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School committee approves cell-phone surveys for students, staff and families with small wording edits; distribution set after April break
Summary
A committee-appointed cell-phone committee will distribute surveys to students, staff and families after April vacation; the School Committee approved distribution with two minor edits and directed the administration to emphasize anonymity and limit student responses to one entry.
The Auburn School Committee approved distribution of three surveys—students, staff and families—on cell-phone use in schools after April vacation, with two minor wording edits requested by committee members.
The committee voted to amend the surveys as discussed and distribute them following the April vacation. The motion to amend and distribute the surveys passed on a voice vote recorded as “Aye.”
Survey plan and edits Administrators said the surveys will be distributed via ParentSquare for families. Teachers will complete the staff survey during the school day. Middle-school students will complete the survey during a flex block and high-school students during community time so the district obtains a high response rate rather than relying on volunteers.
Two small wording edits were requested and will be applied before distribution: clarify the stem for the question that asks whether the respondent supports cell-phone use in schools (to make the yes/no choice explicit) and clarify a family-oriented question that asks how parents would contact a child if the child did not have a phone in school (reword to emphasize alternative methods such as calling the school office or teacher).
Anonymity and response controls Committee members asked administrators to stress that the student survey is anonymous and that each student will be limited to a single response. Administrators confirmed the student survey will not collect identifying emails and that DocuSign was not used for this instrument.
Timeline The district will send the family survey link and leave it open for approximately two weeks with reminders; the committee also expects a first look at compiled survey data after the district returns from vacation and the cell-phone committee will prepare recommendations for the School Committee.
