• culture of excellence and ethics assessment

    CEEA Survey FAQs

    What does CEEA survey measure? As the name suggests, CEEA surveys measure the extent to which the climate and culture of a school are conducive to the development of student competencies of excellence and ethics, or their performance character and moral character. In addition, CEEA surveys measure whether the school climate is safe, supportive, and engaging for students; whether staff engage in supportive collegial relationships; and the extent to which the school engages student families in support of student learning.

    Can I use CEEA surveys for one-time needs assessment? Yes. One of two primary applications of CEEA surveys is diagnostic. Even one-time administration of CEEA surveys provides a wealth of data for assessment of the current state of school culture, identifying areas of strength and areas for improvement.

    When and how often should I implement CEEA surveys if I want to monitor my school/district climate and culture over time? For most situations, IEE recommends a repeated cross-sectional design: surveys are administered and results reported once annually in repeated “waves” scheduled for approximately the same time of the year. Ideally, the first data collection/reporting should be planned for the spring semester preceding program implementation for establishing a baseline. Baseline collection can also be scheduled early in the school year (but no sooner than the fourth week of school year).

    When and why would a school/district choose pretest/posttest design? A pretest/posttest design means that surveys are administered at the beginning of the school year and at the end of the school year. IEE recommends this approach only when a school/district engages in a very intensive program implementation and has resources to follow strict data collection guidelines (high fidelity of program implementation, ability to obtain high response rates from all stakeholder groups, ability to follow tight schedules for data collection, and others). Yet, since CEEA surveys provide assessment of school culture, one needs to keep in mind that empirically identifiable changes in the culture of a large group are more likely to take place over a period of 2-4 years.

    What comparisons are available for my school’s CEEA data? If implemented across a district or a region, each school’s results can be compared to the rest of the participating group. More importantly, CEEA surveys and reports are designed to provide internal comparisons: students and staff are asked identical items, so that student results can be compared to those of staff, and vice versa. A parent survey is also available for complete triangulation of the data. IEE is currently working on building a nationally representative database, but no national norms are available for CEEA data at the moment.

    Students in what grades can take the CEEA survey? CEEA surveys are available for 3 developmental levels of students. The High/Middle version of the survey is designed for high and upper middle schools, or grades 7-12. The Intermediate Version is designed for students in middle/upper elementary schools, or grades 5-8. The Primary Version is most appropriate for students in grades 3-5. For consistency of assessment, Faculty/Staff CEEA surveys are aligned with the student developmental versions.

    Can I assess each of focus areas of Power2Achieve programming with CEEA data? CEEA surveys measure school culture around the eight P2A focus areas as a whole; therefore, CEEA data cannot be used to measure any single specific focus area by itself.

    Can I assess each of specific student competencies being taught in Power2Achieve programming with CEEA data? CEEA surveys include items indicative of some key competencies representative of the eight P2A focus areas as a whole; therefore, CEEA data cannot be used to measure any single specific competency taught in P2A programming. Instead, CEEA data provides a global picture of essential student competencies and school culture aligned with P2A programming.

    Can I assess an individual student’s progress on Power2Achieve competencies? CEEA surveys are anonymous and do not collect information that can identify individual students; therefore, CEEA data can only be used as group-level assessment.

    Can I get data on specific subgroups in my student population using CEEA surveys? Standard CEEA data collection and data reports are designed to show results for the whole school; if specific breakdowns are desired, such as by grade level, gender of students, race/ethnicity, etc, the feasibility and cost of such breakdowns need to be established in consultation with IEE Certified Trainer/staff member prior to data collection.

    Can I assess specific staff practices in implementing Power2Achieve programming? CEEA surveys measure a range of practices aligned with Power2Achieve programming, but they do not measure each of the specific staff practices that may be recommended for P2A implementation; therefore, CEEA data provides a global picture of staff professional practices.

    Can I assess an individual staff member’s practices in implementing Power2Achieve programming? CEEA surveys are anonymous and do not collect information that can identify individual staff members; therefore, CEEA data can only be used as group-level assessment.