This document provides a summary of the responses received from a survey of superintendents, board clerks, deputy clerks, data stewards, and data steward assistants regarding KASB’s annual research surveys, along with a discussion of KASB’s plan for these surveys starting in 2020-21.
We received 212 individual responses on a survey sent to approximately 600 KASB member district staff. These included superintendents, assistant superintendents, board clerks, board treasurers, and other district staff involved in submitting and using KASB’s annual survey data.
Providing information
Respondents were asked how they preferred to provide information to KASB. One hundred seventy-three, or 81.6 percent indicated they preferred to submit data “Via online surveys like the current system, where you can start with a blank or with a previous year’s response.” Thirty-one, or 14.6 percent indicated they preferred to submit data “Via Excel files provided by KASB based on previous year’s responses.” Seven, or 3.3 percent indicated other options:
- Both systems have their merits, however the current method is cumbersome when trying to gather information. You have to go in and print each page, then gather your info. A spreadsheet offers the opportunity to print the information and input.
- Current and data upload for Principal Report
- Do not really care. Would like ability to print paper copy for “working” copy
- Either method is fine with me
- I think both options are valuable. It can be especially valuable to see the previous year’s response.
- This was my first time. However, I am fine either way
- We like the option to do either/or – depending on type of data requested
Barriers
Respondents were asked what barriers make it difficult to submit the data to KASB. One hundred fifty-one respondents gave feedback.
Seventy-seven, or 36.3 percent indicated having time to complete the surveys was a challenge. Forty-three, or 20.3 percent mentioned the process itself, and twenty-four, or 11.3 percent mentioned the availability of data or the process of getting data from other folks in the district.
In terms of process, several challenges were listed, including:
- Logging in and managing passwords
- Determining what has been submitted and is still needed
- Difficulty managing contact information in the portal
- Too many clicks
- Getting logged out before saving information
- Lack of training/documentation, particularly for new district staff given these responsibilities
- Complexity of data requested on some surveys
- Too many email reminders
Respondents were asked if they had additional feedback. One hundred eleven provided comments, which included the following topics:
- More details needed on information requested
- Providing previous year’s information to start from is appreciated
- KASB staff is responsive to questions
- The data submitted is useful for district use
- Need to be able to print what we and others have submitted
- Consolidate surveys
- Provide training videos
Do you use the data?
Respondents were asked if they use the data that is collected via these annual surveys. One hundred fifty-one, or 71.2 percent indicated they did, while fifty-eight, or 27.4 percent indicated they did not.
Preferred format
When asked whether they preferred using the Excel files or the online interactive tools, one hundred twenty-seven, or 60.0 percent indicated they use the Excel files, and sixty-three, or 29.7 percent indicated they use the online interactive tools.
Annual reports
When asked if KASB should start producing static annual reports for the survey data again (after having suspended these reports a couple of years ago), one hundred forty, or 66 percent indicated they were not needed, and fifty-eight, or 27 percent indicated they would be used if provided.
When asked to provide additional feedback on improvements KASB could make to the way it provides data back to districts for use, sixty-six respondents provided comments. These included the following topics:
- Tutorials, trainings, or videos should be provided on data use
- Make it easier to find and export data
- Make it easier to compare to similar districts
- Need more awareness of the data that is available
- Make it easier to print information
Gameplan for 2020-21
Based on feedback from this survey and discussions with district staff and other data users, KASB is working to revise how we collect and report data.
First, KASB is moving all data collection to the Member Portal.
This will:
- Eliminate the need to keep track of the access code currently needed to submit the data, as each staff member’s portal login will get them to the survey data, and their role with KASB will determine whether they have access to edit the information.
- Make it easier for staff entering data to assist others in using this data, as the format for entering data will be much more consistent with the format for viewing and comparing the data, and because all the data for a particular survey will be on a single page (including your district’s data in a grid, all other districts’ data in a grid, the Excel file, and the online interactive tools).
- Make it easier to print the data entered by a district and to print other districts’ data for comparison.
Second, KASB is consolidating the number of surveys each year.
Currently KASB asks districts to submit 10 surveys annually, plus submit election results every other year and provide a copy of their teacher salary schedule each year. Starting in 2020-21, there will be six annual surveys and the election survey every other year, along with the annual submission of the teacher salary schedules. The list of surveys is as follows:
- Calendar: This survey contains most of the information from the previous calendar survey minus some that have been moved to the Teacher and Policies surveys.
