Why conduct a parent survey?

Districts will have information on which sex education topics that most parents in the community want taught at specific grade levels.

Sex Education or Reproductive Health committees will have input from a larger variety of parents to help guide curriculum decisions.
Curricula can reflect the wishes of a majority of parents in the district.

What questions should the survey include?

The survey should ask which sex education topics parents would like to be taught at specific grade levels. Topics should be defined so that parents have the same understanding of terminology.
Surveys should be brief (no more than two pages in length) and easy to complete to ensure parent participation.
To simplify data entry and data reporting, most questions should be closed-ended (i.e., have defined answer choices).

No, you don’t. A carefully selected sample can yield useful information and be more cost-effective to implement.
Districts only need to survey a sample of parents that is scientifically selected.

In very small districts, a majority of parents will need to be surveyed. In larger districts, only a fraction of parents will need to be surveyed.
The number of parent households that need to be surveyed (n) is based on the total number of households (N) and the margin of error.
The following chart can help districts determine how many households to survey based on the number of households in the district (and a 5% margin of error*).

Households In District	Sample Size	Households In District	Sample Size	Households In District	Sample Size
50	45	2000	333	7500	380
75	63	2200	339	8000	381
100	80	2400	343	9500	384
200	109	2600	347	10,000	385
300	172	2800	350	15,000	390
400	200	3000	353	20,000	392
500	222	3250	356	25,000	394
600	240	3500	359	30,000	395
700	255	3750	362	* Formula used to determine n: N (25) (N-1)(.00625)+.25
800	267	4000	364
900	277	4250	366
1000	286	4500	367
1200	300	4750	369
1400	311	5000	370
1600	320	5500	373
1800	327	6000	375

How do I select a scientific sample?

Choose your sample in such a way that every parent has an equal chance of being selected. The best method may be to use a list of all parents/households listed alphabetically. Choose a fixed interval (such as every 10th household), and select parents based on that interval.
Do not choose your sample based on a factor that may produce a biased sample (e.g., all parents who attend an information session or all parents who are on the internet).
To find an appropriate interval, divide the total population size by the sample size.

The more parents/households that respond, the more valid the results.
Surveys with low response rates (e.g., less than 50%) are less likely to be representative of all parents.
School districts should aim for a response rate of at least 75% to be able to generalize to the entire student population.

How can the district increase the response rate?

Choose a method of delivery that is likely to reach all sampled parents, such as a mailing.
Include a return envelope with postage.
Provide an incentive to families or students that return surveys (e.g., all parents who return by a certain date will be entered into a drawing).
Send the survey a second and third time to non-responders.

What is the next step after the survey is conducted?

The results need to be entered and analyzed.
Consult with your district-level data personnel or regional ISD/RESA for help in this process.
Results should be compiled in a simple easy-to-read report that can be shared with your committee, school board, and community.

Who should receive the results?

Results should be shared with Sex Education Advisory Committee members and others involved in making decisions about curriculum for the school district.
The results can be shared with all parents and community members via a website, newsletter, or other communication.
Results should be used in programming decisions.

Is there a sample or model survey we can use?

Yes. A model survey has been developed by the Michigan Department of Education, in collaboration with the Sex Education Subcommittee of the Comprehensive School Health Coordinators Association.
Consult your School Health Coordinator (typically housed in a ISD or RESA) for a sample copy.
Or contact Laurie Bechhofer, Consultant, Michigan Department of Education at (517) 335-7252 or bechhoferl@state.mi.us.

This page last last updated on: 01/02/02