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Student Information

 
Student Information
Students: 
·         The School Learning Environment Survey asks students how they feel about their school.
·         All students in 5th - 12th grade will be given the opportunity to take this voluntary and anonymous survey.
·         Computer labs in the schools will be set up for students to use to complete the survey.

Student Survey Frequently Asked Questions
 

1. What are Learning Environment Surveys? Over the next few weeks, the district will be surveying students, parents and teachers to gather feedback on how each of these groups feels about the learning environment in their school. The survey will ask questions about: academic expectations; collaboration (working together); communication; engagement and safety and respect. There is a different survey for students, parents and teachers, but all focus on these five areas.
 
 
2. Who takes the student survey? Students in grades 5-12 will take the survey.

 
3. What will the survey results be used for? The survey results will be used by each school to improve their operations as part of their school improvement plans. Results will also be used as a major factor in determining the school climate/student engagement component of the Annual School Progress Reports the district will use to tier the schools.
 

4. Will I be able to see the results of the survey? Yes. Once the results are collected and analyzed, the results will be posted on the New Haven Public Schools website at www.old.nhps.net
 

5. How did you decide what questions to ask? The surveys were designed by the Survey Committee which was formed as part of the historic teacher’s contract the district and the teacher’s union agreed upon last fall. The Survey Committee is composed of administrators, teachers, staff, and parents. They have worked hard since fall, 2009 to craft these three surveys based on national models, New Haven experiences, and school needs. The results of the surveys are an important part of our overall effort to understand and improve our schools and will be a component of our annual School Progress Reports.
 

6. How long does the survey take? Approximately 15 minutes. Schedule at most 30 minutes per student group.
 

7. Do bilingual students take the survey? Yes. Bilingual students should be granted the same assistance they receive for general instruction. If you have questions, please check with your bilingual supervisor.
 

8. Do special education students take the survey? Yes. Special education students should be granted the same assistance they receive for general instruction as noted in their IEP. If you have questions, please check with your special education supervisor.
 

9. Will the District be able to track what individual students say on their surveys? No. The surveys are completely anonymous.

 
10. Can the teacher read the questions out loud to the students? Yes, as long as they do not attempt to influence the answers.

 
11. What if a student does not want to take the survey? The survey is voluntary. However, we strongly encourage all students to participate. If a student refuses to take the survey, or should a parent object to a student’s participation, please provide an alternate activity for that student.
 

12. What if a student is absent on the day his or her class visits the computer lab? If a student is absent or misses the survey, please make sure to schedule that student for a make-up date.