Following the release of the District’s 2025 Hanover Research Climate and Culture Survey results on Nov. 28, Staples administrators are reviewing the data and preparing action steps to further strengthen student belonging, communication and the overall school experience.
The survey, which drew community attention after its release, revealed that while students feel connected to adults in the building, they continue to report low levels of school enjoyment.
“While most parents (79%) and school staff (88%) report that students like school, a significantly lower proportion of students (43%) hold the same view,” the Climate and Culture Survey documented.
The climate survey itself is designed to measure what the District leaders view as the most meaningful aspects of student experience. Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services Michael Rizzo plays a central role in overseeing the development, implementation and long-term use of the survey data. The District works in partnership with Hanover Research to ensure questions reflect community priorities and accurately capture student experiences.
“We meet with them to determine the questions that fit the needs of our school community,” Rizzo said. “They assist us in fine-tuning questions to make sure we are measuring what matters to us most.”
To address the social side of school engagement, the administration is working with the Student Council to expand community-building activities, especially for freshmen and sophomores. They are exploring new underclassmen-specific events, including breakfasts and social activities.
“We’re trying to make it feel more like a school where each person’s needs are met and they feel like they are connected to a larger experience,” Principal Stafford W. Thomas Jr. said.
Feedback practices are also under review. Survey results indicated that students want clearer, more actionable responses to their work, not just grades.
“Compared to instructional staff, students are significantly less likely to report that teachers provide helpful comments on students’ schoolwork (instructional staff: 97% vs. students: 67%), keep students updated on their academic progress (92% vs. 64%), praise students’ effort on schoolwork (98% vs. 60%), and connect class lessons to life outside the classroom (95% vs. 55%).”
According to Thomas, faculty and department coordinators will continue refining feedback guidelines throughout the spring, focusing on having teachers provide timely and effort-based feedback rather than solely grade centered ones.
“Many students are more concerned with their final grade than what the written feedback actually is, so that is an area that we’re going to work on with teachers to try and help students feel more like they belong in that class, as opposed to just receiving feedback based on the grade,” Thomas said.
But the survey also indicated areas of strength within the school. Thomas noted that the data showed strengths particularly in students’ sense of belonging.
“We were very high in terms of students feeling as though they had someone to connect to here, as well as parents feeling that their child had belonged in the school in terms of the climate,” he said.
At both the school and district levels, progress is monitored through repeated survey administration and ongoing conversations with the community. Informal feedback from students, families and staff help guide adjustments for these surveys.
“Continuing to implement and monitor the results of the climate survey is one way the district tracks success over time,” Rizzo said.
The next climate survey is set to be given in April, giving time for the school to initiate changes. Administrators plan to monitor progress through monthly Student Council and department meetings, as well as faculty discussions. Staples administrators also hope that the new bell-to-bell cell phone ban policy may also influence next year’s data by reducing distractions and increasing presence in class.
“The goal is to have students more present,” Thomas said. “[The cell phone policy] may have a positive impact on the other responses from students because they’re paying more attention.”