- Elections: This survey asks for counts of individuals falling into certain categories related to the school board elections every two years to supplement the information provided on each individual board member.
- Fees: This survey asks for information on individual fees charged by each district in a variety of categories.
- Policies: All the data previously collected on other surveys that speaks to district policies have been gathered into one survey. This includes questions previously asked on the Other Staff, Calendar, Fees, Supplemental, and Retirement surveys.
- Staff: The data previously collected via the Superintendent, Principal, Central Office Staff, and Other Staff Surveys have been consolidated into one survey. The format for the kinds of data provided will be more flexible depending on the data available and the format used by each district.
- Supplemental: This survey asks for information on the individual supplemental pay categories for each district.
- Teacher: This survey asks for all information related to teachers previously collected on the Calendar, Employee Relations, and Teacher Contracts surveys.
Third, KASB is introducing more flexibility for submitting data.
Based on district feedback, it appears that most prefer to submit information online via a survey with the district’s responses from the previous year pre-populated. This will be how data will be collected for the Calendar, Elections, Policies, and Teacher surveys. When KASB is ready for districts to start submitting responses for the current school year, we will create a new record for each district showing responses from the previous year and ask districts to update whatever has changed for the current year.
For the Fees, Staff, and Supplemental surveys, which ask districts to provide multiple responses per year, KASB will copy previous responses for the current and allow districts to update them using the portal. We will also give districts the option of using an Excel template to submit the information. On the portal, district staff will be able to update records pulled over from the previous year, create new records, and mark existing records for deletion. Via Excel, districts will have the option to use a blank template or request a template pre-populated with last year’s responses to submit. Data submitted via Excel will replace the records copied over from the previous years for districts using this option.
Fourth, KASB is including a formal submission signoff process.
A few years back, KASB changed the nature of the submission process to allow districts to return to previously submitted data and updated it as more, better, or revised information became available. This was done to make the submission process more flexible and to reflect the fact that this data is considered living and evolving rather than static. However, this presents challenges when it comes to determining what has been submitted and what still needs to be submitted.
In terms of timing, KASB did away with set deadlines for surveys and has no plans to reinstate specific cutoff dates for any data collection. We ask the districts try to submit the data to us as early as possible based on the availability of time to complete and of the data elements themselves. We will continue to work on finding a balance between providing timely and effective reminders about sending this data to us and not causing undue stress or frustration with too many communications about this process.
To make it easier to track what districts have submitted and what still needs to be reviewed and revised, KASB is reintroducing a sign-off feature. KASB will include a “Verified by District” checkbox on each survey, and this field will be used to determine what surveys are marked incomplete on each district’s list. When the survey data is copied over for a new school year, all the surveys will have the “Verified by District” box unchecked, and they will each appear on the districts’ lists of surveys to complete. Once a district staff person opens the survey, makes any necessary changes, and then clicks the “Verified by District” box, the survey will no longer appear on their list.
This gives districts several options for submitting data, including opening, updating, and saving a survey’s data multiple times before checking the “Verified by District” box or opening, updating, checking “Verified by District,” and saving, then returning to the survey at a later time if a value needs to be revised. Districts can also choose to have certain staff members add and update data, then ask another staff member to review and verify.
KASB is still determining how certain situations will be handled, such as what to do with the surveys for which a district submits multiple records each year, and what to do with surveys that have not been verified when rolling over to a new school year. We will provide information in the documentation and training materials when these decisions have been made.
Fifth, KASB is improving training and documentation materials.
KASB has provided a Data Steward Handbook for several years containing all pertinent information related to submitting and using the annual survey data. This manual will be updated for the new processes and expanded to contain additional information on data use, such as:
- The particulars of using the comparison features included in the Excel files.
- How to work with the online interactive tools.
- How to print the survey forms for use in gathering data and archiving.
In addition, KASB will provide videos demonstrating how to submit and access this data. These will be available via YouTube for anyone who prefers this learning method.
KASB will seek input on the kinds of videos to provide and plans to create and update these on an ongoing basis in response to member feedback.
Sixth, KASB will be revising how we report out the data gathered via the annual surveys.
Though it appears most agree the annual survey reports are not necessary, KASB will be exploring ways to provide periodic reports based on the annual survey data. Rather than doing a report for each survey, we will look at providing shorter, more concise reports focused on particular topics. These will be created based on feedback from KASB staff and member input.
Conclusion
KASB appreciates the work of districts to make this data available for us and for other member districts, and also the feedback provided on the method for collecting and reporting this data.
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