March 2021
Dear Parent, Guardian, or other Legally Responsible Adult:
Our district is getting ready to administer an annual school climate and culture survey called Conditions for Learning to students in grades 3-12. This survey administration is required by the state’s plan to meet a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act. Our schools will conduct the survey on the following days, AHS – April 30th, AMS – April 8 and SHE – April 16th. All Iowa public school districts will use the Conditions for Learning Survey to improve safety, student engagement and the overall learning environment so that all Iowa students have optimum conditions for learning. Our work to improve safety, student engagement and the overall learning environment will have a lasting impact on the future.
Iowa measures conditions for learning by asking the real experts each year – our students. This is their chance to make their voice heard, and we intend to listen. Studies have shown this work matters. Improving skills such as solving problems, working out conflict, and working with other people in a group has led to double-digit increases on achievement test scores, improved classroom behavior and improved attitudes.
All public schools in Iowa will use an online survey to assess the conditions for learning in their school for students in grades 3-12. Student responses will be confidential, and individual response data will not be available to anyone in the survey platform or in reporting. Our district will receive aggregated data annually at the building level to support alignment of professional development with identified culture and climate needs.
We will ask your child to simply fill out a confidential survey. The survey will focus on issues ranging from student safety, to positive student relationships, to school rules and how they are enforced. A high rate of participation by students in completing the Conditions for Learning Survey is important for obtaining the most complete school climate data for our school. Support from you in communicating to your students that this is their chance to be heard and to be part of the effort to improve conditions for learning at their school is critical.
Thank you for partnering with ACSD to improve conditions for learning in our schools throughout the state. Attached is an overview of this opportunity, as well as a written refusal form if you do not want your child/children to participate in completing the survey
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you again!
Sincerely,
Mr. Hunt, Superintendent,
Mrs. Thompson, AHS Principal,
Mrs. Vaughn, AMS Principal, and
Mrs. Recker, SHE Principal
Part 2 Written Refusal Form (only)
Survey Questions for grades 3-5
Survey Questions for grades 6-12
