Bayfield High School students have generally positive views of their school experience, according to a Student Perception Survey given in fall 2016.
Principal Leon Hanhardt presented survey results to the Bayfield school board on Jan. 24.
"I'm really excited," Hanhardt said. "The high school has shown growth in every category" since the 2013-14 school year.
Students respond to questions/ statements grouped under four categories: classroom community, classroom management, student learning, and student-centered environment.
Under classroom community, in the 2013-14 survey, 63 percent of kids said they feel welcome in class and do their best. It was 67 percent (school-wide average) in fall 2016.
Under classroom management, 75 percent of kids had a positive response in 2013-14. It was 81 percent in fall 2016 that the class provides a safe, respectful learning place.
Under student learning, that the teacher helps students learn in the best way possible, the positive response went from 66 percent up to 71 percent.
Under student-centered environment, a classroom where each student's background, strengths and interests are respected, it went from 81 percent up to 86 percent.
Hanhardt said the highest percent of positive responses were from juniors and seniors.
The highest scoring statement at 91 percent was, "My teacher respects me as an individual." Next highest were "My teacher respects my cultural background" and "My classroom is organized and I know where to find what I need."
In contrast, the lowest response at 40 percent was to the statement, "My teacher knows what my life is like outside of school." But last year it got 30 percent at BHS, he said.
Superintendent Troy Zabel said that statement had the lowest positive response at all three schools.
Hanhardt advised that Zabel and district consultant Becky Smith have talked to students, "and they don't want people at school to know what their life is like out of school."
Hanhardt summarized, "Do we have room to grow? Absolutely. But there's nothing up there that scares me. ... If you look at the summary, we're excited about these numbers."
Board member Carol Blatnick commented, "When kids feel good at school, they do better."
Asked if he sees anything that needs work, Hanhardt said student ownership of how they learn, "that students own their education while they are held accountable for it."
Students were surveyed in one of their classes. Teachers get the results. Administrators don't. "I have no idea what individual teachers' results are," Hanhardt said. "We use it as a feedback tool, not evaluation."
Teachers will take their own perception survey about their principals in the spring.
