PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) will launch the 2021 administration of SurveyWorks on Tuesday, January 19. SurveyWorks is a statewide school culture and climate survey that collects critical feedback from students, families, and educators. In 2020, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 120,000 stakeholders participated in the survey, sharing their perspectives about what is working and what needs to be improved in Rhode Island public schools.

SurveyWorks touches upon a range of important topics, including school safety, the quality of professional learning for teachers, respect between students and teachers, and how inclusive and welcoming school environments are for parents and families. In 2021, a new “Cultural Awareness & Action” section allows space for students, staff, and families to respond to a series of questions about discussing and confronting issues of race, ethnicity, and culture.

“Effective student and family engagement isn’t something that can be accomplished in one day. It’s a value that you must embody and work for every single day if you truly want to be responsive to your school community,” said Angélica Infante-Green, Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “The most supportive, successful schools are ones where leaders listen to their students and families and learn from their perspectives. SurveyWorks allows us to do that statewide, and the results help inform policy and programming at the state, district, and school levels.”

In 2020, more than 25,000 parents completed the survey, nearly 800 more responses than in 2019. To ensure that the family survey is more accessible than ever, all family survey links will be available in one location this year, allowing families to choose their school from a searchable dropdown menu of schools.

SurveyWorks data is embedded into the state’s Report Card platform as a key measure of school performance that families can view to better understand the strengths and challenges of their school. At the district level, the results can help inform programmatic decisions that support robust student, family, and educator engagement.

SurveyWorks is administered through an online platform by Panorama Education, RIDE’s survey partner, and is accessible on computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. Responses are completely anonymous and confidential with surveys available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The survey window is open from January 19-March 31, 2020.

To learn more, view last year’s results, or access resources to help promote the survey, visit SurveyWorks.ride.ri.gov. Parents are encouraged to contact their school(s) with any questions and for more information. School communities are encouraged to join the conversation and encourage participation using the hashtag, #SurveyWorks.