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Although the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) places a heavy bounty on "Teacher Accountability," Standardized Testing, and Data Analysis; most school districts do not allow teachers to gather data, conduct surveys, interpret data to parents, school board members or community leaders.

Besides, crafting surveys, gathering data, and employing instructional decisions based upon data requires skills in the professional realm that most school administrators believe exceed individual teacher's capacity and competence.

But, this confused role doesn't mean that surveys are useless, only that teachers can't put any survey in writing. Teacher surveys must be verbal and conducted "on the sly."

Then, armed with this "secret knowledge" teachers can never reveal their data to anyone.

The ways to share this surreptitious survey data are:

• State results as an opinion


• State results as your best guess, hunch or intuition


• State that you "heard something" at the PTA/ PTO meting, in the teachers' lounge, on the radio


• Etc.

Surreptitious Survey How-To

If you are to collect survey data, you can't be seen or heard doing it. You can't let on that you are collecting the data.

For the Teachers' Lounge, you need to memorize your questions, one at a time, and ask one colleague, then leave (or go into the bathroom) and record the answer on a 3" x 5" card.

Repeat over many days or weeks until you have compiled enough data to develop inferences.

Surveys with parents are easier because you can call parents to praise and compliment their children. During the conversation, you may also be able to work several survey questions into the conversation. Just be sure to keep your data collection device handy and record responses as you hear them.

Recording student responses is easier Just develop a set of questions, and use them with a simple Yes-No response system such as two-sided cards.

For example, one side of the card is red for, "No." and the other side is green, for "Yes."

Then, during social studies, governments, health, math or other class; work the questions into the discussion.

Keep it simple and keep it surreptitious.

Using "underground tactics" such as these, you will be able to collect usable data that assists you in your professional job role.

Professional Solutions

If you would like to explore professional survey methods further, check these resources…

SPSS™ offers an outstanding resource, SPSS™ Survey Tips.

This document provides all the background information that you need to "play in the educational survey jargon space."

Link to the SPSS™ Survey Tips Document

SPSS also shares professional information in an Online Webinar…

Listen to the SPSS Online Survey Tools Webinar

Survey tools are important, and the fact that school districts do not allow teachers to conduct them is another symptom of the diminished professional status of teachers.

Or, maybe it is a symptom of the bureaucratic timidity and fear of controversy that comprise the job survival instincts of the districts executive management.

Whatever the reason, if you want usable information. Use survey techniques to get it. Only don't get caught when you do.