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Survey Development Methods for Educators (Part One); Sampling Respondents and Survey Administration (Part Two); and Analysis and Reporting of Survey Data (Part Three)

Region:

Northeast & Islands

Description:

Educators at the state and local levels are increasingly using data to inform policy decisions. While student achievement data is often used to inform instructional or programmatic decisions, educators may also need additional sources of data, some of which may not be housed in their existing data systems. Creating and administering surveys is one way to collect such data. However, documentation available to educators about administering surveys may provide insufficient guidance about the survey development process. Furthermore, some educators may not have training or experience in survey methods. In response to this need, REL Northeast & Islands created a series of three complementary guides that provide an overview of the survey research process designed for educators.

Part one of this series, "Collaborative Survey Development," outlines the following steps:

1. Identify topics of interest
2. Identify relevant, existing survey items
3. Draft new survey items and adapt existing survey items
4. Review draft survey items with stakeholders and content experts
5. Refine the draft survey using cognitive interviewing

Part two of this series, "Sampling Respondents and Survey Administration," outlines the following steps:

1. Define the population
2. Specify the sampling procedure
3. Determine the sample size
4. Select the sample
5. Administer the survey

Part three of this series, "Analysis and Reporting of Survey Data," outlines the following steps:

1. Review the analysis plan
2. Prepare and check data files
3. Calculate response rates
4. Calculate summary statistics
5. Present the results in tables or figures

The guides provide detailed, real-world examples of how these steps have been used in REL research alliance projects.

Publication Type:

Applied Research Methods

Online Availability:

• View, download, and print Part 1 of the series as a PDF file (383 KB)
• View, download, and print Part 2 of the series as a PDF file (2.1 MB)
• View, download, and print Part 3 of the series as a PDF file (4.1 MB)

Publication Date:

August 2016

Contact:

• Stafford, Erin
  (312) 962-4520
  estafford@edc.org