These Butler Avenue students are busy using the school's computers to learn, but next week some of the students will be using them to complete the city schools' new set of surveys, one of which is specifically for students. (Lauren Williams/Sampson Independent)

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Clinton City Schools will be launching a new set of surveys next week in order to get a better and broader idea of how all its stakeholders gauge its effectiveness and success in education.

According to Terrace Miller, assistant superintendent for student services and federal programs, the surveys will be available on the school system’s website starting Monday, March 18 and will remain open until Wednesday, March 27.

Putting the survey online “is a good way to get people to take the survey who normally cannot, or do not want to, come out to the schools during the day,” said Miller.

There will be four different surveys available, one for each individual stakeholder group — parents, students, staff, and the community, noted Miller, and all of the surveys will be submitted anonymously.

“The surveys will give them all a chance to let us know how we are doing,” shared Miller. “We decided to do the four surveys so that we could hear from the four different perspectives.”

As for the student group, only select students will take the survey — 4th, 7th, and 11th graders — and they will take the them during one of their school days. “The individual schools will decide when their students take the survey.”

Miller added that elementary students at Butler Avenue and L.C. Kerr will also participate, completing their own unique survey during school.

Parents and community stakeholders are also invited to come to the schools during the day to complete their survey online if they do not have access to the Internet, said Miller, noting that hard copies of the surveys will also be available at the schools.

“Parent and community surveys will also be available in Spanish,” added Miller.

Once the surveys are completed, “our administration team will look them over and the results will help us plan our direction for the upcoming year,” Miller explained.

However, do not rule out the possibility that the survey responses could affect things sooner, said Miller. “Honestly, it could affect what we are doing now if we see that it is needed.”

Although the city schools have been conducting parent and teacher surveys annually for years, this kind of far-reaching survey is new. “This is the first time it has been available for the community and available online,” said Miller. “We never really had a vehicle to get this kind of information before, but now we do and we wanted to open it up more than we ever have. Hopefully, it will be something we do every year from now on.”

“We encourage everyone to do the survey becaues it’s a way to help us and get help from us,” continued Miller. “There are no open-ended questions on the surveys, just ‘yes,’ ‘no ,’ or ‘I don’t know’ responses, so it shouldn’t take long to complete, maybe five to ten minutes.”

To access the surveys next weet, visit Clinton City Schools’ website at www.clinton.k12.nc.us.

For more information, contact Clinton City Schools at 910-592-3132.

Lauren Williams can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 117 or via email at lwilliams@civitasmedia.com.