Jan. 26, 2021 – The annual 5Essentials survey is launching today, giving students, parents, and teachers a unique opportunity to have a voice in improving their schools.
The survey — available at this link now through Feb. 26 — is administered every spring and helps schools better understand areas of strength and weakness in five essential areas critical for school success.
- Effective Leaders
- Collaborative Teachers
- Involved Families
- Supportive Environment
- Ambitious Instruction
The more feedback that schools get from its students, parents and teachers, the better. The survey may take a few minutes, but will provide an invaluable set of data for schools and the school district to use to improve.
Note: The 5Essentials survey is also known as the “UChicago Impact School Survey.”
About 5 Essentials
Based on over 20 years of research conducted by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, the 5Essentials Survey identifies schools’ strengths and weaknesses through student and teacher voice.
Research has shown that schools strong on three or more of the 5Essentials were 10 times more likely to improve student test score growth and 30 times less likely to stagnate than similar schools that were weak on the 5Essentials.
Generated from a rigorous analysis of student and teacher survey responses, 5Essentials Reports demonstrate that what students and teachers say about their schools can serve as important indicators for school success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who participates in the survey? All teachers and students in grades 4-12 of participating schools will complete a survey. Additionally, there is a parent survey component.
When will the survey be administered? Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 – Friday, Feb. 26, 2021.
How do participants access the survey? The survey is only available online. Teachers receive an email invitation with a unique username and password; students log in using their student ID and birthdate. Parents access the survey through a direct link, https://survey.5-essentials.org/florida/. Although students must complete the survey at the school site, teachers and parents are able to complete the survey offsite (e.g., home, local library).
How long does the online survey take to complete? On average, the student and teacher surveys take about 20 minutes to complete; however, it is suggested that each participant allots 30 minutes. The parent survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Who should complete the teacher survey? The teacher survey should be completed by certified teachers whose primary responsibility involves teaching students for the majority of the school day and year. Individuals in the following positions are ineligible to participate in the survey:
- Principals
- Assistant principals
- Student teachers
- Substitute teachers
- Tutors
Which web browser should be used to access the online survey? Any of the following browsers may be used to access and complete the survey:
- Chrome, any version
- Edge, any version
- Firefox, v4 or newer
- Internet Explorer, v7 or newer
- Safari, v5 or newer
What is the research behind the 5Essentials?
- A First Look at the 5Essentials in Illinois Schools: https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/first-look-5essentials-illinois-schools
- Organizing Schools for Improvement: https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/organizing-schools-improvement-lessons-chicago
