The Monticello Central School District is committed to providing a holistic education that ensures each student is future-ready by providing empowering educational experiences, while cultivating a culture that emphasizes kindness and respect (see Board goals). To that end, the district has partnered with Panorama Education, an educational data platform, to assist in identifying how we can best serve our students’ needs.
We will be asking students in grades 3-12 to complete a survey reflecting on their relationships, social awareness, self-management, and emotional regulation. Teachers of students in grades K-2 will complete surveys based upon their perception of the student’s skills. The district will use the results of these surveys to better understand areas of strength and opportunities for growth at the school and district level.
Parents must opt-in; broad participation is important
In the coming weeks, your child’s school will provide each family with an opt-in/opt-out form to complete. Students whose parents do not opt-in will not participate in the survey. The district encourages caregivers to permit their children to participate in the survey. Offering students the ability to share their perspectives is an opportunity to create programming and support systems that address our students’ needs. The more accurate information we have, the more effective our programming can be. Without broad student participation, the data can fail to capture important trends and hinder our ability to serve our students’ emotional needs effectively.
Strategic plan community meetings included information on Panorama Education
Because the Panorama Education surveys correlate with the district’s strategic improvement plan, the district included information about the surveys in its two strategic plan community meetings. These meetings were livestreamed, and the recordings are available online.
What are the exact questions that will be asked on the survey?
The survey, along with the cumulative results from the spring of 2022 are available here:
These are the exact same questions that will be administered this fall.
Why is the district administering this survey?
Although it has been known by many names in the past, social and emotional learning has long been a standard part of education. Being able to cope with difficult emotions, overcome obstacles, reach goals, manage stress, and connect with others are critical skills that are essential to successfully navigating higher education, relationships, employment and life in general. The New York State Education Department has a set of SEL benchmarks that outline the social and emotional skills students are expected to develop as they progress through their educational career. The Panorama survey enables the district to measure progress towards these benchmarks, illustrates where our strengths and challenges lie, and enables the district to plan programming that is directly related to the needs of our students. The surveys are repeated twice per year to assess whether our programming is leading to improved outcomes.
Does this survey impact my child’s grades or disciplinary records?
No. There is absolutely no correlation between students’ academic or disciplinary records and the survey. The survey is completely voluntary.
Are there questions included in the survey that ask about the mental health of my student?
No. Culture and climate surveys administered by Monticello CSD and Panorama are not designed to identify students who require mental health or trauma treatment. The purpose of the survey is to help educators understand students’ general social-emotional needs and strengths.
General Information about Panorama Education (from the Panorama website)
What is Panorama Education?
Panorama Education is an independent education technology company that partners with schools and districts to support student literacy and social-emotional learning (SEL). Schools and districts use our technology to gather feedback from students, families, and educators. Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of helping schools and districts better serve their students.
Panorama Education was founded in 2012 and serves 1,500 school districts today.
How does Panorama work with schools and districts?
Schools and districts use Panorama’s products and services to help support their operations and improve outcomes for their students. Panorama’s products include student, family, and staff surveys to support school climate and social-emotional learning and a platform to help district leaders and educators understand how their students are doing and take action to support them.
Is Panorama Education affiliated with critical race theory (CRT)?
No, Panorama Education is not affiliated with any particular academic or legal philosophy, including critical race theory (CRT). Panorama is not connected to CRT and it is not a tool for teaching CRT.
Does Panorama Education sell critical race theory (CRT) to schools? Does Panorama aid in teaching critical race theory (CRT) in schools?
No, Panorama Education does not sell critical race theory (CRT) to schools. Panorama is not connected to critical race theory (CRT) and is not a tool for teaching critical race theory (CRT).
Personal Information and Data
What does Panorama do with students’ data?
Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts.
Panorama does not collect personal information from students unless we are performing services for their school or district pursuant to a written contract. The collection and use of students’ personal information is governed by schools and districts and applicable laws.
We do not market, sell, or rent any student’s personal information; nor do we engage in, inform, influence, or enable advertising to students. We cannot share any education or student information unless authorized by the school or district or under applicable law.
How does Panorama keep students’ data safe?
Panorama follows best practices for data privacy and security. We implement administrative, technical, and physical security controls designed to protect information stored on our servers, which are located in the United States. Panorama does not use student data for purposes other than serving schools and districts, and we cannot share any education or student information unless authorized by the school or district or under applicable law.
What kinds of student data does Panorama collect?
Panorama only collects student data in the course of performing services for their school or district pursuant to a written contract, and Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts.
When schools and districts use Panorama to run student surveys, schools and districts collect student survey responses through Panorama. In addition, some schools and districts use academic information in Panorama, like grades and assessment scores, and demographic information, like grade level and gender, in order to support their educational services and drive positive outcomes for their students.
Does Panorama engage in data mining?
The term “data mining” isn’t well-defined in public discourse, and we want to be very clear about what we do and what we do not do. One common understanding of “data mining” is the use of data to target advertising to children; we oppose such activities, and we do not engage in them.
Panorama does not market, sell, or rent any student’s personal information. Panorama does not engage in, inform, influence, or enable advertising to students.
Panorama does not collect information from students unless we are performing services for their school or district pursuant to a written contract. We cannot share any education or student information unless authorized by the school or district or under applicable law.
Here’s what we do: Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts. Panorama’s products enable educators to gain insights from their students’ data in order to better understand and support them.
Does Panorama share student data with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or other social media companies?
No, absolutely not. Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts.
Additional Questions
I have a question about Panorama’s work in my child’s school or district. Who do I contact?
In most cases, the best way to learn about Panorama’s work in your district is to contact your district. Decisions about survey content, how surveys are administered, and other ways of engaging with Panorama are made by schools and districts.
I have a question that is not covered here. Who do I contact?
Visit our Privacy, Safety, and Trust page to learn more about our commitment to student privacy. Please send any additional questions to contact@panoramaed.com.