Austin’s schools are nudging in the direction of more content and productive employees.

At a Monday afternoon study session, the Austin Public Schools Board reviewed its employee engagement survey results. The confidential survey asked employees about their experiences in hopes of determining what portion qualified as “engaged employees” — in this case, an employee who understands and supports the district’s goals and feels content with his or her role.

The district measured in at 70.4 percent engaged this year, 2.4 percent over last year’s 68 percent. The goal with employee engagement is to reach 80 percent, Burroughs said.

“I was very pleased with the results I got,” she said.

Engaged employees are more productive and more likely to exceed expectations, Burroughs said. They also miss fewer days of work, are less likely to quit and are more supportive of change.

Subjects in the survey included communication and involvement, diversity, culture and image, site leadership, and questions on the job itself. About 56 percent of the district’s staff, or 356 employees, took the survey, and 10 percent of those were employees who been around for less than a year. Answers of “agree” or “strongly agree” are what counted as “engaged” on the several dozen questions.

For more on the school board meeting, look to the Tuesday print edition of the Herald.