The results of the Every Student Belongs
Survey are now available!
What is the Every Student Belongs Survey?
This voluntary survey was administered during the 2020-2021 school year to students in Grades 7 to 12 and to families of students in Kindergarten to Grade 6.
The survey focusses on students' identities and includes questions related to:
- Cultural and Ethnic Origins
- Racial Identity
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Identity
- Languages
- Born in Canada
- Religious Beliefs and Spiritual Affiliation
- Gender Identity
- Sexual Orientation
- Disabilities
Results will be used to help inform decisions on Thames Valley District School Board programming, policies, and procedures. District and school-level teams will use these results to inform their plans to support student achievement and well-being.
Access the Supporting Materials Here:
Every Student Belongs at Thames Valley 2020-2021 Slide Presentation.pdf
Every Student Belongs at Thames Valley 2020-2021 Student and Family Surveys.pdf
Every Student Belongs at Thames Valley 2020-2021 Data File.xlsx
Contact Information
Questions can be sent by email at everystudentbelongs@tvdsb.ca or by phoning 519-452-2000 ext. 20496.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Survey Results
| Why did TVDSB do this survey? How will the results be used? |
| This work is a central priority of the board with specific connections to both our Strategic Priorities and our Operational Plan. We are committed to ensuring that students' identities, living experiences, and abilities are integrated into the teaching and learning at school, as outlined in goal number two of our Operational Plan. These results inform us about the diversity of the students in TVDSB and the need to support and affirm all identities to make sure our board is inclusive of all students. As a board, we plan to use what we have learned about student identities to continue to build equity and focus our work on anti-racism and anti-oppression in Thames Valley. |
| I/my child wrote in a response to a question. Why don’t I see that response in the results? |
|
The full report available on the TVDSB website (www.tvdsb.ca/everystudentbelongs) describes the responses received for each answer choice available on the survey. To protect the privacy of all respondents, written answers are listed underneath each results table only if 4 or more people wrote the same answer. If fewer than 4 people provided an answer, the response was counted under “Response Suppressed”, however the precise answer was kept confidential. |
| How is my/my child’s identity protected in the sharing of the survey results: |
| Any information that could identify an individual student or family is not shared. Reports of the survey findings only include summary data with numbers that are large enough to ensure that an individual cannot be identified. Only the research team has access to unique typed/written in responses. Other information that would identify a student or family (e.g., student name, student number) are securely stored and kept strictly confidential. |
| Will a student’s teacher, principal or other staff member at their school know how they responded to the survey? |
| No, this information will only be available to the research team. Staff members will not be provided with individual student results. For example, schools will not be provided with information about which students selected which identities on the survey. |
| What if I have questions about the survey and/or the results? |
| We welcome any thoughts and/or questions that you may have at any time. Please contact us by email at everystudentbelongs@tvdsb.ca or by phone at 519-452-2000 extension 20496. |
Frequently Asked Questions about the Survey
| What is the purpose of the Every Student Belongs Survey? |
| We want to gain a better understanding of the backgrounds and identities of students in TVDSB so that we can better support them. Specifically, the goals of the Every Student Belongs Survey are to understand and support the diversity of students and their families; eliminate barriers for students and their families; align teaching, learning, and engagement opportunities with the living experiences of TVDSB students; and inform system policies, procedures, and practices. |
| How is the Every Student Belongs Survey connected to student success? |
| The data we collect from the survey will inform policies, programs, and practices that support more inclusive learning environments for students. By understanding TVDSB students and their families, we can offer teaching, learning, and engagement opportunities that align with students’ living experiences. When opportunities in school align with students’ experiences and identities, students are in a better position to engage with school and achieve success. |
| Have other school boards collected identity-based data from students? |
| Most other Ontario school boards have already engaged in this work or are currently collecting identity-based data from students (e.g., Waterloo District School Board, Durham District School Board, Peel District School Board, Toronto District School Board, York Region District School Board). |
| What types of questions are included in the Every Student Belongs Survey? |
| The survey includes identity-based questions as recommended by Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan, the Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism, and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Specific areas of focus include ethnicity, racial identity, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit identity, languages, born in Canada, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability . |
| Who was involved in the Every Student Belongs Survey planning and development? |
| The survey was developed by the Every Student Belongs research team, based primarily on questions that were required by the Ministry of Education. Additional questions and answer choices were added in response to feedback from TVDSB staff, students, families, and community members. Several resources were accessed in the planning and development of the survey, including, the Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism, the Ontario Human Rights Code, Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan, Ontario’s 3-Year Anti-Racism Strategic Plan, the 2016 Canadian Census, and student surveys conducted by other school boards in Ontario. |
| Was the Every Student Belongs Survey mandatory? |
| No. The survey was completely voluntary. Students and families were given the option to complete the survey and parents and caregivers were asked to contact their child’s school if they did not want their child to participate. However, we encouraged students and family members to complete it to ensure the results most closely represent TVDSB students and provide useful information for planning purposes. |
| Who was invited to complete the Every Student Belongs Survey? |
| Family members of all students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 were invited to complete the survey on behalf of their child. All Grade 7 to 12 students were invited to complete the survey themselves. |
| When were students and families invited to complete the survey? |
| Students and family members completed the survey throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Students were given time to complete the survey during their regular school day, regardless of whether they were learning in person or through remote learning. |
| Does the Every Student Belongs Survey comply with the law? |
| The information students provided is collected under the legal authority of the Education Act in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act [MFIPPA] and is consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code. The information was collected for educational, research, and program and policy development purposes only. The information will be used, disclosed, and retained in accordance with MFIPPA. |
| How is the privacy of students and families protected? |
|
The survey is confidential but not anonymous. That is, students’ identities could be determined by staff from the research team, but not by any other individual inside or outside of TVDSB. The survey link that each student, parent or guardian received was unique. Survey data from completed surveys are stored on encrypted third party servers and kept confidential. Direct access to the data is restricted to the research team. When working with the data, members of the research team work with files that contain Ontario Education Numbers and not student names. Reports and communication materials do not include any data or information that could potentially identify an individual student or family. |
| How did students access the Every Student Belongs Survey? |
| Students received a unique survey link in their GOTVDSB student email and parents and guardians received the link in the email of the primary parent or guardian on file with TVDSB. The survey was completed online and could be completed on any type of device (e.g., desktop computer, tablet, mobile phone). We encouraged all participants to complete the survey online if possible. For those who were unable to complete the survey online, paper copies and an option to complete the survey over the phone were available. |
| How long did it take to complete the Every Student Belongs Survey? |
| The survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete. All students in Grades 7 to 12 were given time to complete the survey during their regular school day. |
| Did participants need to answer every question on the survey? |
| No. Participants could leave any question blank for any reason. If a participant chose to skip a question, the data was still included for all other questions for which they provided responses |
| Could the survey be completed in a language other than English? |
| The survey link included the option to read and complete the survey in several different languages that are considered the most common languages in TVDSB. Translation into a different language was also available by request. |
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