This letter is also available in the following languages: Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

 YRDSB Student and Family Surveys 2021-22

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Student and family input is important to us. The York Region District School Board will be conducting online surveys with students (Grades 7-12) and families (Grades K-12) between June 1 - 30, 2022 to better understand experiences of learning this school year. Surveys will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. 

The surveys will include questions related to: 

• learning model, technology, and learning tools 
• engagement and learning 
• family/school communication and community engagement 
• well-being and mental health 
• relationships with peers and staff 
• safety, discrimination and bullying 
• equitable and inclusive learning environments 
• student identity 

We ask questions about students’ identities (e.g., race and gender) to support understanding how learning experiences may differ among groups of students. Results from the surveys will be shared with Trustees, schools, Board departments, and the public during the 2022-23 school year. 

The information collected will be used to:

• Provide important information about student mental health and well-being.
• Identify systemic barriers in order to create healthy, inclusive, and equitable learning and working environments.  
• Create programs, set priorities, and develop resources to continue building inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environments where all feel they matter and belong. 

The Family Survey will be available online in English, Arabic, Simplified Chinese,  Traditional Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

To accommodate participants with varying exceptionalities, both the family and student surveys can be completed using voice recognition software such as Google Read & Write. The questions in the survey are compatible with screen readers. For your reference, copies of both the student and family surveys are available on the Board website. 

Surveys are voluntary, anonymous and confidential. This means that students and families will not be asked for their name, and individual responses will not be reported. 

Information provided in these surveys will only be accessible by staff in YRDSB’s Research and Assessment Services Department. The third party data collection tool we use will also have access to responses until Research and Assessment Services removes them after the surveys are closed. Storage and retention of data will follow Board Policy and Procedure #160.0 Records and Information Management.

Students in Grades 7-12 will receive an email invitation to their GAPPS school account to participate in the Student Survey and will be provided with in-class time between June 1 and June 30 to complete the survey.  If you do not want your child(ren) in Grades 7-12 to receive the Student Survey invitation or if you have questions about the survey, please contact research.services@yrdsb.ca no later than May 26, 2022. Parents/guardians will receive an invitation to complete the Family Survey through the email address that is on file at their child’s school.  

This important initiative will help further our vision as we work together to listen to the voices of students and families to continue meeting their diverse needs. Thank you for your support.

Family Survey (for reference only)

Student Survey (for reference only)

YRDSB consults with students and families in a variety of ways. These surveys will provide valuable information about students’ and families’ experiences of learning this year.  Information will be used to promote safe, inclusive and respectful environments that support student achievement and well-being across the YRDSB schools. Results from this survey will be used to identify systemic barriers and create healthy, inclusive, and equitable learning environments.   

These surveys will also support Board and school improvement planning, and meet requirements under the Education Act to conduct School Climate Surveys which are conducted every few years. This year, surveys will also help YRDSB meet the requirements of Policy/Program Memorandum, PPM 164, which mandates that all school boards collect information about remote learning.

The 2022 administration of the surveys are:

• Student Survey (Grades 7-12) - June 1 - June 30, 2022
• Family Survey (Grades K-12) -  June 1 - June 30, 2022 

Survey questions are based on Board priorities as outlined in our Director’s Action Plan and Multi-Year Strategic Plan. 

The surveys will include questions about:

• learning model, technology, and learning tools 
• engagement and learning
• family / school communication and community engagement; 
• well-being and mental health
• relationships with peers and staff 
• safety, discrimination and bullying 
• equitable and inclusive learning environments 
• student identity

The surveys ask questions about students’ identities (e.g., race, gender) in order to understand how learning experiences may differ among groups of students, and to promote a safe and inclusive school climate for all students.

There are four types of data that are critical to improvement planning at the school and Board levels: achievement data, perception data, school programs and processes data, and contextual/demographic data. Perception data gives us information that helps us understand what our students, families, and staff think or believe about their experiences of learning. There are several other ways we learn about how we are doing: through academic results, school councils, staff meetings, and parent/guardian communication with the school. In conjunction with these sources, the surveys will provide valuable information to help support Board and school planning.

Knowing who our learners and families are is a key step in providing learning environments and opportunities that meet their needs. High response rates are critical to ensure that the results are representative of the perceptions and experiences of our student and family population. In addition, the surveys are an important way of ensuring stakeholder input into Board and school planning and decision making.

The student and family surveys were prepared in consultation with numerous subject matter experts within the YRDSB including staff with expertise in research design and analysis, consultants, and department leaders.

No. The Ontario Human Rights Code permits the collection and analysis of identity data for the purposes of identifying and removing systemic barriers, preventing discrimination, and promoting equity and inclusivity. Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan also encourages school boards to collect student identity-based data for the purpose of achieving these goals. The Anti-Racism Act, 2017, S.O. 2017, c 15, and section 169.1 (1)(2.1) of the Ontario Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E. 2 (as amended) also permits the collection of identity-based data.

