Each spring, North Kingstown High School students are given the opportunity to provide the administration and faculty with feedback related to all areas of school, from social-emotional learning, to school climate, to rigorous learning expectations. Answering these questions honestly can help our school administrators make decisions that will ultimately improve the high school and district as a whole. 

For years now school districts across the state have participated in the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Surveyworks program. RIDE states surveyworks use “data to make decisions about everything from providing support for individual students to developing plans to turn around low-achieving schools to crafting laws and regulations that govern public education in our state.” The survey entails dozens of questions posed to students not limited to questions about their mental health situation, opinion on the rigor of the coursework of the school they attend, and whether they have a positive or negative view of the school climate. These results are compiled, then scored for favorability in each category, and ranked against the other schools in the district, state, and country. 

The 2020 Student Surveyworks Results feature NKHS ranking quite high in categories such as Risk/protective outcome, and school safety, with percent favorability as high as 74% on each category. Conversely, student responses seem to indicate the school struggles with categories such as School Belonging, Background Questions related to Individualized Learning Plans, and Student Engagement, with percent favorability as low as 21%. Results from 2020 can be compared to previous years. In 2020, NKHS saw its greatest increase in Student-Teacher relationships, up 4%. The greatest decrease was in social emotional learning, down 4% from the previous year. 

The student Surveyworks data often provide the administration specifically with a good idea of the school’s overall strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. Then again, it is their obligation to ensure those strengths continue, weaknesses are addressed and the opportunities are seized. In the times of COVID-19, the list of priorities has shuffled, with social-emotional health and well being shifted to the front of the list, while school spirit and events have taken a back burner, at least until the 2021-2022 school year. By participating in Surveyworks, you provide the administration with an indication of where you view our school stands, and what areas we need to focus on. If they’re truly dedicated to listening to student voices, they will propose changes that align with our collective feedback. 

NKHS 2020 Surveyworks Results can be found at https://secure.panoramaed.com/ride/understand/1303311/summary