The latest State Department of Education survey results show that the satisfaction levels of
Idaho parents has increased since 2021, as has the level of engagement for students in grades 3 through 8.
Idaho high school students, who were added to the SDE surveys in 2019, continue to report much lower engagement than their younger counterparts. School staff satisfaction remains above pre-pandemic levels in spite of a small downturn from 2021.
The engagement surveys evaluate students’ curiosity, involvement with and optimism about their schools. Surveys given to parents and staff measure satisfaction with the tools, support and overall instructional environment in Idaho schools. All three surveys are conducted each spring in accordance with Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra’s accountability plan to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The surveys were not conducted in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The 2022 results for students show marked differences between students in grades 3 through 8 and those in grades 9 through 12. Grades 3 through 8 showed improvement in overall engagement compared to 2021 numbers.
The 2022 survey drew 121,604 respondents, up 3 percent from the previous year. Their overall engagement was 53.5 percent, up slightly from 53.2 percent in 2021. But results have not yet rebounded to pre-pandemic levels: 58 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 reported overall engagement in 2019.
For students in grades 9 through 12, overall engagement dropped 12 percentage points – from 43.1 percent in 2019 to 31.1 percent in 2022. In 2021, overall engagement in grades 9 through 12 was 32.2 percent. The 2022 school year saw 68,401 students in grades 9 through 12 respond to the survey, up from 65,974 in 2021.
Staff satisfaction remains above pre-pandemic levels, despite a downturn in participation and reported satisfaction since 2021. The number of staff members completing the survey dropped 8 percent, from 21,245 to 19,451 in 2022. Overall, 75.9 percent of staff report satisfaction, down from 79.3 percent in 2021, but still above 2019’s pre-pandemic level of 75.7 percent.
Fewer parents responded to the survey last spring than in past years, but results show a rise in overall satisfaction. This year, 45,735 parents took the survey, a 10 percent decline from 2021. However, parents’ overall satisfaction came in at 75.1 percent, up from 74 percent in 2021 and 74.5 percent in 2019.
