​The survey collected student demographic and identity data, including information about language, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and more. It also includes questions about school experience. 

Staff are not able to see individual student responses to the survey. The data was collected from a population level alongside other data we had already collected, to identify systemic barriers that students face in our school system. 

The information shared will help us build on the work we are already doing to support equity, well-being and success for all students and provide a way to measure the impact of that work.

Why are we doing a student census?​
Every day, we work to build faith-filled learning communities. We want our students and families to feel loved, inspired, and successful. By better understanding our students, we can make sure that the programs, supports and opportunities best suit their needs. 

The See Me in ALCDSB survey will:

• Collect accurate identity and experience data about the current student population 
• Improve our ability to assess the disparities that exist within the system and to effectively measure efforts to improve outcomes for all students
• Support the development of 2022-2023 school improvement plans and the board improvement plan and inform new and existing programming and supports 

​The collection of this data is mandated by the Ministry of Education and is an important step forward for equity in the ALCDSB because it allows us to understand the ever-changing context in our schools. However, we aren’t waiting for this data to implement changes and improvements. Many existing reports from Canadian organizations outline disparities that groups of students experience in the education system in general. This new local data will provide more information for our program and support design and, most importantly, evaluation.​

What is on the survey?​

How we will use the data​
We will analyze the student census data alongside other existing datasets. This analysis will support ongoing community conversations about equity and support for students. It’ll help us plan what we can do to remove barriers students face, and make sure programs, supports, and opportunities best align with what students need. The data will also allow us to measure the impact of changes we make. 

This analysis will likely also interest social services agencies working in our communities and other community partners. Many factors in communities affect whether individuals and families have access to services and opportunities, feel a sense of belonging and feel safe. We need to work together to address any gaps this census data and other data sources help uncover. ​

See Me in ALCDSB webinar information session:​​

Click here​ to view the recording.

If you missed the event, you can still submit your questions by emailing info@alcdsb.on.ca. 

Resources to support you​​
Talking to your kids about equity 

Why this data matters 

• The crisis of anti-Black racism in schools persists across generations – Article by Carl James, York University 
• Professional Advisory on Anti-Black Racism – Ontario College of Teachers ​
  
• Still In Every Class In Every School – Report from Egale Canada about discrimination against 2SLGBTQIA+ students 
• When It’s Measured, it Matters: Disaggregated Race Data in Canada – Article by Janoah Willsie​

Staff census coming in 2022-2023 school year​​
A similar voluntary census will take place with ALCDSB staff in the 2022-2023 school year to help us understand more about the staff working in our system. We want our staff to feel supported. We also want to ensure our hiring and promotion practices are free from any bias that may result in the underrepresentation of individuals from equity-seeking groups.

If you have additional questions about the student census, please visit our FAQ page​.​