DATA FOCUS: Archives Return to Archives Return to Using Data Contents Introduction to Surveys   –What is a survey?     Benefits and cautions   –Essential steps to conducting     surveys Using surveys in an    accountability system Practical questions Sample tool   –Introduction   –Student questionnaire Resources Print version

INTRODUCTION TO SURVEYS: Benefits and Cautions BENEFITS Surveys can benefit school-improvement efforts by enabling the voices of various stakeholders to be heard; flagging areas of concern or patterns of behavior worth looking at more carefully; serving as a first step in a needs assessment or program evaluation; revealing areas where beliefs and attitudes among different stakeholders match or conflict; tracking long-term changes in opinions by administering the survey at regular time intervals. CAUTIONS Surveys can yield valuable information when used carefully. Three cautions are in order: Surveys yield subjective data – opinions, attitudes, and perceptions of reality – that need to be checked against other sources. > Tip 2: Two ways to compare different kinds of data Surveys make perceptions transparent so that they can be questioned and investigated. For example, teachers, parents, or students may rate the number of times they or others engage in certain behavior, and then observational data can verify whether these perceptions are accurate. For some purposes, such as determining how different stakeholders rate the effectiveness of the school program, survey data by themselves can offer valuable information. But the information is especially powerful when analyzed alongside other kinds of data. Surveys are often used as one instrument in a larger evaluation design, along with outcome measures and observational data. Your survey, whether "homegrown" or prepackaged, must be both reliable and valid. > Tip 3: How to Improve Reliability and Validity The survey is an accepted research methodology with a long history of use and a large body of descriptive literature. Researchers have learned how to ensure that survey data will be useful, so they can anticipate and avoid pitfalls. Teachers, principals, parents, and community members usually don't have the time and expertise in research methods to put together a reliable and valid survey design from beginning to end. Whether you are planning to develop your own or adapt another survey, it is important to consult knowledgeable sources. We strongly recommend that you get help in planning and conducting your survey. > Tip 4: Getting Help: Partnerships; Manuals; Sample Questionnaires At a minimum, you need to read manuals about surveys; even better, consult with someone knowledgeable in the field. Otherwise, a survey may require more resources than the district is willing or able to provide. Outside sources can help to develop and score surveys, to check them for reliability and validity, and to interpret data. Top