Research and Evaluation Reports

The Office of Accountability engages in research and evaluation projects to support the improvement of the District’s educational and support programs. The evidence collected through these projects is used to advise district leaders on increasing the effectiveness of programs to improve the educational and social well-being of students. Reports that describe the findings of these efforts are listed by subject area. 

COVID-19 Surveys

WCSD administered several surveys from May to December 2020 to gather student, staff, and family feedback about COVID-19 school closures and re-opening plans.  The surveys provided the WCSD Board of Trustees, Superintendent, schools, and leadership with important information about how our families, students and staff felt about Distance Learning and reopening our schools during this pandemic. The results of these surveys are listed below.

• Distance Learning Survey (administered May-June 2020).  The purpose of this survey was to gather information from our students, staff, and families about their experiences with Distance Learning in the Spring of the 2019-20 school year.  To view the Distance Learning Surveys results, please click here.
• Reopening Survey (administered June - July 2020).  The purpose of this survey was to gather important feedback about how students, staff and families felt about reopening our schools in the Fall of the 2020-21 school year. To view the Reopening Survey results, please click here
• Returning Options Survey (administered July - Aug 2020).  This purpose of this survey was to gather information from our families which learning option (distance learning or in-person/hybrid) were for the 2020-21school year. To view the Returning Options Survey Results, please click here.
• Staff Check-in on First Six Weeks Survey (administered September – October 2020). The purpose of this survey was to gather feedback from school staff about lessons learned from reopening, practices that are working well at schools, and areas of challenge staff may be facing. To view the First Six Weeks Survey Results, please click here.
• Family Reopening Survey for First Semester (administered November – December 2020). The purpose of this survey was to gather feedback from families about their children's first semester of learning, including practices that are working well at schools, and areas of challenge families may be facing. To view the Family Reopening Survey for First Semester Results, please click here, or here for specific question results.
• Relationship between Family, Staff, and Student Feedback on Learning during COVID-19 (February 2021). This presentation describes common themes across family surveys, staff surveys, and student town hall meeting from the 2020-21 school year. To view the Academic Momentum presentation, please click here.

COVID-19 Student-Led Virtual Town Halls

WCSD hosted three virtual, student-led town halls in collaboration with the Student Advisory Council, Departments of Equity and Diversity, Counseling, and MTSS/Social and Emotional Learning on three topics: Distance Learning, Equity and Inclusion, and Mental Health and Social and Emotional Well-Being. Students facilitated all conversations with the more than 350 students in attendance. Analyses of the Zoom chatbox, videos, and follow-up surveys resulted in these three briefs summarizing the "Top 5 Things We Learned from Students:"

• Distance Learning Town Hall (November 2020).  The purpose of this town hall was to gather feedback from students about distance learning, including challenges they faced with technology, socializing, and academic progress, as well as teaching practices that supported learning. For a summary of the "Top 5 Things We Learned from Students," please click here.
• Equity and Inclusion Town Hall (December 2020). The purpose of this town hall, in collaboration with the Equity and Diversity Department, WCSD Students for Change, and Diversify our Narrative, was to learn about students' perspectives on the cultural competency of our schools, including whether they believe our curriculum to be inclusive, and their ideas for making all schools more welcoming for students. For a summary of the "Top 5 Things We Learned from Students", please click here.
• Social and Emotional Well-Being and Mental Health (January 2021). The purpose of this town hall, in collaboration with the Counseling and MTSS/Social and Emotional Learning Departments was to learn more about the social and emotional well-being of our students during COVID-19, including strategies they used to maintain their own social and emotional health, and ideas for making schools more supportive of students' social and emotional growth. For a summary of the "Top 5 Things We Learned from Students," please click here.
• Evaluation of Town Hall Series (March 2021). This report and powerpoint present the results of evaluations surveys administered to participants of the Student-Led Town Hall series, including lessons we learned through the process and recommendations for future town halls.

Calendar Surveys

• 2018-19 WCSD Calendar Survey: Summary Findings  – July 2018
• 2016-17 WCSD Calendar Survey: October Intersession - January 2015

 Absenteeism

• WCSD Student Attendance Review Board Focus Groups – June 2017
  
  
• 2016-17 Description of Chronic Absenteeism – October 2017 (PPT)
  
  
• Attendance Messaging Project Overview – September 2018 (PPT)
  
  
• Dispelling Myths about Attendance in Early Grades – September 2018 (PPT)

 Special Education

• Student Support Services Town Hall Summary – February 2016
  
  
• Description of the Washoe County School District’s Special Education Services and Students with Disabilities – November 2016
  
  
• Special and General Educators' Perceptions of Practices Pertaining to Special Education Services in the Washoe County School – April 2017
  
  
• Presentation on Special and General Educators’ Perceptions of Practices Pertaining to Special Education Services in the WCSD – August 2017 (PPT)
  
  
• Declassification and Reclassification of Students with Developmental Delay in the WCSD – March 2018
  
  

Social and Emotional Learning Student Assessment

• Manuscript about Development of WCSD's Social and Emotional Assessment for Students
  
  
• Presentation on Development of WCSD's Social and Emotional Assessment for Students (PPT)
  
  

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Implementation

• Relationship between SEL Implementation and Student Outcomes – January 2016
  
  
• Climate and Social Emotional Skill Grade Analyses – January 2017 (PPT)
  
  
• Survey of Teachers’ SEL Implementation – February 2017
  
  

Social Justice Resource

Children in Transition - Homelessness

• CIT School Advocate and Liaison Descriptions of Supports for Students Experiencing Homelessness in the WCSD – October 2017
  
  
• Chronic Absenteeism: Focus on Children in Transition – April 2018 (PPT)
  
  

English Learners (EL)

•  Outcomes of EL Students by Time in Services  – 2016-2017 school year (PPT)
  
  
• Exit Rates of EL Students Over Time - July 2020
• Family Attitudes towards English Learner Development Model - March 2021
• English Learner Development Facilitator Focus Group Report - March 2021

Staff Morale

• Themes from Listen and Learn Conversations – July 2019
• Staff Morale 19-20 and 20-21 – October 2020

Dreambox

• Dreambox Math Program Effectiveness - March 2020

Academic Parent Teacher Teams

• Effectiveness of Academic Parent Teacher Teams – January 2020

Washoe Academy of School Leaders

• 2019-20 Evaluation – July 2020
• 2018-19 Evaluation – July 2019
• 2017-18 Evaluation – July 2018
• 2016-17 Evaluation – July 2017

Technology

• Effectiveness of Traner's One-to-One Initiative– November 2019 
• WCSD Strategic Technology Plan Student Focus Groups – March 2020
• WCSD Strateic Technology Plan Survey Results – February 2020

Title II Bulletins

• 2019-20 Title II Bulletins – August 2020 
• 2018-19 Title II Bulletins – August 2019 
• 2017-18 Title II Bulletins – August 2018 
• 2016-17 Title II Bulletins – August 2017 

ZOOM

• 2019-20 ZOOM Report - December 2020
• 2018-19 ZOOM Report - May 2020
• 2017-18 ZOOM Report - June 2018

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