Scaling the "Personal Touch" for 7,000 Students: How Spring Lake Park Schools Automated Gratitude
Using Pulse Checks to bring the healthcare practice of "Rounding" to education.
the challenge
A large district (7,000 students) wanted to maintain the personal connection of “rounding” (checking in on everyone) but lacked the manpower to do it manually.
the solution
Using Possip Pulse Checks to digitize and scale the “Rounding” process for families.
the result
A culture of celebration where “Praise” data is systematically fed into thank you notes, newsletters, and Superintendent reports, boosting morale across the district.
the before
The Scaling Problem
The Challenge: Spring Lake Park Schools (Minneapolis-St. Paul) had a brilliant cultural practice called “Rounding”—inspired by hospitals where doctors check on every patient. They successfully did this for staff (visiting every employee to ask “What’s going well?”).
- The Gap: They wanted to extend this deep care to families, but with nearly 7,000 students, “rounding” on every parent manually was mathematically impossible.
- The Risk: Losing the personal touch as the district grew.
“With a student body nearing 7,000, extending this rounding to families would have seemed daunting.”
the solution
"Digital Rounding"
The Shift: Instead of hiring more staff to make calls, they used Possip’s Pulse Checks as their automated “Rounding” tool.
- We Ask: Routine text messages ask the same “rounding” questions: What’s going well? What do you need? Who should we thank?
- They Reply: Families share specific shout-outs and needs in seconds.
- You Act: The data isn’t just filed away; it fuels a “Praise Pipeline.”
The “Gratitude Engine”:
- Principals use Possip data to write handwritten thank you notes to staff.
- Shout-outs are copy-pasted into staff newsletters.
- Praise trends are elevated directly to the Superintendent.
the results
Visible Joy
The ROI: By operationalizing gratitude, Spring Lake Park turned feedback into fuel.
- Visual Culture: Walk into a school, and you see Possip “Praise Cards” pinned to walls and desks.
- Staff Retention: Teachers feel “seen” not just by their boss, but by the families they serve—a critical factor in preventing burnout.
- Closed Loops: For negative feedback, principals create specific action plans and reach out directly, turning “complaints” into “solutions.”
The Possip Pivot
Why this worked
- Old Way: “Teacher Appreciation Week” happens once a year.
- Possip Way: “Teacher Appreciation” happens every single week via text.
