Engagement Survey Template

Schools can use this template to gather input from the school community to support the design of the Portrait of a Graduate.  Note: For student stakeholders, this survey is most appropriate for upper middle and high school students.

Customized questions are outlined below in light blue font. These are example questions to provide a sample of the type and format of additional questions that can be added to the survey based on the unique priorities or interests of the surveying district. If no customized questions are needed, these can be deleted.

Portrait of a Graduate Survey

Opening Statement: We are collecting information from members of our school community to support Any School District, USA in designing our Portrait of a Graduate. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete and will be anonymous. We appreciate you taking the time to complete the district’s survey by DATE.

For ALL survey participants 

1.) Which of the following best describes you? Select one.

    1. Student (continue to question 2)
    2. Educator at Any School, USA (skip to question 4)
    3. Administrator at Any School, USA (skip to question 4)
    4. Other Staff Member at Any School, USA (skip to question 4)
    5. Parent/Caregiver of an Any School, USA student (skip to question 5)
    6. Community Member (skip to question 6)

For students only (based on selection “a” in Q1)

2.) What is your grade level?

    1. Elementary School (K-4th)
    2. Middle School (5-8th)
    3. High School (9-12th)

(Continue to question 3)

3.) Picture yourself as a young adult who has graduated from the Any School, USA district. What do you see for yourself? What are your hopes and dreams for your future?

(Continue to question 9)

For school-based adults only (selection of “b”, “c” or “d” in Q1):

4.) In which school(s) are you an educator/administrator/staff member? Select all that apply.

    1. Elementary School (K-4th)
    2. Middle School (5-8th)
    3. High School (9-12th)

(Skip to question 7)

For Parents/Caregivers only (selection of “e” in Q1):

5.) Which Any School, USA school does your child attend? If you are the caregiver for more than one child, please select all that apply.

    1. Elementary School (K-4th)
    2. Middle School (5-8th)
    3. High School (9-12th)

(Skip to question 7)

For Community Members Only (selection of “f” in Q1):

6.) In which town do you live?

    1. Town 1
    2. Town 2
    3. Other (please specify) __________

(Continue to question 7)

For non-Students Only (selection of “b”, “c”, “d”, “e” or “f” in Q1):

7.) Sample of customized question: Over the last year, district leadership has taken new steps towards building the skills students need for a successful future. In what ways have you noticed this change, if any? Do you feel leadership has been successful in these efforts? Why or why not? Open-ended.

(Continue to question 8)

8.) What hopes and dreams do you have for the young people of Any School, USA district? Open-ended

(Continue to question 9)

 For ALL Survey Participants:

9.) What are the top 5 skills, experiences, and personal qualities you think are most important for achieving these hopes and dreams?

    1. Communication skills
    2. Logic, reasoning, and critical thinking skills
    3. Relationship skills
    4. Creativity
    5. Student choice
    6. Problem-solving
    7. Resilience and perseverance 
    8. Daily life skills (ex. Understanding taxes)
    9. Understanding other perspectives
    10. Awareness of the world beyond Any School, USA 
    11. Responsible decision making
    12. Self-management
    13. Understanding role in community
    14. None of the above
    15. Other (please specify) __________

(Non-Students – Continue to question 10)

(Students – Skip to question 13)

For non-Students Only (selection of “b”, “c”, “d”, “e” or “f” in Q1):

10.) In what ways do you think the school/district currently helps students develop these skills and personal qualities? Open-ended.

(Continue to question 11)

11.) What could the school/district do better or do differently to enhance students’ experiences? For example, are there opportunities that you wish Any School, USA students had? Open-ended.

(Continue to question 12)

12.) Sample of customized question: To what extent do you agree with the following statements?                     (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree)

An Engagement Survey with three statements about district leadership and student support, each rated on a scale: Strongly Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Strongly Agree.

(Skip to question 16)

For Students Only (selection of “a” in Q1):

13.) In what ways do you think Any School, USA currently helps you develop these skills and personal qualities? Open-ended.

(Continue to question 14)

14.) What could we change or do better in Any School, USA? For example, are there opportunities that you wish you had as an Any School, USA student? Open-ended.

(Continue to question 15)

15.) Sample of customized question: Do you believe Any School, USA district leadership wants the best for you? Select one.

    1. No, I don’t believe they want the best for me
    2. I’m unsure if they want the best for me
    3. Yes, I believe they want the best for me

(Continue to question 16)

For ALL Survey Participants:

16.) Is there anything else you wish to add about preparing Any School, USA students for success? Open-ended.

(Non-Students – Continue to question 17)

(Students – Skip to question 21)

Non-Student Demographics for Non-Students Only (selection of “b”, “c”, “d”, “e” or “f” in Q1):

The final few questions will help us learn more about you and the members of your school community. These questions are all optional but your responses will help us create a stronger and more equitable Portrait of a Graduate.

17.) What is your age? Select one.

    1. Under 18
    2. 18-24
    3. 25-34
    4. 35-44
    5. 45-54
    6. 55-65
    7. 65+

18.) Which of the following best describes you? Select all that apply.

    1. American Indian or Alaskan Native
    2. Asian
    3. Black or African American
    4. Latino/a/x or Hispanic
    5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
    6. White or Caucasian
    7. Other (please specify): _______________

19.) What language do you mainly speak at home? Select one.

    1. American Sign Language (ASL)
    2. Arabic
    3. English
    4. Chinese
    5. Haitian
    6. Portuguese
    7. Russian
    8. Somali
    9. Spanish
    10. Vietnamese
    11. Some other language (please specify): ____________

20.) Was this statement often, sometimes, or never true for you in the last 12 months? “We worried whether our food would run out before we got money to buy more.” Select one.

    1. Often true
    2. Sometimes true
    3. Never true

(Non-Students: Skip to end of survey)

Student Demographics for Students Only (selection of “a” in Q1):

The final few questions will help us learn more about you and the members of your school community. There is no right or wrong answer to these questions, and you do not need to complete them if you do not want to. If you do choose to answer them, your responses will help us create a stronger and more equitable Portrait of a Graduate.

21.) Which of the following best describes you? Select all that apply.

    1. American Indian or Alaskan Native
    2. Asian
    3. Black or African American
    4. Latino/a/x or Hispanic
    5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
    6. White or Caucasian
    7. Other (please specify): _______________

22.) What language do you mainly speak at home? Select one.

    1. American Sign Language (ASL)
    2. Arabic
    3. English
    4. Chinese
    5. Haitian
    6. Portuguese
    7. Russian
    8. Somali
    9. Spanish
    10. Vietnamese
    11. Some other language (please specify): ____________

23.) Did you worry that food at home would run out before your family got money to buy more? Select one.

    1. A lot
    2. Sometimes
    3. Never

(Students: Proceed to end of survey)

Thank you for completing the survey!

Overview of Question Sequencing by Stakeholder Group (as identified in Question 1):

Student: 1, 2, 3, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23

Educator: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Administrator: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Other Staff: 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Parent/Caregiver: 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Community Member: 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Creative Commons License This resource was produced by the Great Schools Partnership and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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