Surveys

Survey requests are accepted throughout the year. Proposed surveys must align with at least one of the TPS benchmarks and clearly describe how the results can support student learning, teacher instruction, and/or district improvements.

Please note that we focus our district resources and time on student learning. As a result, the approval of survey requests submitted by individuals and entities external to TPS is limited and case-dependent.

Feel free contact researchrequests@tacoma.k12.wa.us with any questions.

Survey Review Criteria

Surveys that require review and approval
Surveys that do not require review and approval

Surveys that require review and approval

Types of surveys that require review and approval include:

All surveys requested by parties that are not TPS employees or Community Partners (with an active MOU/DSA).
Surveys requested by TPS employees that are not linked to their TPS work (e.g., to contribute to a graduate thesis).

Examples of surveys that require review and approval:

Surveys requested by TPS community partners that include a broader population than their program participants
Surveys requested by TPS employees that:
- Include other TPS employees outside the requester's department/program.
- Include a larger group of TPS employees than the requester's direct reports.
- Are directed to parents and/or students, if not a school administrator sending to their students/parents.
- Include TPS employees about a topic unrelated to the requester's department's key responsibilities.

Surveys that do not require review and approval

Only TPS employees or community partners (with an active MOU/DSA form).

Examples of surveys that do not require review & approval:

Surveying direct reports when the information requested relates to the requester's TPS role.
Surveying attendees about a training or meeting provided by the requester's department.
Community partners with active MOU/ DSA forms surveying their program participants.
School administrators surveying building staff or the school's parents/students.

Survey request Form

Survey support for TPS employees
Survey development resources

Survey support for TPS employees

The Director of District Data Services researchrequests@tacoma.k12.wa.us is available to assist TPS employees with survey design, distribution, data collection, and data analysis.

TPS employees interested in utilizing these services should reach out early in their survey planning process to optimize survey quality and validity.

Please note that submission of a Survey Request Form may still be required.

Survey development resources

Sage Research Methods Designing a Survey (video)

SurveyMonkey.com Best Practices for Every Step of Survey Creation

UW Office of Educational Assessment Tips for Writing Questionnaire Items

Carnegie Foundation Understanding the User Experience: Empathy Tools & Techniques

Pew Research Center Questionnaire Design

Hanover Research Strategies for Successful K-12 Survey Design and Analysis

IES Survey methods for educators: Collaborative survey development

Survey Process

Survey requests are accepted throughout the year. To submit a survey request, please complete the survey request form and email any questions to the Director of District Data Services, ResearchRequests@Tacoma.k12.wa.us
Additional information may be requested during the review process.
Please allow up to 10 business days for the review. If your survey is approved, you will review a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) & Data Sharing Agreement (DSA), if applicable, which will be submitted internally to initiate a secondary district-level review process.
After completing the survey, please submit an electronic copy of the survey results. ResearchRequests@Tacoma.k12.wa.us

Voluntary Participation & Informed Consent

Participation in surveys at Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) is entirely voluntary. We respect the rights of departments, schools, principals, teachers, staff, parents, and students who choose not to participate, and no pressure will be applied to encourage participation.

On the survey, the participants shall be informed of the following:

They do not need to participate.
Acknowledgement that the school district is neither sponsoring nor conducting this research.
A statement confirming there is no penalty for not participating

TPS complies with all state and federal regulations regarding releasing confidential student or staff data. TPS legal guidelines for data release procedures are based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

If you need any further assistance, the Director of District Data Services researchrequests@tacoma.k12.wa.us manages and oversees all research and survey activities conducted within the district.

Assessment & Research