Identity-based questions (e.g., race, gender) will be used to explore differences in the educational experiences of various student groups. Together, these data can be used to develop a better understanding of our student community, as well as areas of strength and need within our schools. In addition, responses to these questions will be used to monitor progress toward the Board’s goals.

The 2022 surveys for students and families include identity-based questions such as students’ racial/ethnic background, gender, and sexual orientation in order to develop a better understanding of the identities of students and families. Understanding our student and family population is critical to identifying and removing barriers to student achievement and well-being, promoting a sense of belonging, and developing strategies to create more equitable and inclusive learning environments.

There are inherent challenges in best describing people’s identities as individuals may use different terms to describe themselves, and terms change over time. For this survey, a variety of resources were used to create identity-based questions including a review of other school boards’ surveys, the Anti-Racism Data Standards, and previous YRDSB data collection initiatives. In addition, YRDSB staff with expertise in the area of equity and inclusivity were consulted. For identity-based questions, students can choose a category that they feel best describes their identity, or provide another response if they don’t see themselves reflected in the choices provided in the survey.

The surveys will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Students will receive an invitation to complete the Student Survey through their GAPPS school email account. Schools will provide 20-25 minutes of in-class time between June 1 and June 30 for students in Grades 7-12 to participate in the survey.  Students may use their own device to complete the survey (e.g., cell phone, Chromebook, Tablets) 

Parents/guardians will receive an invitation to complete the Family Survey through the email address that is on file at their child(ren)’s school. Due to covid-19 restrictions, the survey will not be made available in print.

Families who do not want their child(ren) in Grades 7-12 to be invited to participate in the Student Survey invitation may contact research.services@yrdsb.ca  no later than May 26, 2022. Families who do not want to participate in the Family Survey may disregard the email invitation.

If you do not want your child(ren) to be invited to participate in the Student Survey, but missed the deadline of May 26, 2022 to opt your child(ren) out, please advise your child(ren) to not participate in the student survey. You may also disregard the email invitation to complete the Family Survey.

Yes. The surveys, as well as other communication documents, will be posted on the Board website to allow for students and families to review prior to the launch date.

Completed surveys are submitted directly to the YRDSB Research Services team who compile summary reports of the results. Raw data are not released. The research team will ensure that individual respondents are not identified in the collection of data or reporting of results.

No. While survey data is important for planning strategies to support student achievement and well-being, and we encourage students and families to participate, the surveys are voluntary. Parents/guardians who do not want their child to receive an invitation to participate in the survey can contact research.services@yrdsb.ca by May 26, 2022.

If you do not feel comfortable answering a question, you can leave it blank or click “Not sure”.

Yes.  The survey is anonymous, considered confidential and kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation. Information provided in these surveys will only be accessible by staff in YRDSB’s Research and Assessment Services Department. The third party data collection tool that we are using will also have access to responses until they are removed by Research and Assessment Services once the surveys are closed. Storage and retention of data will follow Board Policy and Procedure #160.0 Records and Information Management.

YRDSB follows all privacy requirements outlined in the Municipal Freedom of information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). MFIPPA is the provincial legislation that establishes the responsibilities of school boards to protect personal information about individuals including students that is collected, used, retained, disclosed and disposed of.

Research and Assessment Services will remove responses from the third party survey once the surveys are closed. Storage and retention of data will follow Board Policy and Procedure #160.0 - Records and Information Management. Additionally, no names or identification numbers linked to the surveys or in any reports.  

Formal consent from parents/guardians is not required for the student survey. Legislation regarding participation of students in a board-initiated survey intended for planning and programming purposes permits the collection of survey data without formal parent/guardian consent. Families of students in Grades K-6 provide consent by completing the survey and not opting out. Families of students in Grades 7-12 may request that a Student Survey not be sent to their child by contacting the Research Services Department at research.services@yrdsb.ca no later than May 26, 2022.

Families who have opted not to receive YRDSB communications, or who have opted to not receive this survey, will not receive a copy of the survey. Additionally, surveys will not be sent to students whose parents/guardians have requested that their child not be sent a survey. If you have not received a survey but would like one, please contact the Research Services Department at research.services@yrdsb.ca.

For the most secure and best experience, we recommend using the newest version of the following browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11.

The Family survey will be available in the following most commonly spoken languages used in York Region households, as identified by demographic data from York Region and YRDSB enrollment data:

• English
• Arabic
• Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
• Farsi
• Gujarati
• Hebrew 
• Korean
• Punjabi
• Russian
• Tamil
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese.

Participants can choose their preferred language from the dropdown menu at the top right corner of the cover page on the online survey. 

French, although one of Canada's official languages, has not been widely identified as a primary language used by YRDSB families according to this data. While we are proud and respectful of our bilingual heritage in Canada, we are also respectful of requests of taxpayers to keep translation costs at a minimum.