A purely hypothetical survey

[PeachyDoodle]

Say you received out of the blue an email from a stranger who also happens to be an assistant superintendent in your public school district. You have no clue how they got your email address and they don't say. They are researching homeschooling and want you to participate in an online survey and possibly a live focus group. They are a doctoral candidate at a local university and give the impression that this research is part of their studies, but they also say that they hope to use the results of their research to  "provide educational leaders of [local school district] a better understanding of what motivates families to homeschool so that the district can respond accordingly." The usual procedures for maintaining confidentiality, etc. are in place, according to the email.

How would you respond? Feel free to elaborate below.

[moonflower]

I'd want to know how they got my email address.  That would be part of determining whether I'd participate in the research.  More likely, I'd send them to these forums, or tell them about a homeschool convention or fair or something in the area in the next 6 months or so that they could attend.  

Maybe I'd also want to know what they mean by "respond accordingly."

[Selkie]

I wouldn't respond at all. 

[Bluegoat]

I'd ask to know more.

[Xahm]

I'd participate, but what information I gave would depend on what more I learned. For example, one reason, but not the only one, that we home school is the school we started in ended their gifted program. So I wouldn't mind the school knowing that if they want to keep gifted students, they need to offer appropriate academics. If I found out the study was going to be an awesome one involving longitudinal studies in a variety of locations, if be more forthcoming because I think it would help the homeschooling world and the world in general to have more data on what methodologies work best in which settings and such 

Edited March 3, 2019 by xahm
Left out word

[PeachyDoodle]

If you wanted more information, what questions would you ask (for those who haven't already said)?

[Corraleno]

I'd participate, because I would want my perspective to be represented regardless of the reason behind the survey. If lots of people opt out because of suspicion about the research, then the results will be skewed towards only the types of homeschoolers who do respond, and I would want the researchers to have as diverse a group of respondents as possible. I agree with xahm, though, that I would look for more info about the project, and that might influence the level of detail I provided. The fact that it's dissertation research, with academic supervisors, inclines me to think there will at least be an attempt at objective, fact-based research rather than some nefarious attempt on the part of the school district to mess with homeschoolers.

[PrincessMommy]

Am I the only one who finds it ironic that they *somehow* got her email but they say this survey will remain confidential (private). 

I would be completely creeped out and would demand to know how they found my email.  

[Miss Tick]

Has this been approved by an "Institutional Review Board"? Perhaps this is what is meant by "the usual procedures" but maybe not?

Here is the Wikipedia page, but a Google search will give you links to specific universities.

I would be very reticent to respond. Is there any conceivable benefit to you? I think no, but, maybe?

[PeachyDoodle]

2 minutes ago, SusanC said:

Has this been approved by an "Institutional Review Board"? Perhaps this is what is meant by "the usual procedures" but maybe not?

Here is the Wikipedia page, but a Google search will give you links to specific universities.

I would be very reticent to respond. Is there any conceivable benefit to you? I think no, but, maybe?

Names and numbers for both a Research Chair and an IRB Chair are given. I assume that stands for Institutional Review Board and constitutes approval. It is not explicitly stated.

There is no personal benefit to participants apparent. 

[Bluegoat]

I would also be interested to know how they found me - it wouldn't necessarily bother me that they did, but I'd want to know.

I think my main questions would just be around them being who they said they were, and how legitimate the organisation was, that kind of thing.

Generally I think that kind of information gathering is a good thing.

[Miss Tick]

@xahm has a nice point of view. On the other hand, my school district has demonstrated animosity toward homeschooling in the past few years, so I would probably cite that as the reason I was not willing to participate in the survey. They give AP exams for the larger area, so I may need to deal with then in the future and I don't want to make any waves in the mean time.

[purpleowl]

I don't know about PeachyDoodle's location, but where I live, my local school system has my contact info because I'm registered as a homeschooler. It's possible that that info is considered public record - not the student's info (student records are confidential under state law), but my info as the parent who registered homeschooled kids. (I just searched and it looks like homeschoolers in NC are also required to send in a notice of intent, so their info would be in the school system's database.)

