Top 10 Feedback Trends from Possip Families in March

Amanda Richards, Possip’s Reporting Team Lead, analyzed data from our Pulse Checks! The results were able to provide you with the top 10 feedback trends from Possip families from our parent survey!

We wanted to share some trends we are seeing so far in the month of March. Possip has heard from over 14,750 unique family members through Possip Pulse Checks parent survey so far this month! As an average for the year, 69% of families stated they were happy with their school.

Top 10 Trends

What is top of mind for families this month?

1️⃣ Covid Safety Measures

2️⃣ Increased Teacher Communication

3️⃣ Carline Logistics

4️⃣ Curriculum Feedback

5️⃣ Academic Support

6️⃣ Bullying

7️⃣ Student Safety and Fighting

8️⃣ Student Discipline

9️⃣ Extracurricular Activities

🔟 Cafeteria Feedback

Top 10 Trends Breakdown

#1: COVID safety measures

There were opinions, questions, and feedback about current safety procedures and what will change in the future. The largest trend surrounded mask mandates–some wanted to keep the mask mandates and some wanted to drop the mask mandates. There were also questions about the current testing and vaccination protocols because families wanted more clarity. Read this blog on how schools can build confidence in COVID safety measures in their schools!

#2: Increased teacher communication

We heard families share a desire for more communication, weekly updates around curriculum and school events, and consistency in communication. In addition, a repeated trend from families was that they were not getting responses from teachers to their messages or calls. Read tips on how to improve teacher-parent communications here!

#3: Carline logistics

Better carline management from staff members, more control of the flow of traffic, and unsafe driving were all discussed from families. We also heard of ideas to improve the efficiency of carline, adding crossing guards to carline, increase the staffing at carline, and ensuring bus drivers don’t move into the carline. Here is a service we have seen schools start using to help with carline logistics!

#4: Curriculum feedback

We heard families ask for more creativity and real world applications to the curriculum, along with more specials class options, and less emphasis on testing. We also heard a trend around families wanting to hear more about how topics are taught, the speed at which the curriculum moves, and the specific methods teachers are using during class.

#5: Academic support

There were request for more after school tutoring options, extra extension and remediation work to do at home, and information on what families can do to support students academically at home. Families also asked questions about information on where students can go on campus if they are struggling and want more support, along with questions about what they should be doing if their student is failing a class.

#6: Bullying

Families were sharing both specific and general concerns about students being bullied on campuses. In addition to concerns, we heard families want proactive cultural changes to decrease bullying and more discipline to decrease bullying. Check out some ways schools and parents can partner to prevent bullying here!

#7: Student safety and fighting

Families are seeing an increase in violent and unsafe behaviors on campus, such as fighting, vape use, and the presence of drugs. We heard families requesting more campus security, an increase in adult supervision around campus, and more information regarding the consequences of fighting and unsafe behaviors.

#8: Student Discipline

Families shared feedback about stopping collective whole-class consequences, wanting higher standards for student behavior in class, and how student behavior is negatively impacting their child’s academic experience. We also heard questions about the current processes and behavior systems that schools have to support student behaviors.

#9: Extracurricular activities

Families want more clubs, sports, and extracurricular opportunities available for their students. We heard questions about school funding towards clubs and the extracurricular opportunities available for students next year.

#10: Cafeteria feedback

There was feedback about having better quality food being served to students, enough food for all lunch periods, and keeping the food warm. Families also wanted to be able to see the correct lunch menus posted and for families to be able to come to campus and have lunch with students.

To finish, we wanted to highlight two topics that didn’t make the Top 10, but were particularly interesting parent survey trends:

#1. Family Engagement

Comments and feedback about increasing family engagement were made frequently. Parents and family members want to be able to come back on campus, attend family events with the school community, and have more opportunities to volunteer. We also heard families wanting to create a PTO/PTA for schools that don’t currently have one. Overall, families want to feel more connected to the school and increase engagement.

#2. Homework assignments

Families commented on the amount of homework (some wanted less and some wanted more), questions about how homework aligns with curriculum, and a better understanding of how credit is given for homework.

What else are we reading?

If you have questions about these parent survey trends, how to resolve them in your school, or have feedback on our trends blog, please reach out to amanda@possip.com!