STUDENT OUTCOMES FOCUSED GOVERNANCE
APRIL 28, 2026 · BOARD PRESENTATION
SDUSD
×
IMPACTER Pathway
GUARDRAIL 2 · STUDENT MOTIVATION

Student Voice
Intelligence Report

Board of Education Mandate · September 10, 2024
"The Superintendent shall not operate without a strategy to ensure student motivation to want to be in school."
31,469
STUDENT RESPONSES
1,003,000
WORDS OF AUTHENTIC VOICE
127
HOURS OF STUDENT VOICE
10
SDUSD SCHOOLS
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31,469 student responses analyzed127 hours of authentic student voice1,003,000 words captured10 SDUSD schools8 human skills competencies measured56.6% of responses scored Distinguished or Exemplary800+ trusted adults identified by nameGuardrail 2 · April 28, 202631,469 student responses analyzed127 hours of authentic student voice1,003,000 words captured10 SDUSD schools8 human skills competencies measured56.6% of responses scored Distinguished or Exemplary800+ trusted adults identified by nameGuardrail 2 · April 28, 2026
SOFG · Board Framework

Where Guardrail 2 Fits

SDUSD's Student Outcomes Focused Governance structure sets four student outcome goals and five superintendent guardrails. Today's presentation covers Guardrail 2.

GOALS
G1Student Wellness
G2Literacy
G3Math
G4College & Career
GUARDRAILS
GR1Effective Communication
GR2Student Motivation← YOU ARE HERE
GR3Economic Self-Sufficiency
GR4Nurturing Relationships
GR5Data-Driven Curriculum
2025–26 MONITORING CALENDAR
Sep 30College & Career (4.1, 4.2)
Oct 28Wellness (1.1, 1.2)
Nov 18CAASPP Data
Jan 27College & Career (4.1)
Feb 24Economic Self-Sufficiency (3.1, 3.2)
Mar 24Literacy (2.1, 2.2) + Math (3.1)
Apr 28Student Motivation (2.1, 2.2)
May 26Effective Communication (1.1, 1.2)
SDUSD VISION FOR 2030 · COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS
Critically-Thinking Digital Citizens
Socially-Aware Agents of Change
Problem-Solving Innovators
Emotionally Intelligent Thinkers
Collaborative Communicators
What the Board Had Last Year

The Survey Story

SDUSD has measured Guardrail 2 through three Likert-scale questions. The data revealed concerning trends — especially for Spotlight students. But a number on a scale doesn't tell you why.

GUARDRAIL 2.2 SURVEY QUESTION
"Do you feel like you belong at your school?"

Belonging drops from 66.7% in Grade 3 to 41.8% by Grade 12 for Spotlight students. The survey shows the decline. Voice Intelligence reveals the internal architecture students are building in its place.

"A number on a Likert scale tells you what. It never tells you why."
The Measurement Gap

What the Survey Misses

Survey instruments were designed to measure outcomes at scale. They were never designed to reveal the architecture behind those outcomes.

WHAT THE SURVEY CAPTURES
—A single number per student
—Aggregate trends by grade level
—Whether a student 'agrees' or 'disagrees'
—No context for WHY
—No identification of specific support systems
—No equity context or family background
—No cognitive or emotional process
—No trusted adult's name or role
—No growth trajectory over time
WHAT VOICE INTELLIGENCE REVEALS
✦The full architecture of student motivation
✦Named trusted adults and their relationship
✦First-generation status, family context, financial challenges
✦Cognitive processes: goal framing, adversity narratives, theory-of-mind
✦Internal coping strategies students have developed
✦Phrases the student actually used — their words, their meaning
✦Equity signals that aggregate data obscures
✦Growth trajectories and belief formation over time
✦Direct alignment to each Guardrail 2 survey construct — with depth
"Survey measures the snapshot.
Voice data captures the architecture."
What IMPACTER Did

We Listened at Scale

From October 2025 to April 2026, IMPACTER partnered with San Diego Unified to capture, analyze, and connect authentic student voice to the board's Guardrail 2 framework.

01
LISTEN

Students Speak. Authentically.

Students responded to open-ended prompts about purpose, grit, growth mindset, and the human skills at the heart of Guardrail 2. Responses were captured via audio, video, and text through the IMPACTER platform — in their own words, without a multiple-choice answer to constrain them.

02
ANALYZE

AI + Human Calibration

IMPACTER's transformer-based ML pipeline scored each response against rubric-aligned competency frameworks calibrated against trained human raters. The models identified cognitive processes, emotional markers, and equity signals embedded in authentic student language — at a resolution no Likert scale can achieve.

03
CONNECT

Mapped to Guardrail 2

Each response was mapped directly to SDUSD's Guardrail 2 constructs: motivation to be in school, sense of belonging, trusted adults on campus, effort-to-results belief, and managing overwhelm. Voice data doesn't replace the survey — it reveals the architecture beneath it.

