Supporting student well-being is critical, particularly as DC seeks to recover from the negative impacts of the pandemic. Students who feel supported emotionally and connected to their school communities are more likely to remain engaged and succeed academically.
That’s why, over the past year, Education Forward DC has been investing in measuring student well-being and assisting schools in building more positive school climates that support students and academic achievement.
The second round of that data—which included results from more than 30,000 students in 16 DC local educational agencies (LEAs)—was recently released in an analysis by Bellwether, Students Speak: A 2024 Snapshot of Youth Well-Being in the District of Columbia.
The survey found a significant decrease in DC students’ sense of belonging and valuing school in middle and high school compared to earlier grades, comparable to national trends. Native American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, EL, and Hispanic students responded less favorably than their peers on items related to self-efficacy and rigorous expectations—raising questions about how these perceptions may affect students’ performance if they do not feel confident that they can be successful and do not think their teacher believes in their potential.
The data collected through the initial Panorama survey helped school leaders identify the specific needs of their students. Four of those schools then piloted interventions to support student and staff mental health and well-being with support from Ed Forward DC in partnership with Transcend. The learnings from those pilots were published in a white paper this May, Supporting Student and Staff Well-Being: School Pilots in Action.
The value of these efforts has not gone unnoticed. Next year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education will administer the Panorama survey to all public schools in the District of Columbia. This will provide the city with its first complete picture of student well-being and provide schools with a critical tool for designing more impactful school and community supports.
Now Ed Forward DC is partnering with OSSE to provide “microgrants” for 19 public schools in the District of Columbia. These grants will allow schools to understand and respond to school culture and climate data from the 2024 Panorama survey, which measures students’ perceptions of school climate, teaching and learning, relationships, and belonging. Generous support from the Flamboyan Foundation helped make these investments possible.
“The School Climate Enhancement Microgrant enables schools to turn school climate survey insights into action,” said Interim State Superintendent Antoinette S. Mitchell, Ph.D. “OSSE is making strides to foster strong, supportive environments for every DC student, school staff member, and family. We are grateful for Ed Forward DC’s partnership in establishing these microgrants to support this vision.”
You can support work to build positive school climates by donating to Ed Forward DC today!
