San Mateo-Foster City School District

CommunitySchoolPortrait

Three schools, measured the way they should be — through the people inside them. We captured authentic stakeholder voice and translated it into evidence the community can learn from, leaders can act on, and schools can grow toward.

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Responses Captured
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Words Of Evidence
Student VoiceParent PerspectiveStaff Input
Dr. Diego Ochoa
Superintendent Of Schools
METHODOLOGY

How Do We Measure A Thriving School?

The Thriving School Index combines three signals. Click each to hear real voice.

Belonging Composite
40% of Thriving School Index

The relational foundation of a community school: how strongly students, parents, and staff feel they belong. Drawn from verbatim voice scored against Pillars 2 and 3, plus belonging-language patterns and stakeholder convergence. Belonging is what makes every other investment work.

40%
Why This Voice Was Selected

Among 528 student voices, this response scored in the top 2% for belonging language density — sustained, multi-dimensional, and cross-temporal. ERS: 88 · Stage: Secure.

Voice Score
88
/100
Belonging Score
94
/100
Securestage
Signal Depth
Specificity
88
Reflective Voice
92
Emotional Range
96
Stakeholder Naming
79
Cohort Position
Top 2% of belonging score signals across 528 student voices
schoolLead Elementary · 5th Grade Student
STUDENT
VERIFIED
1 of 528 student voices
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Voice Score
88
Belonging Score
94
Stage
Secure
1
Belonging Moment · L4 · exceptional

"the school has given me the possibility to learn"

Student names the school as the direct enabler of growth — a clear before/after arc. Self-expression as the core benefit of belonging. Multi-dimensional and emotionally resonant.

2
Learning Joy · L3 · clear

"And I am happy here. And I love the support that I get from here"

Student expresses sustained positive affect tied directly to school environment. Combines emotional wellbeing with felt support — two belonging signals in one statement.

3
Community Empathy · L3 · clear

"I wish that all students can just get a chance to meet new teachers"

Student generalizes her own experience outward, wishing belonging for all peers. Indicates durable belonging and perspective-taking beyond self.

The Evidence
The Four Pillars in Practice
California's CCSPP defines four pillars of a thriving community school. Click any pillar to see the rubric, what we listened for, and what 4,912+ responses revealed.
volunteer_activism
Integrated Student Supports
Every student seen, supported, and known by name
91
District Avg
The Pillar
Integrated Student Supports

Community schools coordinate health, mental health, and academic supports within the school building — removing the barriers that make learning hard before they compound.

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How We Score It
Emerging — Reactive supports
Developing — Coordinated systems
Secure — Embedded culture
›
What We Found
91
Distinguished Tier
Across all SMFCSD schools
The Rubric
ecoEmerging· L1–L2

Supports exist on the org chart but feel separate from daily school life. Students access intervention reactively, after problems escalate. Adults are described in functional roles rather than by name. MTSS is structurally in place but not yet realized in student experience.

parkDeveloping· L3

Students name at least one trusted adult who notices when something is off. Wraparound services exist and are accessed when families ask. Coordination is uneven — the system works for students who advocate for themselves, but proactive identification of need is inconsistent across roles.

You Are Here
forestSecure· L4

Students name multiple adults across roles — teachers, counselors, family liaisons — who actively notice them. Support is offered before students ask. Mental health and family services are described in casual, normalized language. The MTSS framework has matured into culture: it's not a system students access, it's a school they belong to.

Signals We Listened For
check_circleStudent safety named unprompted across all three schools
check_circleMTSS and counseling presence felt in daily school life
check_circleStudents report being known — not just academically
check_circleStaff describe proactive, not reactive, support structures
Where This Lands
91
District
91
Lead
94
Laurel
89
Sunnybrae
Read

"I actually felt safe with them, and I felt better, I was happy more, and I actually felt like I belonged over there, and I felt like I actually belonged in school."

Lead Elementary — Student Voice
Lead
Portrait Of A Community School
Belonging Architecture
Where belonging is built intentionally, one relationship at a time.
1,124 student responses
318 parent responses
21.5% experiencing homelessness
Community School Deep Dive

Lead Elementary School

Ms. Delahunt · Principal · Grades K–5
349
Enrolled Students
57.9%
English Learnersⓘ
67.3%
Socioeconomically Disadvantagedⓘ
21.5%
Experiencing Homelessnessⓘ
10.3%
Students with Disabilitiesⓘ
descriptionSource: 2024–25 School Accountability Report CardView SARC →
Thriving School Index
infoHow is this calculated?
★ School Strength
Collaborative Leadership
Score: 96 / 100
school
1124Student Responses
family_restroom
318Parent Responses
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158Staff Responses
Community Voices · Lead
What Students, Families, and Staff Said.
1,600 total responses
schoolSTUDENT VOICE
▶ VIDEO
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“So one time I felt sad about something so one of my teachers told me to go to a counselor It was actually really fun because they made me feel better they told me what happened and I actually felt safe with them and I felt better I was happy more and I actually felt like I belonged over there and I felt like I actually belonged in school and I really liked like they were actually really really really nice to me and they said really nice things about me and they helped me just to think better and like and be better and like that's what I really had a lot of fun with with her and it just I felt better with her and communicating with her and I actually really liked it”