31,469
RESPONSES
10
SDUSD SCHOOLS
1,003,000+
WORDS CAPTURED
127
HOURS OF STUDENT VOICE

127 hours is more than 3 full days of students speaking, non-stop, about who they are and what drives them.

By the Numbers

The Data Behind the Voice

31,469 student responses. 10 schools. 1,003,000 words. Every chart below is powered by real SDUSD student data — collected, scored, and analyzed through IMPACTER's Voice Intelligence platform.

CHART 01 · VOICE LANDSCAPE

Response Volume by School

WORDS CAPTURED (thousands)
Henry
330K
San Diego
280K
Mira Mesa
210K
Hoover
95K
Morse
52K
Canyon Hills
36K
Henry High alone generated 330,000 words of authentic student voice — more than most district-wide surveys produce in a year. Together, these six schools represent over one million words of student motivation data.
CHART 02 · HUMAN SKILLS PROFILE

The Shape of SDUSD Student Voice

Perspective-Taking4,366
Curiosity3,737
Grit3,553
Purpose2,571
Growth Mindset2,554
Self-Control2,340
Gratitude1,412
Compassion1,369
Perspective-Taking is the most prevalent competency — students naturally demonstrate theory-of-mind and multi-viewpoint thinking. This cognitive architecture is invisible to Likert-scale surveys.
CHART 03 · THE MOMENTUM CURVE

40× Growth in Six Months

Oct Pilot launch
Jan Multi-school rollout
Mar 10 schools active
Apr 31K+ milestone
April 2026 alone generated more student voice data than the Guardrail 2 survey collects in a full year. This is what adoption looks like when students feel genuinely heard.
CHART 04 · QUALITY INDEX

Exemplary + Distinguished by School

Exemplary
Distinguished
At Canyon Hills and Morse, nearly 70% of student voice responses demonstrated Distinguished or Exemplary depth. At San Diego High — the district's highest-volume school — 42.9% signals a massive opportunity: 10,000+ students with room to go deeper.
CHART 05 · DEVELOPMENTAL ARC

Quality Peaks in 10th Grade

10th graders show the highest depth of engagement at 67.7% Exemplary+Distinguished — a developmental sweet spot where students are old enough for deep reflection but still forming their narrative. 9th grade (12,564 responses, 52%) is the intervention opportunity — our largest cohort, with the most room to grow.
CHART 07 · ML CONFIDENCE ENGINE

AI Scoring Accuracy vs. Human Raters

~0.92
QWK Target
>97%
Adjacent Agreement
0.70–0.85
Industry Benchmark
IMPACTER's pipeline achieves Quadratic Weighted Kappa (QWK) performance targets approaching 0.92 — exceeding the typical 0.70–0.85 range for human-to-human inter-rater agreement in standardized essay scoring. Adjacent agreement (within 1 score point) exceeds 97%.
CHART 06 · COMPETENCY × SCHOOL

Where the Strengths Are

SchoolPurposeGritGrowthPersp.Self-CtrlCuriosityCompass.Gratitude
Henry
Hoover
Mira Mesa
San Diego
Morse
Canyon Hills
Lower depth
Exemplary
Hoover High leads in Grit (2.86) and Growth Mindset (2.85) — near-Exemplary across the board. San Diego High's Growth Mindset (2.26) signals the district's most specific support opportunity. Hover any cell for details.
CHART 08 · NLP FEATURE DISCOVERY

What the Pipeline Sees

2.6K
3.6K
4.4K
2.6K
1.8K
1.6K
1.6K
2.3K
1.2K
1.4K
1.2K
1.0K
0.9K
0.7K
IMPACTER's NLP pipeline identified 14 distinct cognitive features across SDUSD student voice — from goal framing and adversity narratives to theory-of-mind and social modeling. Each feature maps to a specific human skill. This is the resolution that separates voice intelligence from survey data.
CHART 09 · THE BELONGING PARADOX

What the Survey Misses in High School

Spotlight students only. Survey line shows% with trusted adult + belonging (Guardrail 2.2). IMPACTER line shows % of responses scored Exemplary or Distinguished.
The survey shows belonging declining across high school for Spotlight students. Voice Intelligence tells a more complex story: cognitive depth — purpose, grit, perspective-taking — is actually growing. Students may not 'feel' like they belong the way a scale measures, but they're building the internal architecture that predicts long-term resilience. The survey captures the snapshot. Voice data captures the trajectory.
CHART 10 · CONNECTEDNESS MAP

