Gallup Student and Staff Engagement Surveys Reveal Positive Trends

December 15th, 2014

Recent results of Gallup engagement surveys indicate positive trends in engagement levels among Howard County Public School System students and staff. The results were presented at the December 15, 2014 Howard County Board of Education meeting.

HCPSS entered a partnership with Gallup in 2013 to focus on increasing student and staff engagement as key initiatives of the system’s Vision 2018 strategic plan. Gallup research demonstrates a positive correlation between principal leadership and student achievement, teacher engagement and student achievement, and student engagement and student achievement. The Gallup Student Poll and staff engagement survey were implemented for the second year in October 2014.

The Gallup Student Poll measures levels of hope, engagement, and well-being among students in Grades 5-12. Research demonstrates that these factors are closely related to academic achievement. Results of the October 2014 survey indicate that 55 percent of HCPSS students are hopeful, meaning that their ideas and energy for the future drive effort and academic achievement. The HCPSS grand mean was 4.40 on a 5 point scale, which is slightly above the U.S. grand mean of 4.39.

The survey also indicated that 54 percent of HCPSS students are engaged, reflecting high levels of involvement in and enthusiasm for school. The grand mean for HCPSS was 4.03 on a 5-point scale, which is slightly above the U.S. grand mean of 4.00.

For well-being, 65 percent of HCPSS students are identified as thriving, with a grand mean of 7.40 on a 10-point scale, slightly above the 7.38 average for for nation as a whole.

The Gallup employee engagement survey drew responses from more than 84 percent of system employees, a response rate far above the national average of 30-40 percent for staff surveys. Results show that 40 percent of HCPSS staff members are fully engaged in their work. This level is significantly higher than the national average engagement level of 30 percent, and outpaces first-year HCPSS 2013 survey results by 6 percent.

Data from both surveys are already informing improvement initiatives at the school and system levels.

“These second-year survey results show that we are on the right track in emphasizing engagement as a critical driver of both student achievement and staff effectiveness,” said Superintendent Renee A. Foose. “While we have more work to do, this data gives us valuable insight for refining our improvement strategies.”

Information about the survey, results, and system initiatives to foster engagement are provided at www.hcpss.org/about-us/engagement/.