Specific areas of focus include ethnicities, racial identities, Indigenous identities, languages, newcomers, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations, and disabilities. Only older students (Grades 7-12)  are asked about their sexual orientation. Parents/caregivers  are not asked about the sexual orientation of their child in Kindergarten to Grade 6. The surveys is publicly available on this webpage for anyone who would like to review the survey questions.  

Students and family members were invited to complete the survey during the 2020-2021 and 2023-2024 school years. The survey will be offered again in upcoming school years. Students  are given time to complete the survey during their regular school day. Students also have the option to complete the survey from home or any other location that they choose.

Students in grades 7-12  receive a unique survey link in their GOTVDSB student email. For students in kindergarten to grade 6, parents/caregivers who are on file with TVDSB as the primary parent or guardian contact  receive the link. The survey is online and can be completed on any type of device (e.g., desktop computer, tablet, mobile phone). We encourage all participants to complete the survey online if possible, but other formats are available (see question below).

How will the results be shared?

The overall results will be compiled into a summary report that will include frequency results for identity groups that are included on the survey. Any identity group with a small enough number of respondents that could make it possible to identify an individual or family will not be shared. Additional analyses will be done to look at differences in student outcomes between groups of students. These reports will be shared with TVDSB staff, families, and Trustees and will also be made publicly available on the TVDSB website. All results will be presented in such a way that no individual student, family, or school can be identified.

How will student identities be protected in the sharing of the survey results?

Any information that could identify an individual student or family will not be shared. Reports of the survey findings only include summary data with numbers that are large enough to ensure that an individual cannot be identified. Student information that is used to link data from the survey to other data that is available in TVDSB is securely stored and kept strictly confidential. Only the research team has access to this information and to the survey database.  

The student survey is identifiable, but only staff on the research team will have access to the individual student results. This means that teachers, Principals, other staff, and parents/caregivers will not be informed of how their child/student responded on the 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 identities, living experiences, and abilities are integrated into teaching, learning, and working experiences, as outlined in our Operational Plan. These results inform us about the diversity in TVDSB and the need to support and affirm all identities. As a board, we plan to use what we have learned about identities to continue to build equity and focus our work on anti-racism and anti-oppression in Thames Valley. The information from this survey will help us to build and support a workforce that reflects, understands, and responds to our diverse population. 

Have other school boards collected identity data from students?

All Ontario school boards are engaged in this work and most have already collected identity data from students. Several Ontario school boards have now collected this type of data multiple times (e.g., Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Durham District School Board).

What if I have questions about the survey?