01/25/2023 -
The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) is seeking input from parents and guardians of Sonoma County public school students in this year’s YouthTruth survey, an important tool for schools and community organizations to hear directly from students, employees, and school families about their needs.
The 15-minute family survey explores various topics related to student wellness and success, among them college and career readiness, school culture, and mental health. More than 140 school sites across 30 Sonoma County school districts are participating in this year’s effort.
Parents and guardians of Sonoma County students at participating school sites should have received the link to the survey from their students’ school or schools. The deadline for parents and guardians to submit their feedback is 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 30. The survey is anonymous and available in eight languages.
“The feedback from parents in the 2022 YouthTruth survey was used by schools, districts, and community partners to better align their policies, services, and resources to meet the needs of students,” said Jessica Progulske, the director of data and engagement within SCOE’s Educational Support Services department. “Their input in this year’s YouthTruth survey will be invaluable in painting an accurate picture of the challenges and bright spots students experience in Sonoma County schools.”
Last year marked the start of a three-year commitment by SCOE, the Career Technical Education Foundation Sonoma County, the Community Foundation of Sonoma County, and others to bring the YouthTruth survey to school sites across Sonoma County.
Sonoma County saw family survey response rates that far exceeded the state and national average that same year. About 35% of parents and guardians at participating school sites completed the survey in 2022, representing 11,769 individuals. The typical response rate for that group in similar YouthTruth surveys is typically closer to 15% to 20%. Among students and staff at participating schools, 87% completed the survey last year. In all, 61,000 individuals provided their input that year.
SCOE staff and others involved with the most recent YouthTruth survey hope to see similar or even higher response rates this year.
Parents and guardians interested in completing the survey should check for messages from their school or contact their school’s principal. Progulske is available to help families access their school survey’s link via email (jprogulske@scoe.org), as is Alejandra Solis–Pérez, a student engagement liaison at SCOE (asolisperez@scoe.org).
Parents and guardians are asked to include the name of their child’s school in their initial email.
