The Renfrew County District School Board is committed to equity, inclusion and ensuring everyone feels a strong sense of belonging.
The voluntary and confidential RCDSB Student survey asked a series of questions around identity and demographics. The survey was guided by the Ministry of Education and is in compliance with Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards, the Ontario Human Rights Commission and all relevant legislative requirements set out in the Education Act, MFIPPA , the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario Human Rights Commission permits and encourages the collection and analysis of identity data for the purposes of: identifying and removing systemic barriers; preventing discrimination; and promoting equity and inclusivity.
Student Demographic Data Analysis Final Reports:
FAQs
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What is the purpose of this survey?
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Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan encourages School Boards to collect student identity-based data to identify potential barriers or gaps and determine how to eliminate discriminatory biases in our classes and schools as outlined in the Ontario Education Equity Action Plan.
School boards across the province are completing a Census with their school communities in order to better understand the needs of student populations and school communities. The Census will gather demographic data (statistical information) to help us better understand the communities we serve.
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| Why is RCDSB collecting this data? |
RCDSB is committed to serving our students as best we can. To do this, we want to gain a clearer understanding of who our students are and our school communities.
Collecting identity-based information through the Student survey will help us to identify the groups of students being underserved so that we can develop and revise programs, strategies, policies and teaching practices, as well as allocate resources and supports to improve school environments and help every student succeed.
RCDSB utilizes the Student demographic data as an opportunity to honour our students’ voices and learn more about their school experiences in order to be responsive to their needs. |
| Who completes the survey? |
| All students are asked to complete the survey. Students in Grades 4 to 12 complete the survey online at school, including RCDSB Elementary Virtual School students. Families of students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 were asked to complete the survey with their student(s) at home. School administrators will ensure that all students, including those attending alternative programs, receive an invitation to participate in the survey. |
| Is the Student survey available for students with special education needs? |
| Yes. All of the accommodations, supports and assistive technology necessary to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate in the survey will be provided. |
| Is parental consent required before students complete the survey? |
| Formal consent from families is not required. Legislation regarding participation of students in a Board-initiated survey intended for planning and programming purposes permits the collection of survey data. The survey is voluntary. Families can withdraw their child from participation in the survey by contacting their Principal |
| Is the Student survey available in languages other than English? |
| Yes. The survey for students will be available in the following top 10 languages as identified by school board enrolment data: Arabic, Cantonese, English, Farsi, French, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, and Urdu. |
| What types of questions are included in the Student survey? |
The Student survey asks questions about student identity that include languages, gender, sexual orientation, religion/creed/faith, ethnicity, race, nationality, disability and socio-economics. Perceptual questions relating to opportunities, sense of belonging, and well-being are also included.
Students in Grades 4 to 12 are supported by staff who have been provided with various resources such as mentor texts to support them in helping students to prepare for the language and concepts of the survey.
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| Why are there questions about masculinity/femininity? |
| Masculinity and femininity are common ways we describe another person’s gender expression, or how they externally present and convey their gender identity to others. Gender expression is one of the protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Since we are collecting demographic data based on human rights code protected grounds, this question is important to include. Along with, and separate from gender identity, it is critical to understand how gender expression is affecting students' experience at school, as research has shown that students who are read as gender non-conforming (i.e., who do not express gender like other people expect them to) report greater harassment and violence whether or not they are LGBTQ+. In other words, gender identity and sexual orientation do not necessarily predict gender-based harassment - gender expression does. This means that gender expression discrimination is an issue potentially experienced by a large proportion of RCDSB students. The question, as written with the seven-point scale, has been validated by the most recent research on gender expression. Retaining their format is the most rigorous way to ask about gender expression since masculinity and femininity each have a very wide range |
| Why are there questions about socio-economic status (such as how many TVs or bathrooms a student has in their home)? |
| The data collected through the survey helps us learn more about RCDSB students – their backgrounds, experiences and needs. Questions around a student’s socio-economic status (family education, wealth etc.) help to provide a full picture of a student and have been validated by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) and were recommended for inclusion by the Ministry of Education. Further, measuring the socio-economic status of students can be directly related to student achievement. The Ministry also provided boards with guidelines on how to ask these important questions. |
| Does my child need to answer every question on the survey? |
The Student survey is voluntary. Students could choose to skip questions if they did not wish to provide answers, or they could choose not to participate at all.
It is important to note that the higher the completion rate, the more reliable the information is in helping us to identify and remove systemic barriers and bias, and provide better services to our students and communities. |
| Can I view a copy of the Student survey before my child participates? |
| Yes click here as copies of the survey are available for review. |
| What gives the school board the right to collect this information? |
| Collection of identity-based data is supported by Canada’s human rights legislative framework, including the Canadian Human Rights Act, The Ontario Human Rights Code, and section 15(2) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario Human Rights Commission permits and encourages the collection and analysis of identity data for the purposes of: identifying and removing systemic barriers; preventing discrimination; and promoting equity and inclusivity. |
| Is the Student survey anonymous? |
| The census is confidential but not anonymous. To ensure confidentiality, no directly identifying information (such as student name) was required to be typed on the survey. As one of the main purposes of the survey is to identify and eliminate systemic barriers to student success, all surveys will include unique identifiers that will allow us to identify groups of students. No individual students were identified. Students logged in using their secure Active Directory account. |
| How were responses kept confidential and secure? |
The survey is confidential but not anonymous. The privacy of our students and families is respected. Data was collected in a secure manner in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and best practices.
