Communicate Effectively
- • Leverage existing communication channels to grow awareness of the survey (i.e., newsletters, email, social media).
- • Get creative with new ways to communicate about the survey. Involve students in making signs for key drop-off areas, creating flyers, or designing personalized stickers.
- • Communicate the bigger "Why?"
- • Send out two reminders — one with a week left, and one with a day or two left.
- • Give parents at least a week to opt their child out of participating, if desired.
Improve Participation
- • Set aside dedicated time for students and staff to take the MRA.
- • Ensure all eligible students have the accommodations they need to complete the MRA.
- • Provide families with opportunities to use school computers or tablets to complete the survey.
- • Ensure families who'd prefer completing the MRA in a language other than English know where to find the other 25 languages the MRA is available in.
- • Send out printed surveys that can be anonymously returned home with students.
- • Involve local businesses who will donate food or other small incentives — like free coffee and donuts — for parents who come in and take the MRA before school.
Ethical Reminders
- • Do not attempt to influence the answers provided by respondents.
- • The MRA is voluntary. Do not force anyone to take it and/or require evidence of completion.
- • Teachers can monitor their students' participation, but they should not watch how they respond.
- • In a similar way, principals are strongly encouraged to leave the room while staff are taking the MRA.
- • If you send out printed surveys, decide in advance on a system for collecting and entering those surveys to protect respondent anonymity.