In the Spring of 2023, all YRDSB students in Grades 4 to 12 and parents/guardians of students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be invited to participate in a system-wide census entitled, the Every Student Count Survey (ESCS). The purpose of the survey is to better understand our students and their experiences at school. The board will use the findings to help improve our schools and to:
- Identify and eliminate systemic barriers to student success;
- Create more equitable and inclusive school environments; and,
- Improve student achievement and well-being.
YRDSB will use the data from the ESCS to learn more about our student's experiences at school in order to be responsive to their needs.
YRDSB is committed to addressing systemic barriers to student success, creating more equitable and inclusive school environments and improving student achievement and well-being. All school boards in Ontario are required to collect identity-based data as stated in the Anti Racism Act. Accordingly, we need to have a better understanding of who our students are and how they experience learning within our schools in order to support their needs, interests and aspirations. Collecting identity-based data is important for evaluating how well our programs, resources and practices support all YRDSB students. Research shows that students from historically and currently marginalized populations often face systemic barriers to learning and success.
Systemic barriers are policies, programs and practices that result in particular groups of students receiving inequitable access to opportunities or being excluded in a way that creates or maintains disadvantages for these marginalized groups. To this end, the ESCS includes questions about various aspects of students’ identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.). Collecting identity-based information through the ESCS helps us identify our underserved populations so that we can develop and revise programs, strategies, policies and teaching practices, as well as allocate resources and supports to improve school environments and help every student succeed.
Families of students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be invited to complete the survey with their children at home. Students in Grades 4 to 12 will complete the survey at school. School administrators will ensure that all students, including those attending alternative programs, will receive their invitation to participate in the survey.
The survey will take about 20 minutes to complete.
For accessibility purposes, all of the accommodations, supports and assistive technology necessary will be provided to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate in the survey. The survey will also be available in paper, large print and braille.
Students in Grades 4-12 who are not able to complete the survey independently at school will have the option to complete the survey at home with the support of their parents, guardians or caregivers.
Yes. The survey for students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 will be available in the following top 13 languages identified by York Region demographics and school board enrolment data: English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.
The survey for Grades 4 to 12 students will be available in the top 6 languages as identified by school board enrolment data: English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Russian, Tamil and Urdu.
The ESCS is not available in French. The survey will be translated into the most frequently spoken languages as identified by York Region demographics and YRDSB’s enrolment data. French, while one of our country’s official languages, has not been widely identified as a primary language by YRDSB families according to this data.
The ESCS is confidential but not anonymous. To ensure confidentiality, no directly identifying information (such as student name) will be on the survey. As one of the main purposes of the survey is to identify and eliminate systemic barriers to student success, all surveys will include a unique code used to link the survey data with achievement and other data. The purpose of linking this data is to identify ways that groups of students are being underserved so that we can develop and revise programs, strategies, policies and teaching practices, as well as allocate resources and supports to improve school environments. To protect students’ identities, survey results will only be reported in aggregate form (grouped data only) and no individual students will be identified.
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.
Formal consent from parents or guardians is not required for the ESCS. Legislation regarding participation of students in a board-initiated survey intended for planning and programming purposes permits the collection of survey data without a formal parent or guardian consent. Families of students in Grades K-3 provide consent by completing the survey. Families of students in Grades 4-12 will be able to opt their child out of receiving the survey. More information about the opt out process is available here
No. The collection of identity-based data in the ESCS is supported by Canada’s human rights legislative framework, including the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and section 15(2) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario Human Rights Code permits and encourages the collection and analysis of identity data for the purposes of identifying and removing systemic barriers, preventing discrimination and promoting equity and inclusivity.
When collecting personal information such as identity-based data, 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.
CCI Research work with YRDSB to conduct the survey and to ensure data privacy, security and adherence to all relevant legislation. At YRDSB’s request, the vendor will complete a Third Party Service Provider Privacy Review and an Independent Security Assessment.
To ensure the confidentiality of the data, no directly identifying information such as student name or student ID number will be in the survey response data or on completed paper surveys. The online survey will use an encrypted survey code and a forced encrypted questionnaire with secure methodology (HTTP / SSL over TLS). Paper surveys returned to the vendor will be scanned into a secure database and then destroyed. The database will be transferred to YRDSB using encryption techniques and secure protocols. Only YRDSB’s Research and Assessment Services departments have access to the database for analysis and research purposes. This electronic database is housed at YRDSB for an indefinite period as YRDSB will monitor trends and improvements over time when subsequent surveys are implemented. It is expected that the Every Student Counts Survey will be conducted every 4-5 years.
From February 27, 2023 - March 10, 2023, parents or guardians of students in Grades 4-12 who do not wish for their child to receive the survey had the opportunity to opt them out.
If have a child in Grades 4-12 and you missed the opt-out period and do not wish for your child to receive the survey, please contact their school. If you have a child in Kindergarten to Grade 3 and do not want them to complete the survey, please disregard the survey invitation letter.
Families of students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 who require an accommodation (e.g., paper survey in enlarged print, translated paper copies) to complete the survey need to contact CCI Research between February 27, 2023 and March 10, 2023 by phone at 1-866-450-4907, to make a request.
Please visit the ESCS Administration page for details.
Yes, students attending virtual school will also be invited to complete the survey.
Families of students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will receive an email invitation and will complete the survey at home.
Students in Grades 4-12 will complete the survey during class time.
Looking for More Information?
See Additional information about the survey.
If you have any questions regarding the Every Student Counts Survey, please contact research.services@yrdsb.ca