Parents, students and staff are asked to participate in the upcoming 2024-2025 Diagnostic Tool for School and District Effectiveness, or DTSDE, at this link.  

This key New York State Education Department tool is specifically designed to support ongoing effectiveness in school districts. Each year, the Poughkeepsie City School District reaches out to parents, students and staff requesting input through the survey. The information gleaned is a critical tool designed to improve district operations and planning, as it assists the district in developing a deeper understanding of stakeholder concerns, challenges and areas of satisfaction.

Annually, results are posted of both districtwide and school-specific results. See prior year survey results on this page, part of the Department of Data, Assessment and Accountability area of the district website.

Survey results are acted upon immediately by district administration. Our goal is to further increase and refine our support of student success through the feedback received.

Last year, parents and staff shared concerns regarding social emotional learning and parent and community engagement. Student responses revealed a strong sense of teacher appreciation and support on both the elementary and secondary levels. At the same time, students shared similar concerns regarding systems and organization, social emotional learning, and parent and community engagement. This input cemented these as areas in need of immediate attention.

Development and planning initiated promptly upon receipt of results. For example:

• Additional support has been provided through annual and ongoing professional development that began in summer 2024, through the district administrative training retreats as well as school-based coaching through faculty meetings, early release days and Superintendent Conference days.
• Resource support and access have increased through tools supportive of social-emotional learning and engagement.
• Active development of parental engagement through district PTAs.
• A broad selection of enrichment opportunities designed to foster a stronger sense of belonging and a shared appreciation of our learning community.

For example, Friday Night Lights returned March 28, further extending engagement opportunities for our learning community. Simultaneously, the district has increased our targeted focus on cleanliness and the development of welcoming learning environments.

Your input matters. It is valued and acted upon as it will let us know what is working and what isn’t. Make sure to participate in the upcoming Poughkeepsie School District DTSDE survey when the link arrives in your mailbox or through the above link. We look forward to hearing from you soon.