What is the survey about?
The survey asks questions about the learning environment in each school. It focuses on safety and respect, engagement, communication, and academic expectations.
Who takes the survey?
All parents, teachers and students in grades 6 - 12 in New York City's public schools will participate in the Learning Environment Survey, including all general education, charter, District 75, and phase-out schools. This year, the teacher survey is being expanded to include guidance counselors.
Why is the Learning Environment Survey important?
Survey reports are designed to give school leaders and members of school communities constructive information for use in improving programming, engagement, communication, safety, and respect at their schools. Quality Reviews take into account how well schools use their survey results to make improvements.
How will students receive and take their surveys? Will they be translated?
Student surveys for all students in grades 6-12 will arrive at schools the last three weeks of March. Surveys must be administered during the school day and returned by April 18 th . It is up to each school to determine an appropriate time to administer the surveys, but efforts should be made to have all students fill out the survey on the same day.
When student surveys arrive at schools, middle school surveys will be sorted by ATS official class. This fall, high school principals chose how student surveys would be sorted. Based on this selection, high school student surveys will be sorted either by HSST attendance period, ATS official class, or alphabetically by grade. Each student survey will be packaged in an individual envelope labeled with the student’s name. Teachers should distribute and administer surveys to students according to instructions that will be enclosed in the survey package. Student surveys will require about 30 minutes of class time. Students should seal completed surveys in the individual envelopes provided, and teachers should collect sealed envelopes. The school should collect sealed envelopes from teachers, and return student surveys in provided postage-paid return packaging by April 18 th . We suggest that schools schedule time to administer student surveys during the first week in April.
ELL students whose home language is listed in ATS as Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish or Urdu will receive surveys in both English and in their home language. They should select the version that is most appropriate for them.
How do the surveys affect school Progress Report grades?
Survey results will determine 10% of the letter grade each school will earn on its 2007-08 Progress Report. Along with attendance, surveys contribute to the environment portion of the Progress Report grade. Every survey received will be factored into the Progress Report, with the views of parents, teachers and students counting equally in all but exceptional cases (discussed below). Every school will receive a report that includes its response rates for each group, overall scores for each of four major categories—academic expectations, communication, engagement, and safety and respect—and aggregated response totals for each question on all three surveys. Parents who attend fall Parent-Teacher conferences will receive summary survey reports on their school along with their school’s Progress Reports.
Will District 75 parents, teachers and students receive surveys this year?
This year, in partnership with District 75 leadership, parents, and educators, the New York City Department of Education has developed a separate set of surveys designed to measure the learning environment in District 75 school communities. Developed by using the same structure and approach as the survey for general education schools last year, the survey for District 75 parents, teachers and students specifically addresses the experience of District 75 schools and constituents.
Will anyone know how individual parents, teachers or students fill out the survey? Is my survey confidential?
Parent and student surveys are entirely confidential . No one in schools or at the DOE will ever see or identify the source of any individual’s survey response. Surveys are being collected by a professional accounting firm, KPMG, whose job it is to make sure that survey administration is fair and confidential. Survey reports will present aggregated and itemized data to schools this summer but will provide them with no information about individual survey respondents.
Parent and student surveys are confidential. They are bar-coded to ensure that parents and students receive only one survey. Parents and students will remove their names before returning the survey so that no names appear on any returned survey. Teacher surveys are anonymous. Bar codes for teacher surveys prevent survey duplication but will not be linked to individuals. KPMG will remove all identifying information before presenting survey results to schools and the DOE as a whole.
It is a disciplinary offense for any principal, administrator or other DOE employee to violate survey confidentiality, to take steps based on guesses about how any individual survey respondent might have answered a survey question, to prevent parents or teachers from completing surveys or interfere with their doing so, or to influence or manipulate survey responses in any way.
How many years has this survey been conducted?
This is the second year New York City's Department of Education will survey all parents, teachers and 6 th - 12 th grade students in New York City public schools.
What role can students play in their school’s survey effort?
We recommend that the principal and school survey coordinator involve students in the survey process. A group of students (as small or large as necessary) can assist school leaders with the distribution and collection of surveys, and can also help generate student support for the survey. Students listen to other students, so it is a good idea for members of the student body to spread the word that the survey is a good way for them to have a voice, and that student input counts as much as that of teachers and parents. Students can also encourage their parents fill out surveys. One way to increase interest is to invite students, inside or outside class, to discuss published survey results from last year. The Learning Environment Survey is the largest nationwide effort to survey school constituencies. It represents a wonderful opportunity in class to study math (statistics), social studies (civic engagement) or other subjects.
If students in your school are promoting the survey in a creative way and you would like them to be featured on the DOE Web site, please email Stephanie Simon ( ssimon11@schools.nyc.gov ) and explain why your school should be recognized.
Who should individual parents, teachers and students contact if they have other questions or encounter problems?
Parents, teachers and students should call “311” with all questions related to the Learning Environment Survey, including lost surveys.