How can education leaders understand the experiences of students, families, and educators during the rollout of new education initiatives? For many states and districts, thoughtfully designed surveys provide a powerful, low-cost way to gather candid, actionable insight. Deciding what information to collect (and how) ensures that the resulting data highlights what’s working well and exactly where to focus next steps for improvement.
Recently, staff from the Idaho State Department of Education asked REL Northwest for expert consultation as they developed a survey for educators and administrators who used the state’s new interim reading assessment. The survey focused on gathering feedback on the testing process, software, and the helpfulness of resulting reports, all to ensure that the reading assessment drives accurate reading diagnostic information for teaching and learning.
As Kacy Proctor, the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) Coordinator, explained:
“The decision to survey educators and administrators was driven by the need to understand how the IRI is being implemented in real classrooms and to identify strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement. Their feedback helps ensure the assessment remains instructionally useful, fair, and aligned with state expectations."
REL Northwest’s engagement focused on helping Idaho State Department of Education staff refine survey questions and analyze their data so the resulting feedback could directly inform improvements to the assessment process.
Investing in survey development
Surveys, when carefully crafted and thoughtfully administered, can empower education programs and support continuous improvement efforts. Whether a principal seeks insight into student attendance, a district leader is evaluating usability of a new math curriculum, or a state agency wants to improve assessment processes across schools, effective surveys can provide valuable data for making timely, informed decisions.
Developing and administering an effective survey involves four main steps:
- Clarify goals: Start by clarifying what you want to learn and prioritize issues that matter most.
- Collaborate to develop and refine the survey: Create clear questions that accurately capture the information you need, keeping the survey short and user-friendly. Before launching, seek feedback from relevant participants to ensure clarity and alignment with your goals.
- Craft an administration plan: Identify direct paths to reach the participants you plan to survey and survey champions who can help you.
- Encourage and monitor responses: Put together a plan for when and how to send out the survey for highest response, while monitoring rates of responses and making changes when necessary. Include friendly reminders and extend the survey close date, if needed.
What were some of Idaho’s takeaways about their reading assessment? According to Proctor,
“Through this survey process, I also gained insight into my own professional growth…this experience reinforced the importance of remembering that concerns reflect the natural challenges and growing pains that accompany any large-scale change... I would also like to administer the survey again after teachers and administrators have had additional opportunities to use the assessment, to determine whether the concerns reflect initial implementation challenges or indicate areas where the assessment may need further attention.”
Effective survey development and administration is both an art and a science – explore helpful resources from the Regional Educational Laboratory program below.
New resources
- Survey Development and Administration: 4 Steps (REL Northwest, 2026)
- Survey Creation: Brief Advice and Guidance (REL Northwest, 2026)
- Survey Administration: Brief Advice and Guidance (REL Northwest, 2026)
Additional resources
- Creating Effective Surveys: Best Practices in Survey Design (REL West/Comprehensive Center West, 2021)
- Practical Strategies to Engage Caregivers in School Climate Surveys (REL Midwest, 2023)
- An Educator’s Guide to Questionnaire Development (REL Central, 2016)
- Data Collection Instrument Draft (REL Central, 2024)
- Survey Methods for Educators: Selecting Samples and Administering Surveys (REL Northeast & Islands, 2016)
