Practice:

Evaluate outcomes to show your program is

making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

SAMPLE MATERIAL: Student Survey of Noncognitive Outcomes

Purpose: Noncognitive outcomes—such as attitudes about

school and interactions with fellow students—can affect
students’ cognitive or learning outcomes. Reviewing
this sample student survey provides an example of
one evaluator’s approach to measuring noncognitive
outcomes in a magnet program. Although steps
were taken to ensure reliability of the survey, a final
determination of reliability is still underway.

Note: In developing this student survey, The Education

Alliance at Brown University took several actions to help
ensure its validity. For example, items were drawn from
existing magnet program surveys whenever possible.
The survey was reviewed by an expert panel before
it was implemented. When The Education Alliance
pilot tested the survey in real classroom settings, they
discovered that the order of questions, and using
subheadings for each group of questions, affected how
survey subjects interpreted questions. In response,
survey developers made revisions to improve reliability.

Source: “Magnet Schools Assistance Program: Middle and High

School Student Survey,” developed by The Education
Alliance at Brown University and American Education
Solutions, Inc. (2008).

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 Practice: Evaluate outcomes to show your program is
making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

ID#

MAGNET SCHOOLS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT SURVEY, 2008
This survey will help teachers, principals, parents, and educators understand more about your every day experiences.
The information will be useful in planning ways to improve your school. Your responses are completely confidential
and will never be identified as yours.

INSTRUCTIONS:
This is not a test; there are no right or wrong answers. Please feel free to give your honest opinions. If there is something
you do not understand, just raise your hand and your teacher will help you.

Please note: The questions on this survey refer to your experiences in your school during last school year - 2007-2008.

Fill in one bubble for each question. If there is a question you do not wish to answer, you may skip it.

SECTION 1
Attitudes/Interactions With Other
Ethnicities 2. How much do you

Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
agree with each of
We want to learn about your experiences in school and the following:

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
what can be done to improve your school. The first
Agree

Agree
questions we ask are about how students and teachers a) Adults in our school
of different races get along with each other. respect students
of different races. 0 0 0 0 0

1. Thinking about last school year, 2007-2008, b) Students in our

how often have you done each school respect
of the following: students of
Sometimes
Very Often

different races. 0 0 0 0 0
Never
Often

a) Had conversations with

students of a different c) I think students of
race or ethnicity than different races or
your own? 0 0 0 0 colors should go
to school together. 0 0 0 0 0
b) Had conversations with
students who are very d) My classes are
different from you in made up of
terms of their religious students of
beliefs, political opinions, different races. 0 0 0 0 0
or personal values? 0 0 0 0

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Copyright © 2008 The Education Alliance at Brown University
 Practice: Evaluate outcomes to show your program is
making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

3. To what extent does your school encourage

Quite A Bit
Very Much

Very Little
contact among students of different

Some
backgrounds and beliefs
(race, religion, politics, g) Providing helpful
etc.)? comments on student

Quite A Bit
Very Much

Very Little
performance 0 0 0 0

Some
h) Encouraging students to
explore new ideas 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
i) Recognizing academic
excellence 0 0 0 0

4. How much has your experience at this j) Recognizing athletic

school contributed to your growth in achievement 0 0 0 0
understanding people
of other racial and ethnic k) Involving students in
Quite A Bit
Very Much

Very Little

backgrounds? school leadership and

governance 0 0 0 0
Some

l) Treating students fairly 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0
m) Continuing your
education (college, career
training, etc.) 0 0 0 0
General School Experience

5. To what extent does your school emphasize 6. Please mark the extent to which you agree
each of the following: or disagree with each
Quite A Bit
Very Much

Very Little

Neither Agree
Nor Disagree
of the following:
Some

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Agree

Agree
a) Spending a lot of time
a) My teachers notice
studying and on school
when I am doing a
work 0 0 0 0
good job and let me
know about it. 0 0 0 0 0
b) Providing the support
needed to succeed in
b) Teachers are patient
school 0 0 0 0
when a student has
trouble learning. 0 0 0 0 0
c) Preparing for
standardized tests 0 0 0 0
c) I am able to talk with
at least 1 teacher
d) Encouraging contact
about things that are
among students of
on my mind. 0 0 0 0 0
different backgrounds
and beliefs (race, religion,
d) It is usually easy to
politics, etc.) 0 0 0 0
get help from the
teachers at my
e) Participating in school
school. 0 0 0 0 0
events and activities
(athletics, plays, etc.) 0 0 0 0 e) I like most of my
teachers this year. 0 0 0 0 0
f) Using computers in class
work 0 0 0 0

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Copyright © 2008 The Education Alliance at Brown University
 Practice: Evaluate outcomes to show your program is
making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

7. Please fill in the responses that come closest to

Agree Nor
Disagree

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Neither
how you feel about each of the following

Agree

Agree
statements.
k) I am challenged to

Agree Nor
Disagree

Disagree

Disagree
do my best work at
Strongly

Strongly
Neither
a) I feel supported and
Agree

Agree
school. 0 0 0 0 0
respected by the
following people:
l) Overall, people at
school accept me
Teachers 0 0 0 0 0
for who I am. 0 0 0 0 0
Counselors 0 0 0 0 0
m) If I could select a
high school, I would
Administrators
go to the same
(principal,
school again. 0 0 0 0 0
assistant/
vice principal) 0 0 0 0 0
n) There is at least one
adult in my school
Secretaries/
who cares about me
administrative
and knows me well. 0 0 0 0 0
assistants 0 0 0 0 0

