DeKalb District 428 to survey staff on engagement, climate, culture, diversity, equity and inclusion

DeKALB – Leadership across DeKalb School District 428 this week decided to move forward with an effort to survey staff engagement, climate and culture along with diversity, equity and inclusivity.

In a 7-0 vote, the school board approved a plan that will help provide the district with access to the Michigan-based human resource consultant HumanEx’s products and services to both generate and make sense of survey data.

Brad Black, president and CEO of HumanEx, said the key to the organization’s survey method is how it is designed and how it is communicated to the respondents.

“It’s taken serious,” Black said. “It’s a serious manner. It’s not just another survey and where you wonder where it’s going to go or if it’s going to be the last time.”

School officials invited Black to give a presentation to the school board after discussion on this topic previously arose at a special meeting that took place last week. At the time, the idea of the district adding additional surveys on student engagement and social-emotional learning surfaced.

Black suggested that school officials consider surveying student engagement next spring as opposed to waiting until next year. He referenced the metrics for a study that shows a correlation between staff and student engagement, how one leads and the other lags, and said it is important to understand how the results are tied to the achievement and growth of students.

“You want to reach the students, it’s got to be through the staff, not vice versa,” Black said.

Board member Jeromy Olson, noting that the district has struggled to garner more than 30% or 40% survey participation in the past, questioned whether the district should expect better results.

“Is that something we should look forward to?” Olson said.

Black assured Olson that the district can count on having greater survey participation outcomes with the school board’s approval of the plan.

“We range from 80% to 100% participation, and sometimes that’s even [the] first year,” Black said. “That’s not typical in first year, but it has and does happen.”

Black credits the success of HumanEx, in part, to the organization’s desire to establish and maintain long-term relationships.

“We only work with organizations that are making three-year commitments because that shows to the staff, ‘We’re serious about this. We want to build a culture. We want your input.’ It’s anonymous, confidential,” Black said. “On the receiving end, they hear this, ‘Oh, they’re not just sticking a toe in the water and wondering how it is.’ That’s a big part of why we have high participation rates.”

Black also cited the feedback and action-planning sessions for adding value to HumanEx products and services.

The cost to survey district staff engagement is capped at $14,000 each year for the three-year agreement, plus another $2,500 to add in a diversity, equity and inclusivity option, according to school board documents.

Olson asked about the timeline to implement the first round of survey data now that the board has authorized the consultant’s plan.

Black said that with the board’s approval, it’s a matter of two weeks.