School Climate Survey

1. School Climate Survey Marlborough Elementary School 2018 - 2019

2. November 2018 Professional Development Marlborough Elementary School Vision  Every child will grow academically, socially, and emotionally in an environment that fosters a love of learning, is safe, and welcoming for all – children, staff, families and the community at large.  • Outcomes of Professional Development Day (all staff) November 2018 • Value every child in the building. • Put aside differences to do what is right for our children. • Every child in our building will grow academically, emotionally, and socially. • Our families love our children, as we do – they will be our partners.    • All Marlborough Elementary School curriculum will be implemented. • Formative assessment data is critical to our decision-making process for our children • Committees will be created / continued so decisions have a collective voice. All committees are, as always, open to all staff. Please respect decisions made by those that serve on these committees. • MES Way guides our expectations in instructing students. Expectations for children should be reflective of how we treat everyone. • 504 and IEP are the law: implementation with fidelity.  “If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”  ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

3. Student Survey: K – 2 • 141 Respondents • Demographic factor: Grade level of child • Kindergarten: 47 • 1st grade: 43 • 2nd grade: 51 • Demographic factor: Gender of Child • Female: 73 • Male: 67

4. Results: Grades K – 2

5. Results: Grades K – 2

6. Narrative: K – 2Strengths • Teachers and friends • Classrooms • Learning, playing and buying lunch • Recess • Hearing stories • Playground • School is fun • Computers and iPads

7. Narrative: K – 2Needs Improvement • More recess • More toys • Secret passage • Bigger bathrooms • Don’t want to learn letters • Don’t want to have buzzer on the doors • Wish people would never argue • Chairs are too small and should be purple • More friends

8. Student Survey: Grades 3– 6 • 265 respondents • 53 Third Graders • 63 Fourth Graders • 64 Fifth Graders • 80 Sixth Graders • Demographic factor: Gender of Child • Female: 126 • Male: 137

9. Results: Grades 3–6

10. Results: Grades 3– 6

11. Narrative: Grades 3 – 6 Strengths • Teachers • Friends • MES Way • That kids stand up for other kids • Kindness • Lunch and recess • Principal and Assistant Principal • Teachers challenge us • We are safe • I love that in this school you know that people care and think, ‘What can I do to make this better?’ • I like that the teachers know what to do in hundreds of situations that I feel like in some other schools they don’t know what to do. • All the teachers are nice at this amazing school, no teachers doubt the children even if the kids doubt themselves.

12. Narrative: Grades 3 – 6Needs Improvement • More books • Wish all kids could have friends • Everyone treated equally • Recess was longer and free food (snack for free) • Open seating at lunch • Less homework • Freedom in what is learned • Let everyone play on all playscapes

13. Narrative: Grades 3 – 6Safety Issues that Need to be Addressed • Concrete slab: someone could slip and hit their head • Fire drills in the cold • Buses are loud • More security cameras • ’I worry about things I see on the news and hear about what happens in schools (involving guns).’ • Recess because some people go to the nurse after • What to do if you are on the stairs in a fire drill • Be careful of who we let in the school

14. Staff Survey • 35 Respondents • 18 Classroom Teachers • 6 Instructional Assistants • 4 Certified Staff (not classroom teachers) • 1 Classified Staff (not instructional assistants) • Demographics: Grades taught • 2 Pre-K • 12 Primary Grades • 6 Upper Elementary Grades • Demographics: Experience • 1 - 3 years: 1 • 4 – 6 years: 0 • 7 – 10 years: 1 • 11 or more years: 16

15. Results: Staff

16. Results: Staff

17. Results: Staff

18. Results: Staff

19. Results: Staff

20. Narrative: StaffStrengths • Sense of family and community • Parent support • Talented teachers and dedicated para-educators • Staff is dedicated and caring • Intelligent students and supportive community • Family centered

21. Narrative: StaffNeeds Improvement • Communication • Understanding parameters and responsibilities of each other’s jobs • Discipline • Students held accountable for work completion • Accountability • Need more encouragement to know we are doing good things • Creation of survey with more precise questions to gather true data on our school

22. Parent Survey • 18 Respondents (142 last year) • Demographic factor: Grade level of Children • Pre-K: 4 • Kindergarten: 4 • Grade 1: 3 • Grade 2: 4 • Grade 3: 1 • Grade 4: 4 • Grade 5: 2 • Grade 6: 3 • Demographic factor: Relationship • Mother: 18 • Father: 0 • Guardian: 0 • Other: 0

23. Results: Parent Survey

24. Narrative: Parents Strengths • Supportive teachers • Caring environment • Academic standards are excellent • Genuinely cares about children • School promotes positive peer relationships • Communication • Administration is proactive

25. Narrative: ParentsNeeds Improvement • Preparation for RHAM • More frequent updates on child’s progress • Funding • Adding social skills back in the curriculum • Communication between teachers and parents • More compassion • Stronger academics

26. Narrative: ParentsSafety • What is school plan for active shooter and bomb threat situations? • Scary to be parent today – scary what happens with violence • Budget will start to impact safety • Better process for knowing where students are • More supervision on the playground

27. Professional DevelopmentAugust 26th • Restorative Practices Workshop • Presenter: Kris Wraight • Restorative Practices Handbook (second edition): Bob Costello, Joshua Wachtel, and Ted Wachtel (June 2019)

28. ‘Restorative’ meaning: • '… decisions are best made and conflicts are best resolved by those most directly involved in them. The restorative practice movement seeks to develop good relationships and restore a sense of community in an increasingly disconnected world.’ (p. 6) • ‘revise our thinking so that we see conflict in a school setting as an opportunity to foster learning and build better relationships.’ (p. 15)

29. Restorative Practices: classroom level • Affective Statements • Expressing feelings – positive or negative – most positive first step • Show that you believe in children even when they seem to be behaving inappropriately • Affective Questions • Focus on getting children to talk and identify solutions • Reflect on their actions and how they have impacted other people • Allow us to illicit what is being thought and felt by another • Examples of questions NOT to be used: Why did you do that? What were you thinking?

30. Restorative Practices: classroom level • Impromptu conversations • What is your part in what happened? • What is one thing each of you will do differently to make sure this doesn’t happen again? • Direct / specific sharing of positive actions • Circles • Proactive Circles: build connections • Responsive Circles: address conflict and harm • Restorative Conferences

31. Restorative Practices: Discipline • ‘to develop community and to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and relationships.’ • Addressing behavior must: • Identify impact of behavior • Repairing the harm • Concrete reparation • Symbolic reparation

32. Final Thoughts • Communication requires constant re-evaluation to monitor effectiveness • SEL (Social Emotional Learning): • Integral to building strong school culture • Restorative practices mediate feelings of being unworthy • Research of school safety best achieved through a combination of a set social emotional learning structure and physical/procedural safety plans • Creation of own survey with more MES specific questions