Every school is gathering feedback—through climate surveys, staff reflections, event follow-ups, or student voice initiatives. These efforts are crucial. They offer a valuable pulse on how students, families, and staff are experiencing school.
But even with the best intentions, many leaders are left wondering: What do we do with this now? The gap between collecting responses and driving change is often where progress stalls. Open-ended input can feel overwhelming. Themes get lost. Action items are unclear.
In a recent Parsec Education webinar, Dr. Michele Darchuck explored treating feedback not just as a reporting requirement, but as a foundation for learning, reflection, and continuous improvement. Here, we take a deeper look at what that actually means in practice.
The Missed Opportunity in School Climate Data
Too often, leaders stop at the numbers, but behind every data point is a voice. A reason. A story. And schools that pause to explore those stories are discovering insights they would’ve otherwise missed.
Compliance surveys often provide surface-level trends but leave out the “why.” While schools might see that a group of students feels less safe or less connected, those numbers don’t tell the full story.
By surfacing lived experiences, recurring themes, and authentic voices, schools gain a clearer picture of what their data truly means and what they can do about it. This is where qualitative feedback brings essential context to your quantitative results. Pairing open-ended responses with analysis from Real allows schools to move beyond what happened to uncover why it happened.
Turning Feedback Into Action: A Process for Schools
Making sense of open-ended feedback doesn’t require starting from scratch. Many schools already collect responses through climate surveys, event reflections, or open prompts—but the real impact comes from what happens next.
Here’s a framework schools can use to move from feedback to meaningful change:
Start with What You’re Already Collecting
- Reflections, survey comments, open-response forms—this type of input often holds overlooked insights. Rather than gathering more, the focus shifts to learning from what’s already been shared.
Look for Common Threads
- When responses are reviewed as a whole, themes begin to emerge. Patterns in student voice, family concerns, or staff suggestions can point to consistent areas that need attention.
Ask Why the Patterns Exist
- Quantitative data may show what’s happening, but open-ended responses help uncover why. Understanding the context behind trends allows schools to make more informed decisions.
Make Small, Targeted Adjustments
- Insights from feedback often lead to immediate action—whether it’s adjusting communication, shifting program design, or responding to a specific group’s needs.
Revisit and Reflect
- Improvement is a cycle. After making changes, schools can return to the same feedback channels to see how things are evolving and where to go next.
Download a PDF of this process ➡️ bit.ly/parsecfeedbackprocess
What This Looks Like in Practice
After reviewing their school climate data, one school uncovered gaps in how different student groups were experiencing the environment. In response, they launched a series of staff training focused on identity, belonging, and classroom practices that support fairness.
What They Did
To understand if the training was making an impact, they used Real to gather feedback from staff after each session. The goal was to surface honest reflections, identify what was landing, and uncover areas where more support was needed.
What Happened Next
- Staff feedback revealed which topics resonated and where more clarity was needed
- The feedback was shared with the presenter, helping shape future sessions and continuing the cycle of reflection and improvement
Why This Matters
The school didn’t just respond to data, they built a feedback loop that helped everyone improve. Staff felt supported, the presenter had direct insight, and the school stayed focused on creating a better environment for all students.
Why Real Made the Difference
YouthTruth helped them see the problem. Real helped them do something about it. Other platforms collect feedback, Real makes it useful by organizing insights in a way that informs action and supports continuous learning across roles.
What Schools Can Do Next
If your school is already collecting feedback—but not sure what to do with it—consider this a starting point:
- Revisit recent surveys or reflections
- Start small, with one theme or one question that you want to solve
- Involve teams in discussing the results and making changes
- Follow up to see if the change had an impact
Every school has the potential to move from surface-level feedback to deep learning. The tools are already in place. With the right process, and the right partner, schools can turn what they already do into something that truly makes a difference. Want to start turning your school’s feedback into action? Let’s talk about what that could look like.
