1. Building Family-School Partnerships Guidance for How to Get a Good Survey Response Rate from Families Barbara Boone, Ph.D.

2. Importance of Family Participation
More surveys = more actionable data
Strong participation ensures data is representative of families
For schools, we typically recommend a target of getting 60% of families to complete a survey
Results for schools with one classroom per grade will be aggregated.
Low response rates may also be reported in aggregate.

3. Obtain Support of Leadership
Review survey content, purpose, value
Timeline and work plan
Importance of high participation rates
Determine how they will communicate their support to administrators, staff and parents
Set goal for response rate
Survey helps school leaders to build more effective Parental Involvement programs and opportunities meeting the requirements of Title I.
Parent compact
Parent meetings
Parents informing school improvement plan
Parents informing programs and learning opportunities for families
Communication with families
Communicating about student progress
Access to staff

4. Communicate with Teachers
Purpose of survey and what survey measures
Not a teacher evaluation
How results will be communicated and used
Their role in getting a good response rate
Goal for responses from their school/classroom
Ask teachers for their ideas for how to increase parent awareness of survey
Ask teachers to give parents a personal invitation from the teacher to complete the survey
Ask teachers how students can be involved in letting parents know about the survey
Gain input on student incentive for return (e.g. breakfast bar, raffle ticket, no- homework pass)

5. Communicate with Parents
Advance notification (and on-going requests) to parent groups and through multiple means of communication
web site, staff meetings, parent meetings, signs
Newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls
student’s agenda, school events, open houses, conferences
Concerts, sports events, curbside pickup
Afterschool programs

6. Message to Parents Their ideas are important and anonymous
You value their perspective
They are helping you do a better job of partnering with them and supporting their child’s learning
You want to have more welcoming schools and increase student academic success, graduation
Survey is convenient and brief
This is a chance for them to tell you what they think
The results will be shared with families and staff (give details)
Results will lead to improvements in the schools

7. Sample Email for Families
Dear Parents/Guardians,
 We are partnering with The Ohio State University (OSU) to conduct a survey of our families.  You are being asked to complete a survey based on your experience in our school district.  The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.  You may choose not to participate or you may skip any question. The information you provide will be kept confidential and will be reported by OSU in aggregate. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Barbara Boone, Program Director at
Click here to take the survey!
[You may also include more detail about the purpose of conducting the survey, the dates it is available and how the district intends to act on the results]

8. Promising Practices
Principal leadership – tell staff well in advance at a staff meeting about the purpose, response rate goals, and how they will coordinate with one another
Everyone knows their goal and their role
60% of building, 60% of class
How to distribute
Teachers distribute in homework folders, provide a deadline.
Hand survey to parents in pick-up line
Reach more fathers by passing out surveys at sporting events
Post the link prominently on the school website with a short blurb about who should take it and why, and what will be done with the results
Hand out in school office. Give office staff, teachers and parent liaisons large envelopes to collect survey.
How to remind
Phone reminders (i.e. Robo calls, text reminders)
Announce each school day
Encourage parents to take the survey online
Announce wherever parents gather and meet
How to incentivize
Healthy competition - incentives
Classroom competitions (Jeans Day, Free School Dance Admission)
What worked last year?
What can you implement this year?
Messaging:
“Last year parents told us…or taught that …..from our parent survey. We’re listening again and can’t wait to hear what you have to tell us.”
Last year x% of parents indicated they wanted to know how to help their child with math.
What did you do?
Ideas:
Chart in the front hall
Star on classroom door
Updates on web site – we are at ___% , help us reach our goal
Football game announcements
Mobile-friendly option is available and posted on the school’s website, but few have taken the survey online thus far. What are some strategies you could use to encourage more parents to use this option?

9. Planning and Development
Work plan for distributing and collecting the parent survey
6 week plan
Ensuring support of leadership
Awareness building
Distribution and collection at key locations and events
Determine target number of responses for each building
Promote sense of ownership among parents and staff from beginning

10. Identify Key Individuals
Who will be responsible for communicating with parents and distributing the survey?
Principals
Parent leaders (Boosters, PTO, etc.)
Parent Liaisons
Front office staff
Teachers
Point of contact
Set goals with key people
Update key people on progress

11. Work Plan
Task
Who is Responsible?
By When?
Status 1 2 3 4 5

12. Monitor and Communicate
Check on survey distribution and return
Report response rate to leaders and key points of contact regularly
Ask key contacts about challenges they face and trouble-shoot solutions

13. Monitoring Progress of Returns
School
Grade Levels Served
Total Enrollment
Target # of Completed Parent Surveys (60% of total enrollment)
Number of Electronic Surveys Currently Completed
Number of Paper Surveys Currently Completed
Staff monitoring by classroom?
Who could you provide with individual goals for monitoring survey’s returned?
Check on survey distribution and return
Report response rate to leaders and key points of contact regularly
Ask key contacts about challenges they facing and trouble-shoot solutions

14. The Role of OSU: Survey Supports and Resources
Phone and on-line consultation
Survey development
Host online surveys on Qualtrics
Provide a paper and pencil survey
Monitoring survey returns
Data analysis
Reports
Community/District
Building
Disaggregation

15. Questions