RIDE Releases SurveyWorks 2022 Results

Published on Tuesday, June 07, 2022

State sees gains in family, student and educator engagement through annual survey

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today released the results of its 2022 administration of SurveyWorks, its statewide school climate and culture survey. The survey provides valuable insights into what is working and what can be improved in Rhode Island education.



The results showed a substantial jump in participation, with a total of 125,876 responses. This is 10,000 more responses than in 2021.



“Community engagement is a priority in all of our school districts, and we thank our administrators and educators who went above and beyond to increase participation. From disseminating survey information on Spanish language radio stations, at supermarkets, community centers and more, efforts to reach families were unmatched,” said Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “The data provided by SurveyWorks is central to improving Rhode Island students’ educational experiences and improving outcomes in our schools. We thank Rhode Islanders in and out of the classroom who stepped up to identify and recognize the needs of children, and we look forward to seeing how schools turn this data into results. Much work remains ahead, but we are moving in the right direction.”



Overall, scores for many topics returned to pre-pandemic numbers, meaning that although the data are slightly lower than last year, they are often comparable to or higher than 2020 responses. For example, school teacher-student relationships had a 76% favorable score; this is down from 79% in 2021, but consistent with the Spring 2020 score (and in the top quintile when compared to a national dataset). 61% of students in grades 6-12 responded favorably about school safety; this is down from 69% in 2021, but up from 54% in 2020. Other highlights:

• This year, the survey asked questions specific to families with differently-abled students. 6,334 families responded on behalf of these students. Among the results, 63% of teachers report that students with IEPs have been supported well, up 9 percentage points from 2021.
• Students in grades 3-5 say they are talking more about college, jobs and careers in class and that they use ideas from school in their daily life.
• More students in grades 6-12 (53%) report having an individualized Learning Program (ILP). This is up 2 percentage points from last year.
• Family support is the highest it’s ever been: 82% of families report that they speak with their children when they’re having a problem with others (+4 percentage points over last year). 74% say they know how their child is doing socially in school (+3 percentage points over last year). Families report that students are less stressed and are more able to remain calm.
• More educators are engaging in lesson study, and report meeting with an instructional coach.
• School administrators report having more authority in their schools when it comes to instructional scheduling, resource allocation, hiring and teaching assignments.

To learn more or to view your school's or district's full results, visit surveyworks.ride.ri.gov. Join the conversation and encourage your school community to participate using the hashtag, #SurveyWorks.