Board discusses promotion/retention policy and Panorama well‑being surveys; administration to refine criteria and survey practice

Deming Public Schools on March 26 moved proposed policy I72000 (promotion and retention) from action to discussion for a first read and heard a separate briefing on Panorama well‑being surveys.

Administration said I72000 aims to define academic proficiency using multiple data points rather than relying solely on state tests, a moving target, and will include procedures for interventions and MLSS (multi‑tiered supports). Staff said they will develop short intervention procedures tied to the policy.

On surveys, staff explained the state uses Panorama for student, staff and family well‑being surveys. This was the first year staff and family surveys were distributed districtwide (previous years had only student surveys). Staff cautioned that the Panorama dataset does not reliably verify parent responses by campus or allow tracking by classroom or teacher; while student responses can be attributed to campus, parent and teacher‑level verification is limited. Administration said it is exploring alternative or customizable survey vendors that would allow the district to collect verified, school‑level or teacher‑level data and improve responsiveness.

Board members asked for clearer procedures to define academic proficiency and requested follow‑up on survey methodology, response rates, and plans to improve verification and participation.