The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board is committed to creating and maintaining safe, caring, and inclusive environments for all students, staff, and community members. A key part of this mission is the collection, interpretation, and use of self-reported data on student health and well-being. This is the core of the school climate survey.
School Climate Surveys in Ontario
The Education Act requires every school board in Ontario to:
- "promote a positive school climate that is inclusive and accepting of all pupils, including pupils of any race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability,” and
- "promote the prevention of bullying” (Ontario Education Act, 1990, s. 169.1(a.1)-(a.2)).
In order to determine the effectiveness of programs used to promote positive school climate and prevent bullying, boards are required to implement a school climate survey of students at least once every two years. According to the Education Act and PPM 145, school climate surveys must:
- Be anonymous and confidential.
- This means that no information that can identify an individual (i.e., name, identifying number, etc.) can be collected. This also means that school climate survey data cannot be joined with information that boards hold in their student information systems.
- Be voluntary.
- This means that parents/guardians can choose to have their child(ren) not participate, and students who are not withdrawn can choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions.
- Include questions on bullying/harassment related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, as well as questions on sexual harassment.
School Climate Surveys at ALCDSB
The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board uses the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI) as the core of its school climate survey. The MDI is a self-report survey developed by a research team at the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at the University of British Columbia. The survey asks students about their feelings about and experiences in their schools and their communities. Each question is related to one of five dimensions that contribute to student well-being, health, and achievement. These dimensions are shown below.
For more information about the MDI, please visit http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/mdi/
The MDI questions have been supplemented with several demographic identity questions (i.e., questions about respondents’ racial identity, first language, gender identity, etc.). These will enable us to see if students’ perceptions of school climate and experiences with bullying vary between demographic groups.
Click the links below to see the full questionnaires:
MDI for Grades 4 and 5: Grades 4 and 5 Survey.docx
MDI for Grades 6, 7 and 8: Grades 6 to 8 Survey.docx
MDI for Grades 9 to12: Grades 9 to 12 Survey.docx
School Climate Survey/MDI FAQs:
When will students write the school climate survey?
The survey will be open from February 3, 2025 to March 7, 2025. Schools will choose times within that window that work best for them.
Will other information be combined with the responses?
Because no personal information will be collected (as mandated by the Education Act), it is not possible to combine data gathered from the school climate survey with any data that ALCDSB holds in its student information system (SIS).
How will school climate survey data be used?
The data gathered through this survey will be compiled into board- and school-level reports. These reports will be used to assess the impact of current measures to improve school climate and address bullying.
This survey is not a test, and it will not be used to evaluate individual students in any way. It has no bearing on report cards, and the data will not be used to rank schools, students, or classes.
De-identified data from the survey will be provided to the HELP group at UBC to help populate a national database for research on children’s health and well-being across the 5 MDI dimensions.
Who will be able to see the responses?
Only ALCDSB research staff will have access to de-identified student responses for the purpose of creating school and board reports. No teachers, principals, or other board staff will see student answers.
What if I do not want my child(ren) to participate?
Families of students under 18 years of age can request exemptions for their child(ren). There are two ways to do this:
- Online: Complete the ALCDSB School Climate Survey Opt-Out Form found here.
- Contact your child’s school with the request.
Families may request exemptions at any time before January 31, 2025.
Is the school climate survey voluntary?
Yes. Students who have not been withdrawn from the survey can choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions.
How is my child(ren)’s privacy protected?
All responses to the survey will be de-identified at the point of collection. Only the Data Research Specialist will have access to the de-identified data file for reporting purposes. A data suppression threshold of 10 will be used to prevent accidental re-identification of any student.
How will students participate?
All students in grades 4 to 12 will be invited to complete the school climate survey. The survey will be delivered online. Educators will administer the survey during class time and using board devices. Students will have access to any accommodations needed to complete the survey.
Students whose parents/guardians have not requested an exemption will receive the survey link. They can choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions. At the end of the survey, all students will have the opportunity to ask to talk to someone (i.e., a teacher, principal, or youth worker) about any problems they may be having.
Ontario Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2, s. 169.1. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90e02/v49#BK143