If it's not public record, here's another possibility: As assistant superintendent, he/she has access to that info. Making it a project to benefit the school district justifies the decision to use the info to contact registered homeschoolers, even if the plan is also to use the project for doctoral research.

Anyway, my response would depend on how the school district generally acts toward homeschoolers. If they're usually hostile, NOPE. But if that's not the case, I'd probably participate. I personally would love to have more research on homeschooling out there, so participating in such research makes sense. 

Edited March 3, 2019 by purpleowl

[Arcadia]

My school district has my contact details because my kids were in public school. However my school district is overcrowded (increasing portable containers for classrooms) and school admins actually encourage us to go private or homeschool or rent in another district (if we are renters). So I would decline since I don’t think there is any benefit except to the school district board members when it comes to election campaigning. 

[Bluegoat]

33 minutes ago, purpleowl said:

I don't know about PeachyDoodle's location, but where I live, my local school system has my contact info because I'm registered as a homeschooler. It's possible that that info is considered public record - not the student's info (student records are confidential under state law), but my info as the parent who registered homeschooled kids. (I just searched and it looks like homeschoolers in NC are also required to send in a notice of intent, so their info would be in the school system's database.)

If it's not public record, here's another possibility: As assistant superintendent, he/she has access to that info. Making it a project to benefit the school district justifies the decision to use the info to contact registered homeschoolers, even if the plan is also to use the project for doctoral research.

Anyway, my response would depend on how the school district generally acts toward homeschoolers. If they're usually hostile, NOPE. But if that's not the case, I'd probably participate. I personally would love to have more research on homeschooling out there, so participating in such research makes sense. 

 

Yeah, something similar would also be what I would guess - the provincial office that deals with homeschool registrations has my email address.  In the past they've occasionally sent out emails to do with initiatives related to homeschooling.

[mom2scouts]

One of our local school districts did a survey like that. Every homeschooler represented thousands of dollars they weren't getting from the state and they were trying to find out how to get those students (and the money) back.

[Katy]

I'd probably participate, because I'd be thrilled to get a free challenging education at the child's own pace. I honestly don't think its possible but it would be nice to be proven wrong.

I might make a stink about finding my contact information though.

[Petrichor]

34 minutes ago, mom2scouts said:

One of our local school districts did a survey like that. Every homeschooler represented thousands of dollars they weren't getting from the state and they were trying to find out how to get those students (and the money) back.

 

That's exactly what the "responds accordingly" part sounds like to me.

 

[Corraleno]

45 minutes ago, mom2scouts said:

One of our local school districts did a survey like that. Every homeschooler represented thousands of dollars they weren't getting from the state and they were trying to find out how to get those students (and the money) back.

I think that's a legit reason for doing a survey, and I would welcome the chance to contribute to that discussion. There are plenty of homeschoolers who would actually prefer to have their kids in PS (and/or who may intend to put their kids back in PS at some point), but feel they are stuck homeschooling because of specific issues. Those issues could be bullying, poor classroom management, too much busy work, lack of challenge for gifted kids, lack of accommodations for LD kids, lack of both for 2E kids, etc., and if the school knew what the most common reasons were, maybe they would be motivated to fix them, if only for financial reasons.

[Ellie]

5 hours ago, PeachyDoodle said:

Say you received out of the blue an email from a stranger who also happens to be an assistant superintendent in your public school district. You have no clue how they got your email address and they don't say. They are researching homeschooling and want you to participate in an online survey and possibly a live focus group. They are a doctoral candidate at a local university and give the impression that this research is part of their studies, but they also say that they hope to use the results of their research to  "provide educational leaders of [local school district] a better understanding of what motivates families to homeschool so that the district can respond accordingly." The usual procedures for maintaining confidentiality, etc. are in place, according to the email.

How would you respond? Feel free to elaborate below.

