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Part of Education planning and reporting

Education provincial satisfaction surveys

Provincial satisfaction surveys help the Alberta government understand how well the education system is working towards achieving its goals.

Important dates

Provincial satisfaction surveys usually begin in January and finish by the end of May.

Purpose

Provincial satisfaction surveys are conducted each year to make sure the education system continues to meet the needs of people in Alberta.

These surveys help us understand what is working well in the education system, where improvement is required and how it can be improved.

The main objectives of these surveys are to determine how well the education system:

  • meets the needs of students
  • supports our society and the economy
  • works with education partners
  • supports leadership development and continuous improvement of the education system
  • prepares students for lifelong learning, employment and active citizenship

Surveys also seek to understand satisfaction with:

  • the knowledge, skills and abilities of recent high school graduates
  • the quality of facilities and equipment in the education system
  • safe, caring and inclusive school environments

Process

Government employs an external consultant to administer the provincial satisfaction surveys. This is done through a Request for Service (RFS) process and ensures that the results are:

  • reliable
  • valid
  • authentic
  • unbiased

To conduct the surveys, Alberta Education gives the external contractor random samples of contact information for:

  • students
  • parents of students
  • teachers
  • principals
  • school board trustees

For the public surveys, the external contractor obtains a list of randomly selected phone numbers for the province.

For the business and industry survey, the contractor obtains a list of businesses and industries located throughout the province, representative of industry type and business size.

The contractor is bound to manage all personal information in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and ensure the security and confidentiality of all information, either provided to them or collected by them.

Results are summed together and reported at the aggregate level. Individual results are not reported.

All responses in the surveys are managed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The total number of completed surveys is over 6,000 to make sure that survey results for each of the respondent groups are statistically representative.

Participants

Surveys are conducted with the following groups:

  • senior high school students
  • self-identified First Nations, Métis and Inuit senior high school students
  • parents of students in Early Childhood Services to Grade 12
  • parents of self-identified First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in Early Childhood Services to Grade 12
  • parents of students with severe disabilities
  • teachers
  • principals
  • school board trustees
  • business and industry employers of recent high school graduates
  • members of the general public

Participation in the survey is not compulsory; it is strictly voluntary. Participants are free to refuse to answer any questions at any time during the interview.

Survey questionnaires

Each participant group answers a separate version of the survey. Here are examples of satisfaction survey questionnaires:

  • Alberta Education Teacher Online Survey Instrument – 2022
  • Alberta Education High School Student Survey Instrument – 2022
  • Alberta Education High School Student Survey Instrument (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) – 2022
  • Alberta Education Parent Survey Instrument – 2022
  • Alberta Education Parent Survey Instrument (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) – 2022
  • Alberta Education Parent Survey Instrument (Students with Severe Disabilities) – 2022
  • Alberta Education School Board Survey Instrument – 2022
  • Alberta Education Public Survey Instrument – 2022
  • Alberta Education Principal Online Survey Instrument – 2022
  • Alberta Education Business and Industry Survey Instrument – 2022

Performance measures

Provincial satisfaction surveys are part of Education’s performance measurement framework. The framework includes:

  • assessment results including provincial achievement test and diploma examination results
  • student outcome results, such as high school completion rate
  • provincial satisfaction survey results

Some survey results are used in specific business plan performance measures and are reported in the ministry’s annual report.

The annual report provides comprehensive provincial results analysis and communicates the ministry's progress towards achieving the outcomes and targets presented in its business plan.

Performance data is published in the annual report and annual report update.

The performance measurement framework used in provincial reporting is detailed in the Business Plan and Supplementary Performance Measures Summary document published every year.

Reports and results

The survey summary report provides results at the question or item level for the survey-based performance measures found in Alberta Education’s annual report.

It also provides survey results on a broad range of topics of interest to the department, including a detailed section on First Nations, Métis and Inuit survey results.

For more survey summary reports, contact Corporate Planning Branch at [email protected].

Business and industry survey results

This survey assesses employers' satisfaction with recent Alberta high school graduates regarding graduates’:

  • academic skills and competencies
  • technical skills
  • knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for learning throughout their lifetime

The survey also assesses employers' satisfaction with the overall responsiveness of Alberta’s education system to their human resource needs.

Business and industry reports include:

Contact

Connect with Corporate Planning:

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Email: [email protected]