Belonging Survey Findings at International School of Panama

I just spent another three incredible days with students, staff, and parents at International School of Panama to share findings of our recent belonging survey.

Acknowledging the old adage that "inquiry is a also form of intervention," the process of structuring the data collection model began last April by building capacity with the Belonging and Community Task Force.

Over the course of the year, I spent 15 days on campus working with all constituent groups to socialize common language to support an inclusive community, and sharing the research around the benefits of fostering belonging and the damage around belonging uncertainty.

We intentionally integrated all constituents into the data collection process, providing opportunities to share perspectives anonymously in the IPS survey instrument that we specifically designed for the school. Additionally, I facilitated 32 onsite focus groups, in English and Spanish, where I leveraged emergent survey themes to learn more details about the various community perspectives and experiences around belonging.

The process culminated last week when I provided constituent sessions for staff, parents, middle and high school students, and 4th and 5th graders- in English and Spanish- to learn about the findings: levers, positive dynamics, and growth areas.

The next phase consists of convening the Belonging and Community Task Force and other belonging committees to identify strategic belonging priorities and to design the 2024-25 Belonging Action Plan.

Many thanks to Audrey C. Menard, Ed.D., head of school, and the entire ISP community for their partnership in this critical work.