Student names do not appear on the survey. Each survey included a unique survey ID. All data will be stored in a secure, confidential Canadian data base that is accessed by authorized RCDSB research staff to identify and summarize board trends.
Reports are never singled out or identify a student or family, and only reported in a summarized way, to provide understanding of school community needs.
Privacy requirements outlined in the Municipal freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) are followed. MFIPPA is the provincial legislation that establishes responsibilities of school boards to protect personal information about individuals including students, that is collected, used, retained, disclosed and disposed of. The confidential database is only accessed by research staff at the RCDSB for analysis and research purposes. |
| My student completed the survey. How do I see their responses? |
| The survey is confidential and all information collected is protected. We encouraged families to discuss the questions with their student(s) to understand their responses. |
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How will the data be used?
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| Responses were processed and analyzed, and the Renfrew County District School Board produced reports which help inform board and school decision-making for programs and instruction. Data reports or analysis will never single out a student. By law, the Renfrew County District School Board cannot reveal individualized information for any student who completes the census. |
| What do I do if I have technical difficulties accessing the survey? |
If you are having difficulty logging in, or require more technical support, please contact your school Principal/Vice Principal.
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Resources
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RCDSB students in Grades 4 to 12 will complete the census during supervised class time and educators support students to ensure they understand the questions being asked. Families with students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 will complete the census at home on behalf of their students. Below, you will find some helpful definitions and clarifications around identity, gender identity, race and ethnicity that may help you understand what the census is asking:
| What is Identity? |
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What is Identity?
Your identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you. It can also be considered a combination of personality traits, beliefs, values, physical attributes, looks and / or expressions, abilities that make a person or group.
Resources for educators and families:
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| What is Gender Identity? |
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Gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense or feeling of being a woman, a man, both, neither or anywhere on the gender spectrum, which may or may not be the same as the person’s sex assigned at birth (e.g. male, female, intersex) It is different from and does not determine a person’s sexual orientation.
Important Terminology:
Transgender = People whose gender identity or gender expression does not align easily or at all with the M or F they were assigned at birth.
Two-Spirit = (An Indigenous person whose gender identity, spiritual identity, or sexual orientation includes masculine, feminine, or non-binary spirits)
Non-Binary = Non-Binary people identify with neither side of the man/boy/male or woman/girl/female binary. Non-Binary people can be situated under the transgender umbrella
Gender-Fluid = People whose gender expression and/or gender identity don't park in any one place, or at least not for long.
How can we explore gender identity in our classrooms or at home through diverse books?
Grades K- 8: Parents/guardians looking for age-appropriate reading material for younger children who are transgender, gender expansive, or simply have a lot of questions, might think that their options are limited.
Transgender Reading List for Children - PFLAG
Grades 9 -12: PFLAG is the extended family of the LGBTQ community. We're made up of LGBTQ individuals, family members and allies. Because together, we're stronger.
Transgender Reading List for Young Adults - PFLAG
Resources for educators and families:
RCDSB Gender Identity & Gender Expression Guidline |
| What is Race? |
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People are often described as belonging to a certain “race” based upon how others see and behave toward them. These ideas about who belongs to what race are usually based on physical features such as skin colour. Ideas about race are often imposed on people by others in ways which can affect their life experiences and how they are treated. Society forms ideas of race based on geographic, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors, as well as physical traits. Race is often confused with ethnicity, but there can often be several ethnicities within a racialized group.
Important Terminology:
Black - (African, Afro-Caribbean, African-Canadian descent)
East Asian - (Examples may include Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese descent)
Indigenous - (First Nations, Métis, Inuit descent)
Latino/Latina/Latinx - Latin American, South American, Central American, Hispanic descent. (Examples may include Mexican, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, Honduran, etc.)
Middle Eastern - Arab, Persian, West Asian descent. (Examples may include Afghan, Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Turkish, Kurdish, etc.)
South Asian - (Examples may include Indian (India), Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, IndoCaribbean, etc.
Southeast Asian - (Examples may include Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Indonesian, other Southeast Asian descent)
White - People belonging to any of various peoples with light coloured skin, usually of European descent. (Examples may include British, Italian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, etc.)
Questions for discussion:
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Do you think about your race? How often?
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Are there situations, events, news, etc. that prompt you to think about your race?
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How do you envision the answers of your students to the previous two questions to be similar or different?
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Do you believe your students experience school (hallways, activities, classrooms, curriculum, discipline etc.) differently based on their racial background?
Resources for educators and families:
This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell |
| What is Ethnicity? |
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Building upon the definition of race, ethnicity is often confused with race. Unlike race, which specifically looks at your physical features, ethnicity zeroes in on your family's cultural, and ancestral heritage - like language, citizenship, traditions, and history. In other words, ethnic groups have a common identity, heritage, ancestry, or historical past, often with identifiable cultural, linguistic and/or religious characteristics. Ethnicity and race interact in complex ways that change over time dependent on the present day political and cultural context.
Questions for discussion:
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If you know how you would you classify your race, and using the definitions above, what do you know about your own ethnic identity?
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Do you feel like your racial identity and ethnic identity are similar?
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As educators, we can explore the interaction between ethnicity and race in the classroom by first examining our own complex relationship with these two categories of identity.
Resources for educators and families:
Is Everyone Really Equal? An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education by Özlem Sensoy & Robin DiAngelo |
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