By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT–School officials plan to cut back on annual climate surveys used to help them make schools more welcoming and inclusive.

At least for this school year, online surveys will be replaced with focus groups aimed at making sure students understand the questions being asked.

Climate and Culture surveys are only required by the state every other year. Westport has given them annually for some time. A drop in participation in the 2025-26 school year indicates survey fatigue may be settling in, the school board was told at a meeting last week

The survey given last spring garnered 3,661 responses from 3,031 students in grades 3-12, 419 staff members and 221 parents. Last year there were 790 surveys answered by parents or guardians, Assistant Superintendent Michael Rizzo told the board.

A contributing factor, it was suggested, was that the climate survey was given around the same time parents were asked to weigh in on screen time use.

Findings

Survey results continue to show schools are perceived as safe and welcoming places to learn among most respondents. Most say academic expectations are high and resources plentiful. Four out of five students say adults at their school care about them and 71 percent report having a trusted adult at school.

Some 52 percent of students say they enjoy school. That is up from 43 percent last year who answered affirmatively when asked if they “liked” school.

Some 67 percent of students say teachers give them helpful feedback on schoolwork and 60 percent say what they are learning connects to life outside the classroom. Like last year, however, teachers think they are giving helpful feedback and connecting lessons to life way more than students.

Assistant Superintendent Anna Mahon said although the gains were small, most sustained change takes time.

“Three to four years,” she said.

The responses, according to Board Vice Chair Dorie Hordon, suggest there is a little bit of work still to do.

Half of high school students said on the survey that there is too much pressure to do well in classes. Twelve percent say that there is too much peer pressure. Open ended questions raised concerns from students about bullying, fairness, stress and academic pressure.

Rizzo said principals at each school in the district use the survey to strengthen and modify programs. Work will continue this year to make sure there is consistency around student discipline and accountability.

More students are following school rules, according to students, but many continue to say not all rules are enforced fairly.

Hanvover Research, the group that develops the survey for the board, has been asked to develop similar questions that could be asked to students in focus groups. That way, follow up questions can clear any confusion about what student responses mean.

At the elementary school level, each principal described how they use the survey results for their buildings.

At Coleytown Elementary, Principal Safiya Key said a family math night has been developed and work is underway to make sure students make connections with more than their classroom teacher so that they might have more than one “trusted adult” in the building.

At Kings Highway, Principal Tracey Carbone said if she had to pick one thing she’s proudest of it is the school’s partnership with families. PTA meetings are used as opportunities for sharing how to help students at home. The school also uses more intentional language to link everyday interactions to school goals.

Long Lots has a series of mini electives offered to students in grades 4 and 5, according to Principal Kimberly Ambrosio. Students wanted a student newspaper. Now they have one, along with an extreme math club. The clubs meet only half an hour four times during the year but they tap into student interests, Ambrosio said. This year they will continue as will book clubs.

At Saugatuck Elementary School, Principal Elizabeth Messler said students, even from the early years, work on goal setting. There has also been a renewed focus on morning meetings and collaboration.

At Greens Farms School, Principal Brian Bryne said the school’s student leadership group works with the PTA on community projects. This year the focus will be on consistency and joyful learning.

“I appreciate that five schools do different things,” said Board Chair Lee Goldstein. She wondered if and when best practices are shared.

“We do share ideas,” said Ambrosio. Also shared are some of the books and materials used.

Board Member Andy Frankel said the difference in perceptions between students and teachers seems one of the big headlines to him. If teachers perceive they are doing a better job than students and parents think they are, they need to be made aware, Frankel said.

They are, he was told.

Sometimes, appreciation of what is being taught takes time, said Justin Jendrock, a Staples High School junior and student rep to the board. Things he learned in elementary school because he “just thought he had to,” seem more logical and useful now, he said.

“I might not have recognized it at the time,” Jendrock said.

At the two middle schools, the board was told work is being done to help 6-8 graders with executive function skills such as organization, planning and prioritizing and time management. Time is also dedicated to help students build stronger relationships with teachers.

At Staples, Principal Stafford Thomas said work on elevating student voices and building collaborations continue. He said the school’s bell-to-bell phone free initiative, started last November, has helped with how students interact with one another.  There are also fewer distractions during class.

Although students continue to say they are pressured by schoolwork and grades, Thomas said an effort is made to focus on learning and not rankings.

“The main thing is having something for everyone,” Thomas said. In addition to hundreds of clubs, some extracurricular activities are being planned just for freshmen and sophomores.

As for getting student feedback on academic progress in a timelier fashion, Thomas said an effort is being made to get assignments and grades back to students more quickly.

Linda Conner Lambeck

^{_{Linda Conner Lambeck covers education for Westport Journal. She was a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications. She has covered education throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. She is a proud member of the Education Writers Association.}}