the large classrooms will provide ample space for teaching and learning, and the unique media center design and large gym and cafe spaces are quickly taking shape. An amazing and student-centered design by Dore and Whittier Architects and an on schedule superbly managed construction project by Bacon Construction, Inc. means the school will serve generations of Needham's young people. For additional information about the project, please check out the district's website: Sunita L. Williams School Planning

Sunita L. Williams Classrooms and Cafe spaces

Sunita L. Williams Gym under construction

Sunita L. Williams School going up on Central Avenue!

•  The Needham High School Renovation and Expansion project is well underway but will not be completely ready as originally planned for the start of classes in September.  The $12 million project has been ambitious from the very beginning, and the design/construction team of Dore and Whittier and Consigli Construction have been working exceptionally hard since ground was broken in the early spring to have everything in place for the start of classes.  Unfortunately, the new ten classroom expansion and some of the interior work and renovations hit unexpected snags that will delay the project by a few weeks.  For example, while the interior renovations will be mostly complete and ready for students, the expansion will require finishing work. The gym will still require additional work and will be unavailable for a few weeks. The high school staff will assign students to temporary spaces until the expansion is ready a few weeks after school opens, and then the project will be complete and provide ample space for the growing student population at NHS.  While the project continues, the traffic pattern in and around the high school campus will remain as it was in the spring.  Principal Aaron Sicotte will send out updates to the high school community as they become available.

NHS Gym Renovation:  New bleachers, floors and ceiling

NHS Classroom Expansion on Webster St.

Yes, there is a lot of work ahead, but we are thrilled with the new and improved spaces and appreciate the generosity of the Needham community for supporting its students and schools!

It's Been a Busy and Successful 2017-18 School Year!

The 2017-18 school year concluded successfully in the Needham Schools, and at its last meeting of the academic year the School Committee celebrated the many accomplishments of students, staff, and the community, including the following highlights:

•  Equity audit completed and broadly shared with community; Race, Equity, Access, and Leadership (RACE) Coalition developed to address areas of opportunity and challenge

•  Implementation of new writing units of study across the elementary level; Review of elementary ELA, math, and science curricula to ensure alignment with MA Curriculum Frameworks and new science standards

•  Increased and consistent use of data and data teams in common planning times across all grade levels; Development and communication of new District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) across all levels

•  Technology Strategic Plan data show positive trends in the use of 1 to 1 devices to improve teaching and learning at all levels.

•  Implementation of teacher leadership teams at each elementary school; Personalized professional development and learning implemented

•  Aligned elementary report cards to District's Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework and structure

•  Shared 2016 MetroWest Health Survey data and began addressing areas of concern; Administered 2018 District Survey to Students, Parents, and Staff (Results will be shared in fall of 2018)

•  Broke ground on the new Sunita L. Williams Elementary School and the NHS classroom expansion project

•  Initiated planning and program development for 2019-20 Full Day Kindergarten 

•  District website upgraded; school security measures and safety planning increased

• Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Sportsmanship Award in Golf, Unified Track, and Girls Rugby; First Division I State Championship Title for NHS Baseball Team   

It has been a busy and productive year, and we look forward to the opportunity to recharge our batteries over the summer, even as we begin planning for the 2018-19 school year.  For additional information about the district goals and a presentation to the School Committee, check out our website:  2017-18 District Goals Update