School Surveys:   For Data Driven Decisions

The School Survey is a survey questionnaire that  provides schools with a way to find out what their key stakeholders think and feel. It was developed for any type of school - elementary to secondary, public and private.

The tool  has  been developed over several years by Dr. Susan Carroll who is the president of  Words & Numbers Research, Inc. and an expert in research methods.   The tools possess characteristics of sound measurement that many other instruments on the market lack.

Together, the Carrolls have 40 years expertise in the field of educational research. Their firm, Words & Numbers Research, Inc. was founded 1984 and has conducted numerous surveys in public education throughout the USA.

The data provide customized reports of findings that are tailored to your school system.  This makes the findings actionable, specific and immediately useful to your school system, an excellent return on the investment.

There are five different versions.

PARENT        STUDENT          TEACHER            COMMUNITY      ALUMNI

Each consists of 50 questions that include a wide variety of topics. Some of the questions cover areas such as academic instruction, student development, school climate, communication and school resources. These areas will stand the test of time and will not change from year to year. They are common denominators to all schools and to all school systems.

• The Parent /Guardian version has parent satisfaction items such as scheduling appointments with staff, timely updates on their child’s progress, and the quality of teacher-parent conferences.

• The Teacher version contains teacher satisfaction items such as the quality of homework handed in by students, amount of committee work assigned and parental support of School Board policies such as attendance.

• The Student version includes student satisfaction items such as the ability to make appointments with teachers, the explanation of standardized tests scores and willingness of teachers to help students after class.

• The Community version includes school evaluation items such as satisfaction with standardized test scores, the ability of schools to prepare students for the future and satisfaction with the Board of Education.

• The Alumni version includes evaluation of graduates' preparation for college and the world of work, the acquisition of life skills, the quality of the high school experience and other important factors that shaped their development.

Why smart schools use the School Survey

It is an affordable public relations tool, which says, "This school system is serious about hearing from you." It gives parents, teachers, students and the outside community an opportunity to tell you what they think.

It uses a simple grading system with written comments that provide rich data upon which smart decisions can be based. Schools now have a diagnostic tool to monitor perceptions, make improvements and measure the levels of satisfaction.

It replaces guesswork with hard data about important perceptions on instruction, student development, school image, the physical resources, customer service and communication. This information is the foundation for a compelling and responsive communications plan (what you should be telling your publics).

It allows you to tell a meaningful and memorable story. School systems are provided with powerful information. At budget time, in news releases, in public relations materials and at BOE presentations it is invaluable in making a case for what you are doing, what you need to do or what you have done.

It pinpoints what is most important for schools and school systems to focus limited resources on to make parents, teachers, students and the outside community satisfied. By prioritizing, the tendency of trying "to do everything" and "be everything to everyone" is avoided.

School systems can objectively identify strengths and achievements. The opportunity for schools to promote the good news is created by the collection of data, which document the areas of excellence.

Schools can learn what most - not a few- think and expect. It  affords school systems the ability to gather representative data that reflect majority opinion versus a vocal minority. Information collected methodically and independently can combat hunches and gossip.

Schools can track perceptions of image from year to year and monitor differences over time. Data can be stored, updated and maintained on hard disk for annual comparisons.

The tool possesses attributes of a sound measurement tool. Dr. Susan Carroll, an expert in test development and evaluation developed it over several years. It has been field tested and revised based on user feedback. A valid and reliable measurement device, it is user friendly and affordable to cost conscious schools.

"Effective school leaders who are concerned about building strong community relationships, avoiding surprises by "staying in touch", and continuously improving their schools will find the School Survey essential for strategic planning, prioritizing and preparing alternatives. It is a necessity in the political environment where public education exists today and will remain in the 21st century."

How the School Survey Works...

Is it easy to complete?  Yes. The School Survey is designed similar to a typical report card. Respondents check a grade (A,B,C,D or F) for each of the 50 items. Then, respondents are asked to select which two of the 50 items are the most important to them. Finally, they are asked to write in any comments that clarify their grade selections. Translations in Spanish and Polish are available.

How does it work?  Instructions for data collection will be provided by Words & Numbers Research, Inc. Simply stated, the school disseminates the School Survey with a pre-addressed envelope to the stakeholder group. Once completed, the respondents place the questionnaires in the return envelope, seal the envelopes and they go back to Words & Numbers Research, Inc. The sealed envelopes and their contents are not opened by, or returned to, the school in order to assure respondents anonymity and confidentiality.

What kind of report do we get?  An individual school reports will be provided for each of the schools that participates and if more than one, an aggregate report for all schools in a system. Reporting is straightforward and simple for interpretation by both professional and lay audiences. For each of the items, a grade is awarded (A,B,C,D or F) along with numeric mean scores so that the grade is documented.  Written responses are provided in typed copy to preserve anonymity and are added to the report of findings for rich insights. This provides a wealth of quantitative and qualitative information upon which smart decisions can be based.

When should we do it?  Anytime is a good time to ask stakeholders what they think. However, if it is done earlier in the school year, the information can be put to immediate use. Later in the school year, the information can be used for planning in the upcoming school year.

Additional Options...

The Prevention Index
As an option, the Prevention Index can be added to any of the School Report Card versions. This index consists of 15 items that measure the perception of potential problem spots. Areas such as excessive absenteeism, disruption in classrooms and others are diagnosed for perceived frequency, so that schools can address the perceptions. If one of the problems is perceived,  but does not truly exist, a school’s image is adversely affected. Schools need to know this in order to generate proactive communications. If a problem is perceived and it is found to exist, prevention can be initiated.

The Defection Index
With schools troubled by the defection of students to private, charter and parochial schools, the Defection Index will indicate reasons that students left your public school system. The basis for the school choice will be clearly established, not guessed about.