520 Policy: Student Surveys

I.    PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish the parameters of information that may be sought in student surveys.

II.    GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

The school district may conduct surveys of students to support school and school district improvement and student engagement.  The school district will follow applicable federal regulations in conducting any survey of students that is a part of any program funded through the United States Department of Education.  The school district will not impose an academic or other penalty upon a student who opts out of participating in a survey.  

III.    STUDENT SURVEYS

A.    Inspection

The school board will make all instructional materials available for inspection by students, parents, or guardians.   

B.    Student Stakeholder Survey

The school district will conduct an annual student stakeholder survey designed to obtain information from students about the school district’s success in achieving its mission.  

1.    The student stakeholder survey will 

a.    Collect feedback from students on their engagement in class,

b.    Provide teachers with student feedback for reflection on their classroom instruction and student engagement strategies,

c.    Provide school district administrators with student feedback to learn about strengths and opportunities for school and school district improvement, and

d.    Meet state requirements for principal and teacher development and evaluation.

2.    The school district will notify parents about the survey at the beginning of each school year.  The notice will include the grade levels to be surveyed, the purpose of the survey, the opt-out process, and a way for parents to review all questions in the survey.

3.    The school district will provide the survey schedule and opt-out form on the school district website.

4.    The school district will maintain the survey results as confidential data on the students.  The school district will report the survey results in a way that does not allow for identification of individual student results.

C.    Other Student Surveys Conducted as Part of a U.S. Department of Education Program 

1.    An adult student or a minor student’s parent or guardian must provide prior written consent before the student may be required to reveal information concerning political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent; mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family; sex behavior or attitudes; illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior; critical appraisals of other individuals with whom respondents have close family relationships; legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers; religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent; or income (other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under such program).

2.    The school district will not conduct other surveys of programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education without developing a policy to govern the conduct of such surveys.  The policy must be developed in consultation with parents.

IV.    NOTICE

A.    The school district will give parents and students notice of this policy at the beginning of each school year and after making substantive changes to this policy.

B.    The school district will inform parents at the beginning of the school year if the school district or school site has identified specific or approximate dates for administering surveys and give parents reasonable notice of planned surveys scheduled after the start of the school year. The school district will give parents direct, timely notice when their students are scheduled to participate in a student survey by United States mail, email or another direct form of communication.

C.    The school district will give parents the opportunity to review the survey and to exercise their option of determining that their students will not participate in the survey. 

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Adopted/Revised 
Adopted: 07/31/18

Legal References
20 U.S.C. § 1232h (Protection of Pupil Rights)
Minn. Stat. § 121A.065 (District Surveys to Collect Student Information Parent Notice and Opportunities for Opting Out)

Cross References
Policy 104 School District Mission
Policy 515 Protection and Privacy of Student Records