Manhasset students aren’t getting enough sleep, according to a recent survey of the district’s students, staff and parents.
David Blaiklock, senior director of research for K12 Insight, said during a Manhasset Board of Education meeting last Wednesday that 85 percent of the 1,352 students surveyed from seventh to 12th grade said they either disagree or strongly disagree that students generally get enough sleep.
According to the survey, 63 percent of students surveyed also disagree that the teachers show students how classroom lessons relate to life outside of the school and the same percentage disagreed that students do not abuse illegal substances.
On the flip side, 94 percent of students surveyed said the school has high learning standards, 90 percent said there is a faculty or staff member available to discuss problems, 87 percent said the staff is aware of the district’s safety protocols and 86 percent said teachers set high expectations for all students.
The online survey, which ran from April 9 through May 1, was divided into sections on academic support, student support, student leadership, safety and behavior, family involvement and student experience.
Students also were given a final section about emotional and social learning.
In a section about managing feelings, 25 percent of students said they regularly feel sad, and 41 percent of students said they were not afraid to fail compared to the 54 percent who said they were afraid to fail.
The survey, which also provided statistics, said about 63 percent of the 616 students in Advanced Placement courses take one or two courses, while 21 percent take three or four AP classes and 16 percent are taking five or six at a time.
Of the 1,075 parents surveyed from across the district, about 43 percent agreed with the students that they aren’t getting enough sleep, and 38 percent disagreed that drugs are not abused in Manhasset.
Twenty-nine percent of the parents expressed concern that there was no consistency in grading between departments.
Parents, however, strongly agreed at 92 percent that the district encourages families to attend school-sponsored events, and the same percentage agreed that staff members and families treat each other with respect.
Of the 293 staff members surveyed, 96 percent said the district sets a high learning standard for students, 95 percent said a staff member is available to help with student problems and 93 percent said school administrators are courteous when staff members have a concern, which Blaiklock said is a testament to the administration and not always seen in other surveys nationally.
Lack of sleep was also the greatest concern for the staff, with 53 percent thinking the students aren’t rested enough. About 42 percent of staff also disagreed that parents and guardians have reasonable expectations for student achievement.
Forty percent of the staff also said academic integrity, or cheating, is not a problem at the school.
The presentation focused on districtwide data, but survey results specific to Munsey Park Elementary School and Shelter Rock Elementary School as well as the Secondary School are posted to the district’s website and a breakdown of the middle school as well as the high school will be added soon, Blaiklock said.
Reach reporter Amelia Camurati by email at acamurati@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 215, or follow her on Twitter @acamurati.
