This question, coming from the SurveyWorks questionnaire that goes to students every year, measures the percentage of students that answered favorably (Yes) to the question: “Is there at least one teacher or other adult in your school that you can talk to if you have a problem? ” The data shows how students answered in the whole state, district wide and by school. One thing to note is that not every student answers this questionnaire, so this data only represents the feelings of those who responded to the survey. 

Students in elementary  grades (3-5) responded more favorably than those in grades 6-12. There are also notable differences between the schools from which students responded most favorably compared to schools from which students responded less favorably. For example, there was a 20 percentage point difference between the elementary school with the highest favorable responses, Reservoir Avenue, and the one with the lowest, Asa Messer. There were considerable differences between Middle schools as well. At the high school level, favorable responses were relatively low for all schools (except A-Venture, which operates differently than the rest of PPSD high schools so may be an outlier), with favorable responses ranging from 49% (at Central) to 65% (at Classical).

We know that it is important for students to have trusted adults in their school community that they can go to if they have a problem or feel like they need support. This is especially crucial given the mental health crisis students are facing, not just in our district, but in this country as a whole. If students don’t have a trusted adult they can go to, needs for support may go unaddressed, which may lead to increased conflict and students not having a sense of connection to or belonging in their school community.