CULTURE IN FOCUS

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June 20, 2025

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

How Notre Dame Prep is shaping the future of the student experience.

This past spring, Notre Dame Preparatory School embarked on a meaningful initiative rooted in a single powerful idea: listening. In collaboration with Panorama Education — a national leader in school climate assessments — NDP conducted a comprehensive culture survey to better understand the experiences of its students, families, faculty, alumni and board members.

The results offered not just a snapshot of life at the school, but a mirror — reflecting the community’s strengths and its areas for growth. It was a moment of reflection on the Marist ethos and, more importantly, a call to action.
“This wasn’t just about collecting data,” said Mia Burbank, chair of Notre Dame Prep’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion board committee. “It was about listening with intention and using what we heard to become a stronger, more inclusive community.”

A moment four years in the making

The spring 2025 survey marked the second time NDP had undertaken this type of cultural assessment. The first survey, conducted four years ago, helped establish a baseline that informed several school-wide initiatives — many of which are now embedded in the school’s strategic plan. Revisiting the survey this year was intentional.

“We wanted to see if the work we put in over the past few years was truly making a difference,” Burbank explained. “It was also a chance to assess new challenges and make sure we’re staying aligned with the evolving needs of our students and families.”

The survey’s questions focused on four key areas: belonging, safety, mission alignment, and the day-to-day experience of life at NDP. Many questions mirrored those from the original survey, allowing for clear comparison over time.

“By asking similar questions, we could measure progress and identify where we’ve grown — and where we still need to grow,” Burbank said. “It also let us reflect on how well our mission is being lived out in everyday school life.”

Encouraging insights: safety and connection

As part of the qualitative data collection, the school sent surveys to all faculty and staff, current parents with students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, students in 4th through 12th grade, and Notre Dame Prep alumni from the past 10 years.

The results paint a hopeful picture in many areas. Most notably, students overwhelmingly reported a strong sense of physical safety on campus: Ninety-two percent of students said they do not worry about physical fights. Eighty-nine percent said they don’t worry about school violence. 

Equally significant, 70 percent of students reported a sense of belonging and connection to the NDP community.

“These results affirm that we’re doing important work in creating an environment where students feel safe and supported,” Burbank noted. “Safety and belonging are essential foundations for learning.”

Overall, families, teachers and staff responded favorably to the topic of school climate, with 80 percent of families stating they believe students have respect for school staff, while 60 percent believe the school values the diversity of students’ backgrounds. Ninety-two percent of teachers felt like they are trusted to teach in the way they think is best.

Areas for improvement: respect and inclusion

The survey also revealed some hard truths — insights that school leaders are now using to guide the next chapter of growth:
   • Many students felt a noted lack of respect in the way people treat each other with notable variation across grade levels. 
   • Favorability regarding school culture declined with age.
   • Students receiving financial aid reported a lower sense of belonging than their peers, along with less favorable views on overall school culture.

“We didn’t go into this looking for perfect scores,” said Burbank. “We wanted honesty. And that’s what we got. The results show us that while we’ve built a strong foundation, we must do more to ensure every student feels respected, valued, and seen — especially those who may face additional barriers.”

Beyond the metrics, the survey included open-ended questions that offered deeper insights and personal reflections. Themes emerged across groups — highlighting both praise for the school’s strengths and suggestions for how to improve.

Strong participation across all key constituencies gave the school’s administration confidence that the survey reflects the broader community’s voice. Still, school leaders understand that data alone isn’t enough.

“Surveys give us the ‘what,’ but not always the ‘why,’” Burbank said. “That’s why we’re hosting focus groups this fall. We want to sit down with students, parents, alumni and faculty to hear the stories behind the statistics.”

Next steps

The survey findings are currently being reviewed by the DEI committee in partnership with school leadership. From this, a concrete action plan will be developed that focuses on: targeted initiatives to improve belonging and respect across all grade levels; additional support for students who receive scholarships or feel less connected; focus groups to gather qualitative feedback; integration of findings into both the school’s operational goals and long-term strategic planning; and transparent communication about progress and next steps. 

“This work doesn’t live in a binder or a boardroom,” Burbank emphasized. “It’s woven into how we make decisions, set priorities, and serve our students every day.”

Perhaps the most important takeaway from this survey is that culture is never static — it evolves with intention, dialogue, and trust. Burbank said the school’s leadership — including Head of School Andy Guest and the Board of Trustees — are committed to that principal. 

“We’ve built something special at NDP,” Burbank said. “But the work of building culture never ends. It takes listening, reflecting, and acting with heart. That’s how we ensure every member of our community feels at home here.”

Guest agreed, stating: “Creating a culture where every student feels they belong is not a box we check — it’s a promise we make daily. When our students know they are welcomed, valued, and respected for who they are, they can thrive. As a Catholic, Marist educational community, that’s the kind of school community we’re called to be.”

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.