
SURVEY MEASURES
Our measures are based on current leading-edge educational research, producing reliable and valid results on known factors that affect academic achievement and other school outcomes. They are developed by internationally renowned education researcher Dr. J. Douglas Willms in collaboration with other subject-matter experts. One of the advantages of our surveys is that we use construct-building questions that produce measures, as opposed to the discrete questions of most school surveys.
When developing our measures, we take a number of steps to ensure they are the most representative of the construct under investigation. We begin with the broad construct (or domain) that we would like to measure – for example, the concept of Sense of Belonging or Anxiety – then we conduct a thorough examination of the existing literature and consult with subject matter experts. Following that, we narrow these broad concepts into a working definition that will fit the context or environment we are surveying. For instance, how would we define sense of belonging within the school environment? What are the markers of anxiety for a student?
A bank of questions is then developed that are intended to reflect the construct. The questions are then rigorously tested, to ensure only those questions that most accurately reflect the construct are included. Questions are selected for inclusion based on a number of statistical analyses, survey taker feedback, as well as subject matter expert feedback.
The advantage of using a measure comprised of multiple questions versus a single question is that it allows us to gather information on a particular concept using a multi-dimensional approach. We also know that measures are more reliable when they include a number of well-formulated questions, as this allows us to more accurately differentiate between students. For example, a reliable measure will allow us to differentiate between students with high versus low levels of anxiety. Using a measure that is reliable will also ensure that if we were to ask students to respond to the same questions at a later date their responses would be similar.
Essentially we are removing the guess work for you. No need to worry about having to devote time to developing questions on your own. You can trust that the measures you are using to asses topics known to affect learning outcomes are both valid and reliable as they have been repeatedly tested using our expansive database of over 2.5 million students.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES
SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT MEASURES
Participate Sports
Participate Clubs
Sense of Belonging
Positive Relationships
Watch TV
Read Books for fun
Work part-time (Secondary Only)
Using ICT
Volunteer (Secondary Only)
Using Phone
INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENT MEASURES
Values School Outcomes
Truancy (Secondary Only)
Homework Behaviour
Homework Time
Positive Behaviour at School
INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT MEASURES
Interest and Motivation
Effort
Skills-challenge
EMOTIONAL HEALTH MEASURES
Anxiety
Depression (Secondary Only)
Self Esteem (Secondary Only)
PHYSICAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
NUTRITION MEASURES
Healthy Foods
Sweet and Fatty Foods
PHYSICAL FITNESS MEASURES
Physical Activity – moderate
Physical Activity – intense
Healthy Weight
RISKY BEHAVIOUR MEASURES
Tobacco Use (Basic and Extended)
Marijuana (Basic and Extended)
Other Drugs (Basic and Extended)
Alcohol (Basic and Extended)
Gambling (Basic and Extended
(Secondary Only)
SEXUAL HEALTH MEASURE
Sexual Health (Basic, Basic Plus and Extended)
(Secondary Only)
ACADEMIC OUTCOMES
Academic Measures
(Secondary Only)
ENGLISH
MATHS
SCIENCE
DRIVERS OF STUDENT OUTCOMES
QUALITY INSTRUCTION MEASURES
Effective Learning Time
Relevance
Rigour
SCHOOL CONTEXT MEASURES
Bully-Victim
Bully and Exclusion
Bullying, Exclusion, and Harassment
Feel Safe Attending this School
Advocacy at School
CLASSROOM CONTEXT MEASURES
Positive Teacher-Student Relations
Positive Learning Climate
Expectations for Success
FAMILY CONTEXT MEASURE
Advocacy Outside of School
Aspirations – Finish High School
(Secondary Only)Aspirations – Pursue Trade
(Secondary Only)Aspirations – College or University
(Secondary Only)
DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
Demographic Drilldowns