On Nov. 15, Central Valley CSD invited the greater school community to share its views on the district's decision to require all fans grade 8 and younger to be accompanied by a guardian or designated adult at sporting events.
The district began the practice this fall because:
- The district lacks staffing to ensure the safety and general behavior of younger fans who attend without an adult, and
- The district wanted to provide all of our spectators with the best experience.
School officials reached out to Central Valley community members via ParentSquare, as well as the district website and Facebook page. Anyone who was interested could participate using ThoughtExchange, an online tool that allows individuals to share their thoughts, then rank the thoughts others have shared.
"ThoughtExchange gave us a clearer picture," said Superintendent Jeremy Rich.
"Unlike a traditional survey that asks people specific questions, ThoughtExchange lets people share what they think about a topic. Then they get to see what others think and rate those responses on a scale of 1-4. We get a freer exchange of ideas without any single voice overpowering others."
Results
Of 108 thoughts, 50 percent agreed with the policy to require adult chaperones for students eighth grade and younger, while 13 percent disagreed. Seven percent wanted to modify the policy to lower the age to sixth grade and younger, while six percent thought the age should be raised to include all students regardless of age. Other respondents suggested the district should address unruly adult spectators, were unclear about whether students always needed to be with an adult, or recommended tighter supervision during the event.
"We wanted to know what we did well and what we could improve and that is what we received, " said Mr. Rich.
"We came away with four important takeaways that we will use as we move forward."
Mr Rich listed the four as:
- Respondents approve of the policy by a four-to-one margin.
- A number of respondents would lower the age required for an adult chaperone to 6th grade and younger, but an equal number would raise the age to include all students.
- Unsportsmanlike adult spectators are perceived as a problem.
- Improved supervision is important for safety and fan experience.
"The other big takeaway was that we need to do a better job communicating with our own staff internally," he added.
"The first night, our staff stopped youngsters walking around without an adult. We never intended for an adult to escort a child to the restroom or concession stand; we just want the adult to be present. When we learned what had happened, we made sure to clarify to the event supervisors."