Exit surveys are great tools for collecting data about your school. But, as you’re well aware of, the honesty of those participating is limited—especially if you’re conducting the survey yourself. It’s not because parents have anything to hide—it’s because they’ve already decided to make a change and they see little reason to burn any bridges or hurt anyone’s feelings at this late stage. So, by obtaining information about your school’s functions early on, and perhaps again mid-year, it’s more viable then simply trying to obtain insight from an exit survey alone.
If you’re following us so far and determined to take on this project yourself, then you might have some fundamental questions such as how to distribute this survey to parents, when is the best time, and just what questions should you focus on.
Distribution
When it comes to sending out surveys you have several options. You can mail your questionnaire, send it electronically, or include it in one of your communication packages. Social media sites continue to gain members and popularity and cannot be ignored in this equation, but this might not be the best way to announce your survey to parents unless you are certain a large percent (out weighing alumni) are “fans” of your social media outlets. Then again, if you are creating a survey using an online application such as Survey Monkey or Zoomerang, posting the link on your school’s online “wall” is an easy way to grab attention. The important thing to remember with social media is targeting. If you’re only trying to access parents, and your school’s Facebook page is mainly alumni, then sharing a link for a parent survey via this vehicle isn’t going to be as effective as you intend—in fact, it could alienate alumni.
All that said, we suggest a combined effort. If your budget allows, first mail your questionnaire to parents. If you’re using an online application, mail a letter home with the web address and login information they will need to access it. Still needing respondents? Try e-mailing survey information to parents. Simple messages work best. Don’t hide your survey in a monthly newsletter that is packed with other information and links to divert their attention. Still needing responses after mailing and e-mailing? Third touch is the charm! Try either mailing or e-mailing them the survey one last time. Make sure you clearly communicate that the survey is about to expire and their input is vital to your school’s development.
Timing
Timing is everything. Now is a good time to reach parents, as is after the holidays but before the winter slump sets in. If you wait until late in November to send your survey, people will be preoccupied with the holiday rush. So, if you’re planning on sending a survey twice, you’ll want to get it out as soon as possible.
Give parents two weeks between communications to respond. If the second and third touches fall within the holiday season, that’s OK. What’s important is that the first time they see this, it’s not during a crazy season where they feel pressured from multiple sources.
If you’re only planning on seeking insight once, then you might want to start your planning now, and wait until later in the school year to distribute.
What To Ask
This is a complicated question to answer in an article. In fact, it’s deep enough and detailed enough to be an article in itself. With that noted, we’ll only mention the basics here.
First thing you want to do is set aside time to brainstorm what you really want to learn from surveying your parents. Easier said than done, we know. Here’s a tip: The best place to start is with last year’s exit survey data. We know we said the information obtained in exit survey’s isn’t always the most helpful, however, if a few parents happened to mention a specific reason of unsatisfaction then it might be a good idea to ask existing parents how they feel about that concern.
From that point, ask yourself what other factors you feel play a role in students leaving before graduation. Make a list and share it with others in your administration. Get their opinions and thoughts, and from there start to formulate your questions.
But, once more before we call this article a wrap, we must stress again how important we feel it is that a third party conducts your schools surveys. We can help! We put together and distribute hundreds of surveys for schools each year. Contact Terri Gilespie for more information at 302-656-4944. Ask about our I&P articles on this subject as well.
