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A new school year brings plenty of opportunities to learn what is working well for families and where there may be room to improve. A back-to-school family survey<\/strong> gives school and district leaders a simple way to gather that feedback while families’ experiences with registration, communication, school supply lists, and the first weeks of school are still fresh.<\/p>\n The best surveys take about five minutes to complete and typically include 10 to 15 questions.<\/p>\n Below are 25 back-to-school survey questions<\/strong> you can use to gather meaningful family feedback, along with tips for increasing response rates and making the most of what you learn.<\/p>\n A beginning-of-year family survey helps school and district leaders catch problems early, while there’s still time to address them. Fall feedback is especially valuable because families’ experiences with enrollment, supply shopping, and first-day logistics are still fresh.<\/p>\n A back-to-school survey can help schools:<\/p>\n 1. How smooth was your family’s transition into the new school year?<\/strong> 2. How welcome did you and your child feel during the first weeks of school?<\/strong> 3. What was the most confusing or stressful part of back-to-school?<\/strong><\/p>\n 4. How easy was it to complete registration and required forms?<\/strong> 5. Which part of registration took the most time or caused difficulty?<\/strong><\/p>\n 6. How easy was it to find your child’s school supply list?<\/strong> 7. When did you receive the supply list?<\/strong> 8. Was the list clear and specific enough to shop confidently?<\/strong> 9. Was the cost of school supplies a challenge for your family?<\/strong> Supply lists affect nearly every family, and timing and clarity can directly impact how prepared students are on the first day. Posting lists early in one central place, such as TeacherLists, can make it easier for families to find what they need and get ready for school.<\/p>\n 10. How would you rate school communication so far this year?<\/strong> 11. How do you prefer to receive school updates?<\/strong> 12. How often would you like to hear from your child’s school?<\/strong> 13. In what language would you prefer to receive communications?<\/strong><\/p>\n 14. Did you attend a back-to-school night or open house? If not, what prevented you?<\/strong> 15. How smooth were drop-off, pick-up, and transportation?<\/strong> 16. How is your child feeling about school so far?<\/strong> 17. Does your child have at least one adult at school they feel comfortable asking for help?<\/strong> 18. Is there anything you’d like your child’s teacher to know about your child?<\/strong><\/p>\n 19. Does your child have reliable internet and a device at home for schoolwork?<\/strong> 20. Would your family benefit from information about any of these?<\/strong> 21. How would you like to be involved this year?<\/strong> 22. What time of day works best for school events or conferences?<\/strong><\/p>\n 23. What is one thing we could do to make next year’s back-to-school season easier for your family?<\/strong><\/p>\n 24. What is one thing we did well that we should keep doing?<\/strong><\/p>\n 25. Is there anything else you’d like school leadership to know?<\/strong><\/p>\n To get more families to complete a school survey, keep it under five minutes, make it mobile-friendly, and offer it in every language spoken in your community.<\/p>\n Explain at the beginning of the survey how you’ll use the results, send reminders through multiple channels, and provide paper or in-person options for families without reliable internet access.<\/p>\nWhy Should Schools Send a Back-to-School Family Survey?<\/h2>\n
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What Questions Should Be on a Back-to-School Family Survey?<\/h2>\n
Overall Experience<\/h3>\n
\nVery smooth \/ Somewhat smooth \/ Somewhat difficult \/ Very difficult<\/p>\n
\n1\u20135<\/p>\nRegistration and Enrollment<\/h3>\n
\n1\u20135<\/p>\nSchool Supply Lists<\/h3>\n
\nVery easy \/ Somewhat easy \/ Somewhat difficult \/ Very difficult<\/p>\n
\nBefore summer break \/ Early summer \/ Late summer \/ After school started<\/p>\n
\nYes \/ Somewhat \/ No<\/p>\n
\nNot at all \/ A little \/ Significantly \/ Prefer not to say<\/p>\nSchool Communication<\/h3>\n
\n1\u20135<\/p>\n
\nEmail \/ Text \/ School app \/ Phone call \/ Printed notes<\/p>\n
\nDaily \/ Weekly \/ A few times a month \/ Only when necessary<\/p>\nOrientation and Daily Logistics<\/h3>\n
\nSchedule \/ Transportation \/ Childcare \/ Didn’t know about it<\/p>\n
\n1\u20135<\/p>\nYour Child’s Start to the Year<\/h3>\n
\nVery positive \/ Positive \/ Mixed \/ Negative<\/p>\n
\nYes \/ No \/ Not sure<\/p>\nFamily Needs and Engagement<\/h3>\n
\nYes \/ Sometimes \/ No<\/p>\n
\nBefore\/after-school care \/ Meal programs \/ Tutoring \/ Counseling \/ Community resources<\/p>\n
\nVolunteering in person \/ Helping from home \/ Attending events \/ Joining the PTA\/PTO \/ Not right now<\/p>\nOpen-Ended Questions<\/h3>\n
How Do You Increase Family Survey Response Rates?<\/h2>\n