The State Department of Education is asking Idaho parents and educators to provide feedback on new accountability surveys that will be launched this school year.

This year, for the first time, parents and school staffers will take surveys about school quality and student engagement. The surveys will be similar to a survey students took last school year. 

Student engagement is defined as the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, according to The Glossary of Education Reform.

Until Oct. 26, parents and educators can review a proposed draft of the survey questions, and then provide feedback online to the SDE.

The proposed parent survey questions include statements such as “Our school has high expectations for every student in every class” and “Our school hires and keeps qualified staff.” Respondents are asked how strongly they agree with the statements.

The staff survey questions follow the same format, and ask educators and staffers to assess interactions with school leadership, teaching expectations and levels of support.

The questions for the parent and staff surveys were screened last month by a committee of parents and educators that met with the staffs of the SDE and State Board of Education.

That committee will reconvene Oct. 30, after the SDE has a chance to gather feedback on the surveys.

The proposed parent and educator surveys are expected to go before the State Board of Education in December. Once they are approved, the surveys will be administered to parents and school staff in the spring of 2019.

• To view the proposed draft of the parent survey online, click here.
• To view the proposed draft of the staff survey online, click here.
• To provide feedback about the parent and staff surveys, click here.