This information is also available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. 

Dear Families,

Student and family input is important to us. The York Region District School Board will be conducting the Every Student Counts Survey with students (Grades K-12) to help us better understand our student population and school communities. 

The information will be used to inform Board and school planning that aims to improve student achievement and well-being, identify and eliminate barriers, and create more equitable and inclusive school environments. 

The surveys will include questions related to: 

• engagement and learning
• well-being and mental health
• course pathways in high school
• safety, discrimination and bullying
• relationships with peers and staff 
• equitable and inclusive learning environments 
• student identity (demographics)

We ask questions about students’ identities (e.g., race and gender) to support understanding how learning experiences may differ among groups of students. 

In the Spring of 2023, students in Grades 4-12 will be invited to complete the student survey and will be provided with in-class time to complete it. Students from Grades K-3 will be invited to complete a survey at home with their parent, guardian or caregiver. Translated versions of the K-3 survey will be available.  

To ensure equitable access to the survey, accommodations will be made for participants with varying exceptionalities. For your reference, a copy of the survey will be available on the Board website prior to the survey implementation. 

Surveys are voluntary and confidential but not anonymous. This means that students will not be asked for their identifying information, such as their name.  Individual responses will not be reported. Storage and retention of data will follow Board Policy and Procedure #160.0 Records and Information Management.

This important initiative offers students and families an opportunity to share their experiences so the Board can understand the needs of various groups of students and identify barriers to learning. Results from the surveys will be shared with Trustees, schools, Board departments, and the public during the 2023-24 school year. 

Families will have the opportunity to provide feedback during the survey development phase. More information will be communicated to families when available.

In 2018, YRDSB conducted our first Every Student Counts Survey and the data from that survey is available on the Board website. 

If you have questions about the survey, please visit the Board website for more information or contact research.services@yrdsb.ca. 

Thank you for your support.

Dear families,

As was previously communicated, York Region District School Board will be engaging students (Grades K-12) in the Every Student Counts Survey from April 24, 2023 - May 12, 2023 to help us better understand our student population and school communities. 

As part of the survey development process, our Research and Assessment Services team are engaging our external and internal stakeholders in a robust consultation process to gather feedback and input to help inform the survey development.

In order to gain valuable feedback from families, we ask that you please take some time to review our draft surveys that are available on the Board website and provide your feedback through this form. The form will be open from February 3, 2023 - February 10, 2023. Responses made through the feedback form are voluntary, confidential and anonymous.  Families will receive a communication in advance of the survey implementation with details on how to opt students out of participating in the survey.

Student and family feedback is critical to the survey development process and helps to ensure that the survey is an accurate reflection of our school communities.

Thank you in advance for your input.

This information is also available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. 

Dear Families, 

York Region District School Board will be engaging students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 in the Every Student Counts Survey. CCI Research has been contracted to support YRDSB in the administration of the survey. The online survey will occur from April 24, 2023 to - May 10, 2023 and will be available in multiple languages.

The Board provided an opportunity for internal and external partners to provide their feedback on the draft surveys. This feedback was used to inform the development of the final surveys. We thank everyone who took the time to provide us with their feedback. Final versions of the survey are available on the Board website. 

Information for Families of Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 

Students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will complete the survey at home with their parent(s), guardian(s) or caregiver(s). Families of students in Grades K-3 who do not wish for their child to fill out the survey can disregard the paper invitation, which will be considered an opt-out. 

Families of students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 who require an accommodation (e.g., paper survey in enlarged print, translated paper copies) to complete the survey need to contact CCI Research between February 27, 2023 and March 10, 2023, by phone at 1-866-450-4907, to make a request. 

Information for Families of Students in Grade 4 to Grade 12 

Students in Grade 4 to Grade 12 will receive a paper invitation to complete the survey from their teacher and will be provided with in-class time to complete the survey. Parents or guardians of students in Grade 4 to Grade 12 who do not wish for their child to receive the survey will have the opportunity to opt-out between February 27, 2023 and March 10, 2023. Families can opt-out by completing this form, or by contacting CCI Research by phone at 1-866-450-4907.

This information is also available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. 

Dear families,

From April 24 - May 12, 2023, York Region District School Board will be engaging students in the Every Student Counts Survey. 

Students in Grades 4-12 will be provided with time in class to complete the survey. Students in Kindergarten - Grade 3 will be sent home with an invitation letter and are encouraged to complete the survey at home with their families. Students whose families chose to opt them out will not receive the survey. 

This survey offers students and families an opportunity to share their experiences and valuable feedback. The information collected will help the board continue to meet the diverse needs of students as well as identify and remove barriers to learning.

Information about the Every Student Counts Survey as well as past communications to families are available on the board website. 

Thank you for your support of this important initiative. 

Sincerely,

Scott Yake 

Director of Education (Interim)

Dear families, 

As you may know, York Region District School Board is currently engaging students in the Every Student Counts Survey. 

On April 24, 2023, families received an email notifying them that the survey period is open. Families of students in Kindergarten - Grade 3 will have now received an invitation letter from their school, which includes a survey link and survey code to complete the survey at home. 

We thank everyone who has already completed the survey. We have made the decision to extend the survey deadline. If you have not yet completed the survey, please consider doing so by May 19, 2023. We appreciate you taking the time to help us better understand our students and their experiences in school.

If you didn’t receive the survey invitation letter or have misplaced it, please contact your child’s school. 

The ESCS is being prepared in consultation with numerous internal and external YRDSB stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include subject matter experts within the YRDSB including staff with expertise in research design and analysis, consultants, and department leaders. We are also consulting with YRDSB affinity groups, Board Committees and various community organizations. Prior to the survey implementation, families/guardians will also have an opportunity to provide feedback on the survey.

If you have questions about the consultation process, please email research.services@yrdsb.ca.