School Culture & Climate Survey Results

In November 2021, the Hudson City School District issued a School Climate and Culture survey to staff, students and parents to gain a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions about the current school culture and climate.

Below is a summary of stakeholder perceptions and the District’s next steps (or download the results as presented to the Board of Education in April 2022).

Translated infographics:

• Spanish Español Climate and Culture Survey Results
• Bengali বাংলা Climate and Culture Survey Results
• Arabic عربي Climate and Culture Survey Results

Summary

There were four (4) main constructs, each with several sub-constructs:

School/Building Environment

• Positive Emotional Climate
• Building & Personal Safety
• Physical Environment

Most of the survey respondents agree that students feel safe and welcome at school, indicating overall positive perceptions of the school environment.

Survey respondents have mixed agreements on the physical environment at their or their child’s school. Staff and students are less likely than parents to agree that schools are clean and well-maintained. Since the survey was completed, there have been improvements in school cleanliness now that the Buildings & Grounds Department is back to full capacity.

Academic Environment

• Instructional Climate
• Student Attitudes Towards Learning
• Student Engagement
• Student Support Services
• Student Outcomes

Staff (in general) have a more positive perception of the academic environment.

The next steps to increasing student preparedness and motivation include exploring the concept of Individualized Learning Plans for all students (not just special education) as well as better explanations of Parent Portal and Google Classroom. The District is already diversifying course offerings for the upcoming school year. Junior high school students will have more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) opportunities such as Project Lead the Way (Grade 7) and Regents Earth Science (Grade 8). At the high school, the AVID elective will be added for Grade 10 and seniors will have opportunities to achieve the New York State Seal of Biliteracy and/or the Seal of Civic Readiness.

Social Environment

• Students’ Positive Relationships & Discipline
• Staff Members’ Positive Relationships
• General Bullying & Harassment
• Staff Experiences with Bullying & Harassment
• Student Experiences with Bullying & Harassment

Elementary perceptions of adult-student and student-student relationships are more positive compared to middle and high school respondents.

Most respondents see the schools as safe, however conflicting data about perceptions of theft and violence need to be examined further to understand what it really means.

Most respondents agree that students understand the rules, but fewer agree that rules are followed or fairly/consistently enforced. The District will increase conversations with students and staff to review school rules and expectations. PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) activities will be evaluated to ensure further reinforcement of behavioral expectations.

Bullying and harassment is more commonly reported in the middle and high schools than in the elementary school. In addition to the categories listed in the presentation, the detailed report includes Disabilities (21/11/12/14/42), Political beliefs (16/14/10/15/45), Sex (14/8/9/14/55), and Religion (13/9/12/14/52). In 2021, the District developed an online form to make it easier for people to report suspected bullying incidents and to help DASA coordinators track and address reported incidents districtwide. Additionally, the District adopted a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policy in April 2022, and is in the process of hiring a DEI Manager to support initiatives throughout the district.

Stakeholder Inclusiveness

• Community Engagement
• Parent Engagement
• School Leadership & Personnel
• District Leadership & Personnel

Perceptions of leadership and community/parental engagement are relatively low at both the school and district levels. However, most parents agree that schools and the District are responsive to questions and concerns. To address communication and engagement, the District is looking at new mass communication platforms that may promote two-way communication and engagement. Additionally, the District is aiming to increase community/parent engagement through the inaugural Hudson Saturday Academy on June 18, 2022, as well as inviting stakeholders to participate in the strategic planning process in August (more information forthcoming).

About half or less of respondents agree that the District attracts and retains high-quality teachers and staff from diverse backgrounds. This is a priority for the Human Resources department, which has been looking into ways to increase diversity among staff including attending conferences and sharing job postings with diversity and minority groups.

In terms of staff support, only about half of staff say that their school provides enough professional development (PD) opportunities. The District will take a closer look at the PD feedback and suggestions provided by staff in Google Forms, however there must be a balance between what staff want to do for PD versus what staff are required to do per mandates, regulations and policies. Additionally, staff will be reminded that they can participate in PD opportunities with outside organizations with support from the District.

Next Steps

• School-specific data will be closely examined with each building principal.
• Principals will review the survey results with their faculty.
• The full administrative team will use the survey results to inform the district- and school-level goals and action steps identified for the 2022-23 school year.