Voice Intelligence → Guardrail 2 Alignment

Purpose
Grit
Growth Mindset
Perspective-Taking
Gratitude
Self-Control
Motivation to Be in School
Sense of Belonging
Trusted Adult Network
Belief in Improvement
Effort → Results
Managing Overwhelm
Every competency IMPACTER measures maps directly to the constructs Guardrail 2 tracks. Voice Intelligence doesn't replace the survey — it reveals the cognitive architecture beneath it. When a student scores 3/5 on 'effort leads to results,' voice data tells you whether they're experiencing learned helplessness, fear-driven motivation, or genuine self-efficacy.
CHART 11 · THE INVISIBLE INSIGHTS

What Only Voice Intelligence Can See

800+
Trusted Adults Named
1,089
Deep Reflections
2,571
Purpose Statements
114+
First-Gen Narratives
3,553
Grit Signals
14
NLP Feature Types
These are not metrics the survey produces. They are insights that only emerge when you listen — at scale, with precision. Hover each card for context.
Student Voice

Hear From Our Students

These are real SDUSD students, in their own words. Each voice reveals motivation architecture that no survey can capture.

Christopher
Hoover High · Grade 11
Purpose
"I've always had this immense fear of failing. But my auntie — she drives me to become an overachiever."
Purpose
Grit
Growth Mindset
Perspective-Taking
Gratitude
First-genFinancial hardship
Mackenna
Henry High · Grade 10
Grit
"Getting all those C's takes a toll on your confidence. But I really just kept telling myself — you ARE capable of doing it."
Grit
Growth Mindset
Self-Control
Natalia
Hoover High · Grade 12
Purpose
"I am the first person in my family to have been accepted into higher education. I do it for them. I do it for myself."
Purpose
Grit
Gratitude
First-genParents didn't finish elementary
Triston
Mira Mesa High · Grade 11
Purpose
"I have people who motivate me to keep going in life and to not give up. What they've said gives me motivation every single morning."
Purpose
Gratitude
Perspective-Taking
Salem
Henry High · Grade 11
Growth Mindset
"Progress isn't just about outcomes — it's about who I am becoming over time."
Growth Mindset
Self-Control
Purpose
Adieny
Hoover High · Grade 9
Purpose
"Having a purpose is so grounding — it gives you a sense of direction especially when life gets chaotic."
Purpose
Perspective-Taking
Compassion
Vesna
Henry High · Grade 12
Purpose
"My family and friends keep me motivated to live my life to the fullest. I always want to make sure I live up to their expectations."
Purpose
Gratitude
Perspective-Taking
Rocky
Mira Mesa High · Grade 9
Growth Mindset
"I wake up every day to make myself be better than what I am right now — and that's really my only thing."
Growth Mindset
Self-Control
Grit
PURPOSE · HOOVER HIGH · GRADE 11
"I've always had this immense fear of failing. But my auntie — she drives me to become an overachiever."
IMPACTER INSIGHTFear of failure + named trusted adult the district didn't know existed. Five attributes in two minutes.
TRUSTED ADULT IDENTIFIED
Auntie (off-campus)
EQUITY SIGNALS
First-genFinancial hardship
ATTRIBUTES DETECTED
Purpose
Grit
Growth Mindset
Perspective-Taking
Gratitude
5 / 8
ATTRIBUTES IN ONE RESPONSE
Featured Student · Deep Dive

One Response. Five Attributes.

This is what 2 minutes of authentic student voice reveals that five survey questions cannot.

PURPOSE · HOOVER HIGH · GRADE 11
Christopher Contreras
5
OF 8 ATTRIBUTES
ANNOTATED TRANSCRIPT · 2:00 AUDIO RESPONSE

I think what drives me is like fear of failing. I've always had this immense fear of like being a failure in life. And I know failure is defined in many different ways and people have their own definitions of how they define failure. But to me, I come from a background of a family who has no people who have graduated college, has a lot of people that are struggling with financial issues and family issues. And when you grow up in that environment, it like forces you to become a better version of yourself. So every morning I wake up and one of my main motivators is definitely my auntie. She drives me to become a better person. She drives me to push myself because she's been through high school, graduated with honors, and she's told me that if she can do it, I can do it. She drives me to become an overachiever. Sometimes I even take on tests that I know are too big for me, but I end up doing anyways because I just want to accomplish something bigger than myself. My main goal in life is to be successful and make my family proud. I've wanted to make a name for myself. I've wanted to be someone that people in my family could name out and say, yeah, he's that person you could look up to. And that's what motivates me every morning to wake up and strive for what I want.

VOICE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS

Christopher's response reveals a motivational architecture the district's survey instruments are structurally unable to capture. His drive is not the confidence-based 'I believe I can improve' that a Likert scale measures — it's built on fear of failure, first-generation family obligation, and deep identification with a trusted adult who models possibility. He demonstrates five of IMPACTER's eight anchor attributes in a single two-minute response.

KEY INSIGHT FOR THE BOARD

"Voice data reveals a student building purpose from adversity — with a named trusted adult the system may not have known existed."

