By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT – The school board signed off on a couple of student surveys last week, including one that one board member described as “really heavy” and “very negative.”

“There is not one positive question in these surveys,” said Board Vice Chair Dorie Hordon of Student Needs Assessment that will be given in October to middle and high school students.

  “It is very heavy,” agreed Michael Rizzo, the district’s assistant superintendent for pupil personnel services. That, he added, is the point.

Unlike district climate surveys that ask what students like about school, the assessment is used by counselors in the district to broach topics that students may not share otherwise.

Surveys split by age

Students in grades 6 through 8 are asked if they would like to talk to someone about fitting in, problems at home or in school, bullying concerns, drug and alcohol use, feeling sad or depressed, dealing with anger, identity, sexual orientation, wanting to hurt themselves and any other issues.

The high school survey, given in grades 9 and 10, asks similar questions as well as concerns students may have about stress, time management and post-high school planning.

Rizzo said both surveys are consistent with what has been administered in past years and is a good way for counselors to learn what is on students’ minds.

Although confidential, the surveys are not anonymous. Students need to give their names on the survey so counselors know who said what.

Parents?

How much of the information is shared with parents, Hordon asked.

None, said Rizzo.

“We want students to share information they might not want to share with their parents,” said Rizzo. “We need to get information so we can help.”

Exceptions are drawn, Rizzo added, when it comes to issues related to self-harm.

 In those cases, he said, parents are notified.

Surveys “looking for” problems

Hordon, who eventually would be part of a 6-0 vote in favor of administering the surveys, said she is not a fan of them.

“They are almost looking for problems,” she said. “I find them almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. It could not even be on a student’s mind to have any of these feelings and they take these surveys and decide ‘Maybe I feel that way.’”

 Board Chair Lee Goldstein disagreed.

“You don’t put the idea of self-harm or suicide in someone’s head,” Goldstein said.

Asking kids if they are anxious, won’t make them anxious, she added.

Sexual orientation and identity

As for questions about sexual orientation and identity, Hordon said if her child had any of those concerns, she would hope the school would share them with her.

“I understand all parents hope their kids would talk to them,” Goldstein said. “If my kid is struggling, I would thank God they would tell (someone at the school who could intervene).”

Options

A letter will be sent to parents informing them of the survey, allowing them to opt out their children from taking it.

Parents can also have their students take the survey with pencil and paper instead of online.

Goldstein said she wished more parents would take advantage of the pencil and paper option based on the sensitive nature of the questions asked.

New student representative

Anwara Olasewere, a Staples junior and new student representative to the board, asked if there is a way students can get clarification on the survey questions if they need it and tell counselors about concerns not addressed.

Rizzo said there is a question on the middle school survey that asks if there is anything else students want to talk about that is not listed.

Students, the board was told, can also skip any question they don’t want to answer.

State AI survey also approved

The board also gave unanimous approval to administering a survey to students at Staples High School and Bedford Middle School who participated last spring in a state Artificial Intelligence pilot program.

The 15-minute survey will ask participants about their experience using the tool, how it was used and how helpful it was to complete assignments.

Last month, district officials told the board the survey was more for the state than the district.

Anna Mahon, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, told the board that the district has received assurance from the state that no individual data will be identifiable and that the AI firms the participating districts worked with will get no more data than is made public.

A letter will also be sent to parents about this survey. They will have the ability to opt out and to complete answers with pencil and paper. That survey is planned for the week of September 22.