The voices of over 600 respondents in the Vista Ridge feeder schools outlined three priorities for enhancing Student Experience: support teachers, ensure security and improve social-emotional learning for students, as part of the Thoughtexchange survey for Student Experience, which started on Feb. 3 with a community meeting and ended Feb. 17.ย 

โ€œBe accessible for every student,โ€ wrote one respondent of a top-rated thought. โ€œFocus on the whole child, not just academics.โ€

Review the entire report, including all of the submissions here. We will release the final report in June, which will also include submissions from the entire district. 

โ€œWe want to thank our Rangers and future Ranger families for providing feedback in our community meetings and on Thoughtexchange,โ€ Superintendent Bruce Gearing, Ed.D. said. โ€œWe are here to listen as we continue this conversation because we know the voices of our students, teachers, staff, families, and partners can only make us better.โ€ 

After the submission window closed, we worked with Thoughtexchange data experts to categorize or theme all of the submissions. In looking at the themes, we can review the data based on total submissions and how respondents rated those thoughts. 

While these themes may be adjusted as we hear from other communities for comparison purposes, you can review the methodology in the following table:

RatingThoughtsThemesDescription (ideas and concepts included in the theme)
18TeachersEnsuring we support high-quality teachers and staff for student learning through resources, professional development, and leadership.  
25Safety Relating to the safety and security of the school facilities.
31Social or Emotional Learning
Supporting students through social-emotional skills, relationships, with a ‘whole child’ approach, and/or through an inclusive and bully-free learning environment.
413CommunicationPrioritizing regular updates and communication from staff to parents.
56Post-Graduation PrepPreparing students for post-graduate life, including college prep, trade schools, and social and soft skills for a changing world. 
612Classroom or School Size
Focusing on class size or student-teacher ratios.
73Individualized LearningOffering diverse learning opportunities and instruction that account for individual student needs and capacities.
84Grades or Class RankRelating to homework, testing, and teaching to a test.
92New or Improved ProgramsImproving current course offerings or new programs to introduce, including a more robust foreign language program,  critical thinking courses, and financial literacy.
109ResourcesInvesting in resources and facilities, including technology and textbooks.
1114MiscellaneousIncluded general thoughts about providing quality education.
1211Clubs, Sports, or Activities
Offering more variety of clubs and other ways to help students be engaged.
137Planning or PolicyRelating to issues of feeder schools, zoning, bussing and other district-level planning.
1410Schedule or CalendarIncluding a variety of topics related to scheduling and the school calendar.