I'm just generally suspicious of anything the public school does with regard to homeschoolers. I would decline.

I don't think the results would positively affect anything that the public schools do with/to/for homeschoolers. They are never going to understand why people choose to teach their children at home. I don't want to give them more fodder.

[*****]

 When you sign your intent to homeschool, they are not allowed to use that information for any other purpose. To me, it sounds like the public school forwarded this information on to you as a homeschooler.  Now if they sent it to everyone in the district through the mail, then homeschoolers could choose to participate, and then you are not being singled out. 

[Ausmumof3]

I did the unthinkable and I’m replying before reading the whole thread.  I wouldn’t participate because I don’t think the school system needs to respond to homeschooling.  It’s a valid different educational choice.  If I was homeschooling because I was unhappy with the public school it might be different. I would probably reply with something along those lines though.  

 

[wendyroo]

I would probably ask for more clarification about how the results would be used, and then barring intrusive motives, I would respond.

Locally, many school districts are setting up homeschool partnerships that allow homeschoolers to access public funds for community classes like art, gym, foreign language, music lessons, etc.  These programs are so wildly popular with homeschoolers, that the districts that offer them are unable to accommodate all the families that want to join.

If the research was investigating ways public schools can offer optional, a la carte resources for homeschoolers, then I would happily respond to show my support.

[PeachyDoodle]

9 hours ago, mom2scouts said:

One of our local school districts did a survey like that. Every homeschooler represented thousands of dollars they weren't getting from the state and they were trying to find out how to get those students (and the money) back.

Yes, that is what I suspect is the motive here. I wouldn't be strictly opposed to participating for that reason, though. I do want our public schools to succeed. It's possible that there could be some benefits to homeschoolers that come from it, such as extracurricular participation, which I would welcome. Nothing like that is suggested in the materials provided, however.

8 hours ago, ***** said:

 When you sign your intent to homeschool, they are not allowed to use that information for any other purpose. To me, it sounds like the public school forwarded this information on to you as a homeschooler.  Now if they sent it to everyone in the district through the mail, then homeschoolers could choose to participate, and then you are not being singled out. 

No one was singled out. It was a group email to a few dozen homeschoolers, not every one in the county. But it definitely came directly from the person conducting the study, who is also an assistant superintendent, and it came from an official ps district email address. 

We do file an NOI with the state, and our homeschool is a matter of public record. However, the online database only lists the name of the school, the county, and the name of the administrator. No contact information is listed, so how an official from the ps obtained the email list remains a mystery. In our state, private/homeschools are overseen by a different state entity than public schools. The local district has no oversight of homeschools and no reason to have homeschoolers' information. It is entirely possible that contact info for homeschools is considered public record, even though it's not published (for which I'm grateful), and that's how the researcher/superintendent was able to access it. That's perfectly okay, but I would have felt more comfortable if that was disclosed in the email. 

[Ellie]

8 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I wouldn’t participate because I don’t think the school system needs to respond to homeschooling.  It’s a valid different educational choice.  If I was homeschooling because I was unhappy with the public school it might be different. I would probably reply with something along those lines though.  

 

Yes!!!

[Paige]

I would do the survey because I believe in helping student researchers who go through the proper channels as I've been there myself. I see no harm in answering survey questions and it would take very little effort. I'd probably decline the focus group later if offered because nobody has time for that. I'd feel guilty, however, because when I was a student people took the time to let me interview them for my research. 

Not everyone homeschools for ideological reasons, so I think it would benefit the schools to know more about why people are choosing to homeschool. I think they should send the surveys to parents of kids in private schools too. Many people leave public schools because they had problems that could not be resolved quickly or amicably enough. It would be good for the schools to see what patterns emerge and where they are repeatedly failing families and students. It may not bring the homeschool families back, but it could help the kids who are still there whose parents have similar issues but can't homeschool.

[marbel]

9 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I did the unthinkable and I’m replying before reading the whole thread.  I wouldn’t participate because I don’t think the school system needs to respond to homeschooling.  It’s a valid different educational choice.  If I was homeschooling because I was unhappy with the public school it might be different. I would probably reply with something along those lines though.  