ATTRIBUTES DETECTED
Purpose
Grit
Growth Mindset
Perspective-Taking
Gratitude
GUARDRAIL 2 ALIGNMENT
Motivation to Be in SchoolStrong
Sense of BelongingStrong
Effort → ResultsModerate
Trusted Adult
Explicit: Auntie (off-campus)
EQUITY SIGNALS
• First-generation college student
• Financial hardship
• Family challenges
Highlighted phrases:
Purpose
Grit
Growth Mindset
Perspective-Taking
Gratitude
Implications for Guardrail 2

The Three Questions, Answered Deeper

Guardrail 2 asks whether students are motivated to be in school. The survey gives the board a number. Voice Intelligence gives the architecture behind that number.

Guardrail 2.2 — Belief in Improvement
"Can you improve if you try?"
↑ Rising through high school
SURVEY DATA · MAY 2025
75.4% All Students · 64.5% Spotlight (Grade 9)
A single number. Measured once a year. Tells us WHERE students are. Does not tell us why, how, or what to do about it.
VOICE INTELLIGENCE · IMPACTER

IMPACTER identified Growth Mindset language in 2,554 SDUSD responses, including specific effort-attribution narratives, temporal sequencing of personal development, and contrastive self-concept framing ('who I was vs. who I'm becoming'). The survey tells us what percentage of students believe improvement is possible. Voice data tells us HOW they're building that belief — and whether it's stable or fragile.

"Progress isn't just about outcomes — it's about who I am becoming over time." — Salem, Henry High, Grade 11
Guardrail 2.2 — Effort → Results Belief
"Does your effort lead to results?"
→ Flat across all grades
SURVEY DATA · MAY 2025
62.0% All Students · 49.2% Spotlight (Grade 9)
A single number. Measured once a year. Tells us WHERE students are. Does not tell us why, how, or what to do about it.
VOICE INTELLIGENCE · IMPACTER

3,553 Grit signals detected across SDUSD responses — including adversity-persistence narratives, challenge-seeking behavior, and temporal sequencing of sustained effort. For Spotlight 9th graders, fewer than half believe their effort leads to results. Voice data reveals the nuance: some are experiencing learned helplessness; others are building fear-driven resilience. The intervention is different for each, and only voice tells you which is which.

"I even take on tests that I know are too big for me, but I end up doing anyways — because I just want to accomplish something bigger than myself." — Christopher, Hoover High, Grade 11
Guardrail 2.2 — Managing Overwhelm
"Can you manage overwhelming tasks?"
⚠ Lowest metric — greatest opportunity
SURVEY DATA · MAY 2025
31.0% All Students · 22.3% Spotlight (Grade 9) — THE LOWEST METRIC
A single number. Measured once a year. Tells us WHERE students are. Does not tell us why, how, or what to do about it.
VOICE INTELLIGENCE · IMPACTER

Self-Control and regulatory monitoring language appeared in 2,340 SDUSD responses — students describing the exact strategies they use to manage chaos, break down big tasks, and regulate emotional responses to academic pressure. The survey number (22.3%) suggests students are struggling. The voice data reveals they're developing coping mechanisms the system has never seen — and couldn't measure with a five-point scale.

"Having a purpose is so grounding — it gives you a sense of direction especially when life gets chaotic." — Adieny, Hoover High, Grade 9

Guardrail 2 asks whether students are motivated to be in school. The survey gives us a number. Voice Intelligence gives us the architecture behind that number — trusted adults, purpose narratives, resilience strategies, and equity context that transforms a data point into an actionable insight.

What's Next

From Pilot to Partnership

Thirty-one thousand responses is a proof of concept. Here's what it looks like to turn it into a district-wide infrastructure.

01
EXPAND
10 → all schools

Voice Intelligence for Every SDUSD Student

Scale Voice Intelligence to all SDUSD schools for the 2026-27 school year. Establish a baseline for every student — not just pilot schools. 31,469 responses from 10 schools is the proof. The infrastructure exists to go district-wide.

02
INTEGRATE
MTSS Tier alignment

Connect to MTSS and Student Wellness

Connect Voice Intelligence data to MTSS tiers, behavioral health screening, and the Student Wellness Index being piloted under Goal 1.5. Voice data doesn't replace the clinical process — it accelerates the identification and triage that precedes it.

03
SUSTAIN
CPT 96127-U4 eligible

A Reimbursable, Self-Sustaining Infrastructure

Voice Intelligence administrations are reimbursable under CYBHI (CPT 96127-U4 at $4.81/administration). This is not a grant-dependent program. It is a sustainable measurement infrastructure that pays for itself through the behavioral health incentive program SDUSD is already participating in.

Roman already has the data.
Now let's decide what to do with it.
Schedule a Briefing →