Other students 0 0 0 0 0

8. Please mark the extent to which you agree or

b) I get to make disagree with the following:
choices about what
I will study at school. 0 0 0 0 0 My teacher grades me
on how I perform on:

Agree Nor
Disagree

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Neither
c) I have many
Agree

Agree
opportunities to ask
teachers questions
about my work. 0 0 0 0 0
a) Student portfolios 0 0 0 0 0
d) I have worked
harder than I b) Quizzes/tests 0 0 0 0 0
expected to work
in school. 0 0 0 0 0
c) Independent projects 0 0 0 0 0
e) I think school rules
are fair. 0 0 0 0 0
d) Classroom
f) I help determine demonstrations/
how my school work projects 0 0 0 0 0
is evaluated. 0 0 0 0 0
e) Exhibits 0 0 0 0 0
g) I have a voice in
classroom decisions. 0 0 0 0 0

h) I have opportunities
to be creative in my
school assignments. 0 0 0 0 0

i) I feel safe in school. 0 0 0 0 0

j) The support I get at

school encourages
me to learn more. 0 0 0 0 0

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Copyright © 2008 The Education Alliance at Brown University
 Practice: Evaluate outcomes to show your program is
making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

SECTION 2 SECTION 3
Parent Involvement Magnet Implementation
This next section is about your parents or other adults Questions 11 & 12 are for students who are at magnet
that you live with. schools ONLY. If you are not a magnet school student,
please skip to question 13.

9. During last school year, 2007-2008,

did your parents 11. Please mark the extent to which you agree
Agree Nor
Disagree

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
or other adults Neither or disagree with each
Agree

Agree

living with you: of the following:

Agree Nor
Disagree

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly
Neither
Agree

Agree
a) Attended a school
meeting? 0 0 0 0 0
a) I know the magnet
b) Phoned or spoken to theme at my school. 0 0 0 0 0
your teacher or
counselor? 0 0 0 0 0 b) I understand what it
means that my
c) Attended a school school is a magnet
event in which you school. 0 0 0 0 0
participated? 0 0 0 0 0
c) The magnet theme
d) Volunteered at at my school is very
your school? 0 0 0 0 0 interesting to me. 0 0 0 0 0

e) Commented on d) We study about the

your report card? 0 0 0 0 0 magnet theme in
most of my classes. 0 0 0 0 0

e) What I learn in one

10. My parent or subject is connected
Agree Nor
Disagree

Disagree

Disagree
Strongly

Strongly

another adult: to what I learn in

Neither
Agree

Agree

others. 0 0 0 0 0

a) Helps me with f) I feel like I am

my homework 0 0 0 0 0 learning more now
that I attend a
b) Checks to see if magnet school. 0 0 0 0 0
I have done my
homework 0 0 0 0 0

c) Talks with me about 12. Why did you come to this school
what I have done in (choose one)?
school 0 0 0 0 0
I was already a student at this school when it
d) Encourages me became a “magnet school.” 0
to work hard at
school 0 0 0 0 0 I came to this school because of the magnet
program. 0
e) Makes sure I get to
school on time 0 0 0 0 0 The school is in my neighborhood. 0

We moved into the neighborhood so I could

attend this school. 0

Other 0

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Copyright © 2008 The Education Alliance at Brown University

 Practice: Evaluate outcomes to show your program is
making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

SECTION 4 18. How many school clubs, sports teams,

or organizations (like student council,
Background Information cheerleading, drama club, school
newspaper, or others) do you belong to?
This last section is for all students. These questions ask
about you, your background, and your family.
Please mark the best response. 0 0 3 0

1 0 4 0
13. How old are you?
2 0 5 or more 0
9 0 13 0 17 0

10 0 14 0 18 0
19. Did you attend school in a different location last
11 0 15 0 19 0 year?

12 0 16 0 Yes 0 No 0

14. What is your gender? 20. Have you ever stayed back or repeated a
grade in school?
Male 0 Female 0
Yes 0 No 0

15. What grade are you in?

21. Do you attend an after-school program?
5 0 9 0
Yes 0 No 0
6 0 10 0

7 0 11 0
22. What language do you usually speak at
8 0 12 0 home?

English 0 Other 0
16. Please mark your ethnicity.
Spanish 0 More than one
language 0
Hispanic/Latino 0

Not Hispanic/Latino 0
23. If you eat a school lunch, do you receive:

Free lunch 0
17. Please mark the choice that describes your
race. Reduced-price lunch 0

0 White/Caucasian 0 Black/ Full-price lunch 0

African American

0 American Indian/ 0 Asian

Alaskan Native

0 Native Hawaiian/ 0 Some other race

Pacific Islander

0 Biracial
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Copyright © 2008 The Education Alliance at Brown University

 Practice: Evaluate outcomes to show your program is
making a difference
Key Action: Identify outcome measures and instruments

24. What kind of grades do you usually get?

Mark the closest.

Mostly A's 0 Mostly D's 0

Mostly B's 0 Mostly F's 0

Mostly C's 0

25. How far did your mother or female guardian

go in school?

Some elementary school/high school 0

High school graduate 0

Some college/training after high school 0

College graduate 0

Do not know 0

26. How far did your father or male guardian

go in school?

Some elementary school/high school 0

High school graduate 0

Some college/training after high school 0

College graduate 0

Do not know 0

27. How much schooling do you want to get?

Some elementary school/high school 0

High school graduate 0

Some college/training after high school 0

College graduate 0

Do not know 0

Thanks for filling out our survey!

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Copyright © 2008 The Education Alliance at Brown University