Elk River Area School District — Transcript

Monday, August 3, 2026

School Perceptions Survey Results Analysis

Student Behavior and School Climate Improvement

Communication and Parental Engagement

District Administration and Board Perception

Staff Workload and Professional Development

Votes (1)

School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

No formal action taken (work session)

Darren from School Perceptions presented comprehensive results from student, staff, and parent surveys for the second consecutive year. The most significant finding was an unprecedented improvement in student behavior reported across all three groups, identified as a particularly difficult area to move. Student survey results showed no regression in any item, while staff surveys indicated growth in all five indexes. Parent survey data, however, reflected a decline in confidence in district leadership, attributed to recent facility planning and bond surveys. The presentation also covered communication strategies, staff workload challenges, and the potential for the district to share its behavior improvement success at state conventions like MSBA. Board discussion focused on interpreting data discrepancies, the impact of budget cuts on perception, and optimizing communication of positive outcomes to parents.

Notable Quotes (6)

the good news in your report is most of your data is incredibly stable. There's been some significant growth in an area that's the hardest to move the needle... the trend across all three reports is that all three groups, staff, student, parents are reporting the student behaviors getting better.

Darren/School Perceptions [0:01:54]
School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

this is the first time in my four years at the company I can say I'm giving a student report where not one single item redressed. Every measure by which we asked students how things are going either stayed the same or it improved.

Darren/School Perceptions [0:04:18]
School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

District administration doing what it takes makes our district successful regressed by 3.6%. District heading in the right direction uh regress by 5.3% and the school board is doing what it takes to make our district so successful regress by 6%.

Darren/School Perceptions [0:35:10]
School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

workloads on the minds of a lot of people because I don't know a district that I've worked with these past two years that isn't cutting positions and asking more of their folks.

Darren/School Perceptions [0:39:03]
School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

I do I do think that the the fact that you'll never make anybody happy as you're proposing a facility plan as large as you tested I can't help but stress you. I think that those first questions about board, district direction, district administration are tangled into the mindset of not everyone's going to love this plan.

Darren/School Perceptions [0:57:38]
School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

I think it's been very helpful for us to use this information to formulate goals that are meaningful. I think it's been good for the administration.

Mike [1:09:42]
School Perceptions Survey Results Presentation and Discussion

Ordinances & Resolutions (11)

Student ReportOther

Presentation of student survey results.

Staff ReportOther

Presentation of staff survey results.

Parent ReportOther

Presentation of parent survey results.

bond surveyOther

Prior survey conducted for strategic/referendum planning, impacting parent perception.

referendum planningPlan

District activities related to public referendums.

504 planPlan

Reference to a special services plan for students.

ELLL planPlan

Reference to a special services plan for English Language Learners.

Infinite CampusOther

Parent portal identified as a preferred communication method.

heat map modelOther

New data visualization method being implemented for survey results.

new spreadsheetsOther

Improved data tools for internal analysis of survey results.

Minnesota School Board Convention (MSBA)Other

Conference where the district is encouraged to present its behavior improvement success.

View Source
Elk River Area School District - Elk River Recorder