Themes
Patterns across every response: themes, what stands out, where groups agree and differ, and draft recommendations.
Theme frequency by group
- Other
Bar length = share of all 2 responses that touched the theme. Groups under 5 responses are combined into “Other”.
Theme 1
AI leadership and capacity
2 of 2 responses
Both respondents want ACES to be known for artificial intelligence. Their ideas include AI guidance for districts, AI tools, an AI summit, and AI family nights. One respondent also named superintelligence as an emerging challenge. AI is the only topic raised by both responses across multiple questions.
3 representative quotes
“Known as the region’s first call for special education and for helping schools use AI well.”
Other
“I want them to be known for their innovation with artificial intelligence”
Other
“having an Ai summit”
Other
Theme 2
Communication gaps with districts and staff
2 of 2 responses
Respondents described information not reaching the people who need it. Districts may not know what services exist. Separate division newsletters fragment the message. Staff want more frequent updates and expectations from ELC.
3 representative quotes
“Strong with students, weaker at telling districts what services exist.”
Other
“separate newsletters from each division get in the way.”
Other
“It would be great if we hear from ELC more often”
Other
Theme 3
In-person gatherings build connection
2 of 2 responses
Respondents named face-to-face events as what makes people feel part of ACES. Examples include superintendent meetings, convocation, an admin retreat, cross-agency collaboration, and supervisor tacticals. Event logistics, especially parking, came up as a barrier.
3 representative quotes
“Superintendent meetings help”
Other
“I like convocation, but we need a space with better parking!”
Other
“Admin retreat was so fun”
Other
Theme 4
Staffing shortages
2 of 2 responses
Respondents flagged workforce gaps as a pressure point. One named paraprofessional shortages and listed paraprofessional pay and retention as a top priority. The other said substitutes are the problem they would most want a tool to solve.
3 representative quotes
“Funding cliffs and staffing shortages for paraprofessionals.”
Other
“Paraprofessional pay and retention.”
Other
“subs!”
Other
Theme 5
Simpler access and processes for districts
1 of 2 responses
The test response described district requests getting lost between departments and slow contracting approvals. It proposed a single front door and simpler contracting. It also suggested shared HR and data services for small districts, and noted that billing works.
2 representative quotes
“One front door for district service requests; requests get lost between departments.”
Other
“Billing works; contracting approvals are slow.”
Other
Theme 6
Family support and outreach
1 of 2 responses
The district educator sees family conversations and family support as the area most in need of strengthening. They suggested AI-focused family nights as one form of outreach.
2 representative quotes
“Strengthening is the convos with families and what we provide families in terms of support.”
Other
“family nights for AI”
Other
What stands out
- The input base is effectively one real response. R01 is explicitly marked "TEST RESPONSE (please delete)", and all of its follow-up answers say "TEST answer, please delete." Every finding attributed to R01 should be removed or treated as placeholder before any decisions are made.
- The only non-test respondent's answers are partly informal: lunch and a deli as the main strength, parking as a top priority, and "Super intelligence!" as the emerging challenge. Leadership should weigh this input accordingly.
- Despite the informal tone, AI came up repeatedly in the real response. It appeared under future identity, innovation, priorities, and three follow-ups (AI summit, AI family nights, AI tools).
- Substitutes surfaced as the problem the district educator would most want a tool to solve, though it appeared nowhere else in their answers.
- The district educator spoke positively about supervisor tacticals, a rare specific endorsement of an existing internal practice.
Where groups agree
- Both responses want ACES to be known for AI.
- Both name in-person gatherings (superintendent meetings, convocation, retreats) as what builds connection.
- Both point to communication that should be stronger, whether to districts, across divisions, or from ELC.
- Both raise staffing gaps: paraprofessionals in one response, substitutes in the other.
Where groups differ
- The test response focuses on district-facing operations such as contracting, service requests, and placement wait lists. The district educator focuses on staff experience, such as parking, lunch, gatherings, and having fun at work.
- They name different audiences needing better outreach: districts (R01) versus families (R02).
- Priorities overlap only on AI. Otherwise one list is operational (para retention, contracting) and the other is facilities and supplies (parking, books, a laptop).
Priorities named (question 9)
Candidate success measures (question 10)
- Shorter placement wait lists, tracked quarterly (from test response)
- Lower paraprofessional turnover (from test response)
- Staff report enjoying their work
Gaps
- No responses came from families, community members, or district leaders, and only one real response was collected in total.
- None of R01's follow-up questions were actually answered.
- Neither respondent explained why their priorities matter to the agency's future, which the question asked for.
- There was little engagement with how emerging challenges would affect students, families, or districts.
- Vision of success said nothing about students, families, or communities, and the real respondent offered no measurable evidence.
- Mission and impact got thin answers, with no examples of impact on students or educators from the real respondent.
Draft recommendations
1.Delete the test response and extend outreach, especially to families, community members, and district leaders, before drawing strategic conclusions from this input.
Supported by: Communication gaps with districts and staff; Family support and outreach
2.Explore an agency AI strategy that could include district guidance, an AI summit, and family-facing AI sessions, and test this with more stakeholders.
Supported by: AI leadership and capacity
3.Keep investing in in-person gatherings such as convocation and retreats, address logistics like parking, and set a regular cadence for ELC updates and expectations.
Supported by: In-person gatherings build connection; Communication gaps with districts and staff
4.Examine paraprofessional and substitute shortages as a possible workforce priority, and confirm the issue with a broader set of respondents.
Supported by: Staffing shortages
5.Assess whether a single front door for district requests and consolidated service communication would reduce lost requests, pending validation beyond the test response.
Supported by: Simpler access and processes for districts; Communication gaps with districts and staff