ACPS 2030 Climate Survey

Overview

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) is committed to ensuring that every student – regardless of background – has access to a high-quality education. This commitment is reflected in the ACPS 2030 Strategic Plan, approved by the Alexandria City School Board, which guides our work over the next five years under the pillars.

Nurture. Educate. Inspire.

The ACPS 2030 Climate Survey is a critical tool that helps us understand how students, families, and staff experience our schools and workplaces. Your feedback provides essential insight into school climate, culture, safety, belonging, communication, and learning environments – areas directly connected to the goals of the 2030 Strategic Plan.

Why Your Voice Matters

The information gathered through the annual Climate Survey helps ACPS:

• Monitor progress toward the goals of the 2030 Strategic Plan

• Identify strengths and areas for improvement across schools and departments

• Inform decisions related to student support, staff experience, and family engagement

• Ensure our schools remain safe, inclusive, and welcoming learning environments

Your feedback helps shape actions that support continuous improvement across the school division.

Survey Details

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has released the findings from its first ACPS 2030 Climate Survey, conducted between February 2 and March 1, 2026. The 2026 administration of the climate survey marked a historic milestone in community engagement, drawing an unprecedented 7,278 participants – an increase of 3,721 respondents over the 2025 survey, thanks in large part to a doubling of secondary student participation.

The data revealed widespread, positive growth, with respondents indicating consistently more favorable perceptions compared to prior years across all areas. The greatest rates of improvement were seen in secondary student opinions reporting much more positive perceptions than in past surveys.
Key strengths highlighted by the survey results include: 

• Academic Excellence: 82% of respondents agree that ACPS provides a high-quality education and 79% agree that the division sets high academic expectations for all students.
• Inclusive Climate: Respondents highlighted robust teacher-student relationships 
• Positive Staff Relations: Staff reported high rates of positive connection with colleagues (95%) and supervisors (90%). 
• Rising Safety Perceptions: Perceptions of safety increased across all groups, with an overall 80% agreement rate up 15 percentage points. Student perceptions of safety saw the most improvement, increasing 22 percentage points from the previous year.
• Community Engagement and Communication: Family agreement on two key metrics –effective communication and feeling valued in decision-making– grew by double digits over the past two years.

ACPS is tracking key areas for growth identified through the survey as well. Areas for growth included stakeholder perceptions of transparency in decision-making (58%), division-leaders understanding of school-level concerns (51%), and staff awareness of who to contact in Central Office when they need support (49%). 

View the 2025-26 ACPS 2030 Climate Survey Report

Stay Informed

With preparations for the 2026-27 school year already underway, school division leadership will leverage these findings to drive targeted improvements through strategic planning and school improvement planning processes. 

Through the fall, ACPS will share detailed results and specific improvement efforts. The school division will also continue inviting students, staff and families into deeper dialogue about the stories behind the numbers ensuring community feedback continues to inform division efforts.

For additional information or questions, please contact ask@acps.k12.va.us.