Sense of Belonging
Pillar 1 — Student Supports
ERS 88
family_restroomPARENT PERSPECTIVE
🎙 AUDIO
family_restroom
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0:00

“Creo que la mayoría de las veces siempre los maestros como directores de las escuelas siempre realizan actividades siempre ponen a los niños a trabajar en grupos para que ellos puedan socializarse y sentirse seguros y poder compartir con los demás compañeros del escuelo como también con los demás compañeros de progrados”

Structured Socialization
Pillar 2 — Family Engagement
Original: EspañolERS 82
badgeSTAFF INPUT
🎙 AUDIO
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0:00

“really great family relationships and I think parents know we care about their kids But if I'm being honest we're not reaching everyone A lot of our events are during the day translation isn't always available and some families just don't feel comfortable walking through the front door What I really think would help is having someone on staff whose full job is building those bridges not calling home when there's a problem but actually knowing families before things go sideways”

Family Bridge Gap
Pillar 2 — Family Engagement
ERS 91
Pillar Performance · All Audiences
Pillar 1
Integrated Student Supports
91
Student
90
Parent
91
Staff
92
Pillar 2
Family & Community Engagement
93
Student
92
Parent
94
Staff
93
★ School Strength
Pillar 3
Collaborative Leadership & Practices
96
Student
96
Parent
97
Staff
95
Pillar 4
Extended Learning & Opportunities
88
Student
87
Parent
89
Staff
88
Module 2 · Voice Convergence
How Students, Parents & Staff See Each Pillar
When all three audiences score a pillar similarly, it signals authentic, embedded practice — not just policy. Gaps reveal where experience diverges.
Student
Parent
Staff
touch_appClick any bar to see voice quotes for that pillar
★
Collaborative Leadership & Practices — highest convergence at 96 combined (S:96 / P:97 / T:95)
Module 3 · Attribute Strength Map
What's Strong — and What Needs Attention
Each cell shows combined audience score for that attribute. Hover to inspect. Greener = stronger.
Student Supports
Family Engagement
Leadership
Enriched Learning
Safety & Belonging
94
97
94
90
Relationship Quality
92
92
99
86
Academic Support
89
95
100
87
Cultural Inclusion
95
90
97
93
Communication
93
94
95
91
Enrichment Access
90
98
98
86
Staff Engagement
96
91
99
89
Community Trust
88
96
92
92
95+
90–94
85–89
80–84
<80
School Plan · 2025–26
What Lead Is Already Doing.
checklist
check_circleMTSS literacy system: Orton-Gillingham (PAF) K–2, Rewards grades 4–5
check_circleMultilingual ToSA supporting reclassification and EL progress monitoring
check_circle"Spanish-first" family engagement and regular community coffee chats
check_circleFull-time Community School Specialist leading afterschool + Family/Community Center
check_circleCommunity Schools Steering Committee with multi-stakeholder voice
check_circleFootsteps2Brilliance at-home literacy resource for PreK–3 families
Transparency Documents
Read Alongside This Portrait.
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District-Wide Data

The Shape Of Stakeholder Voice.

Across all three schools, 743 voices responded to four Community Schools pillars. Here is the full picture.

School Comparison · Pillar Performance

Differentiated radar shapes reveal each school's distinct strength. Lead spikes on P3 (Leadership), Laurel on P2 (Family Engagement), Sunnybrae on P4 (Enriched Learning).

Community Schools Index · Per School
Click a school to isolate its shape
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Parent avg CSI

Parents across all three schools score above district threshold, reflecting deep trust in school communities.

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Staff avg CSI

Staff consistently expressed collaborative leadership — the highest-scoring audience across all four pillars.

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Student avg CSI

Students show strong belonging signals, particularly in Integrated Student Supports.

What's Next

The Listening Continues.

This portrait is a beginning, not an end. SMFCSD is committed to listening in cycles — capturing voice, acting on it, and listening again.

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Attend a community event

Lead, Laurel, and Sunnybrae each host family and community nights throughout the year. See what's coming up.

calendar_monthSee events
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Connect with your school

Every Community School has a Specialist whose job is connecting families to resources. Your school is ready to hear from you.

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