This is perfectly stated!

But I am cynical about what it would mean for the schools to "respond accordingly" to homeschoolers. 

[Melissa B]

Well, I would assume they have my email address because I am registered with the county and probably listed it. 

I would participate because I feel the school and homeschool communities in our county have a fairly good rapport despite extremists on both sides sometimes trying to stir the pot. I would like to do what I could to strengthen that bond.

[Carrie12345]

I’d probably participate. As a human being, I have a vested interest in the improvement of public schools, and I’ll take just about any opportunity to give my input, even though there’s nothing they can do to woo me back. I’d be doing it for those who can’t or don’t want to homeschool. (Especially those who are homeschooling and don’t want to be!)

[Farrar]

My email and name are widely out there as a local homeschool person in a number of places, so that wouldn't raise my eyebrows at all.

I would want to know more. I'll respond to anyone's anonymous academic survey on homeschooling. I have done a bunch in the past. I mean, assuming the questions aren't crazy personal. But if it were things that are general - why are you homeschooling, what resources do you wish you had access to, etc. then sure. I wouldn't need to know more for that. But in terms of answering more detailed questions and having it used by the local school district, I'd definitely want way more information. Especially before I was willing to show up to be part of a focus group or whatever. I'd want to get a sense of what the purpose of the project was and how it was going to be used.

[PeachyDoodle]

I have participated in anonymous surveys of this nature before as well. But never one this close to home.

I think the biggest concern I have is that something I say might impact my kids should they enter the public school system at some point. That could potentially happen for one of them as early as next fall. It feels sort of paranoid to say that, but this is a small county and people talk, confidentiality assurances aside. If the research was being conducted by an outside party on behalf of the ps district, that would be less of a concern for me.

[73349]

If there's a link to the survey, I'd definitely click it to see what the questions are.

I likely wouldn't answer something coming out of my own district until my child is done with high school unless I was quite sure of the anonymity--e.g., not a unique link, I had an idea how they found people to ask, and a large number of people taking it.

Edited March 3, 2019 by whitehawk

[PeterPan]

They've done that in our district and it's to market their cyber school programs. The district loses money every time someone homeschools and they want it back.

[*****]

8 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

They've done that in our district and it's to market their cyber school programs. The district loses money every time someone homeschools and they want it back.

 

I understand this, and I have been part of these programs.   And in being part of these programs, when  our district was just starting out, that was where I got my information from that the district could not legally use our email address to contact us to 'invite' us in to be part of these programs. (We as homeschoolers could share our learned info to other homeschoolers or articles could be put on the paper...)  So yes, that would be singling us out as homeschoolers, which is not right.

  Again, if they send the request to the whole district, that would be fine.  But to use your email address just because they have it on file because you signed your intent (if that was how they got it), may not be legal in your state.  

10 years ago, we as homeschoolers were more careful about our rights because the public schools did not always know we had rights (we read the laws more than they did, quite often).  Homeschoolers now may not care to be as careful.  I am not looking for an argument. I am basing this off of this thread and other discussions as to how homeschooling has changed in the last 10 years.  You may have seen articles on what your rights are when filling out your intent to homeschool form.  Public schools still ask far more questions than is legally right to do so on many of those forms.

  If you feel comfortable filling out the survey, because yes, it can be helpful to homeschoolers, that is your choice.  Bottom line, just know your rights!  😉

[LMD]

I'd likely ignore it completely. I do not respond to randoms imposing themselves on my time and expecting to elicit my free labour.

I also have nothing at all to do with the education department and do not believe for a second they are interested in my thoughts. Eta - actually that's not strictly true, I follow the law in my state regarding HS registration which involves the education department and I'm not happy about it.

At most, I would encourage them to advertise for volunteer participants through our well known home education networks - after speaking to and being vetted by the leaders of said networks.

Edited March 4, 2019 by LMD