Assessing student experiences of school in the Iowa City Community School District

This report details the major results from a student survey administered to all 6th, 8th, and 11th grade students in the District in February 2016. The survey was designed to assess student experiences of school across a number of areas including relationships with teachers, mentor relationships, support resources, negative experiences of school, social belonging, motivations to attend school, perceptions of discipline, inclusive classrooms, and the salience of race and gender for social identity and relationships. The findings from the student survey demonstrate areas of significant strength across the District schools, and areas for improvement to align with the District’s pursuit of creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all students. This report not only provides thorough data for the third Strategic Plan goal of annual student experience assessment, but also can be an invaluable resource to inform procedures for the Strategic Plan as a whole. More specifically, the report provides a wide-ranging baseline assessment of student experiences that can guide District stakeholder decisions regarding the action plans laid forth in the Comprehensive Equity Plan. The survey and report are the product of a university-community partnership between researchers at the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa and the Director of Equity and Staffing at the Iowa City Community School District.