Stafford, CT – July 22, 2024
Superintendent Steven A. Moccio said, during Monday’s Board of Education (BOE) meeting, the state has required districts to conduct a stakeholder survey every three years and has recently changed to require it every other year. Stafford, however, has been conducting the survey annually. He said it was needed for the professional evaluation and development plan. It is “tied into school goals, relating back to teacher goals.” However, with a new development plan, he says it will no longer be necessary every year. With that, the board turned its attention to this year’s results.
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Stafford’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Laura Norbut, told the board that there was a lot to commend in Stafford Public Schools, including students who feel a sense of belonging, a feeling of safety among staff, and more. On the flip side, Dr. Norbut pointed to an area where there is potential for improvement, which has been shown in previous surveys. Specifically, less than half of students reported that their peers respect differences in others. Conversely, over 90% of students think they are respectful of others. Clearly, there is a divide in opinions.
Another discrepancy in responses was between students and teachers. About 61% of students said teachers try new things to make learning interesting and engaging. Dr. Norbut said that secondary teachers spent much time trying new things this year and then surveying students afterward. Teachers reported getting very high marks from their students at the time, but those responses did not transfer to the stakeholder survey. Other concerns about student support services came down, largely to open positions that the district has had difficulty filling. Concerns over the evaluation model among staff also surfaced, but a plan is already in place to focus more on professional learning.
Moccio said that he thought the changes in staff evaluation would lead to teachers who are more willing to think outside of the box and try new things.
Despite near-weekly email reminders to staff to provide feedback, participation was relatively low. Newly appointed board member Chris Paradiso asked if there were any ideas to improve the response rate among staff. Moccio said that making time during staff meetings would help busy teachers find the time to fill out the survey. Hoffman said he would like to see the participation rate closer to 50% for caregivers.
BOE Chair Sara Kelley asked if the full district report would be shared with the board. Moccio said it could be.
