Newton Public Schools (NPS) is partnering with Boston College researchers to survey teachers and students across the district about their educational practices, beliefs, technology use, and access to resources. The project, beginning with survey development and ending with innovative presentations of findings, will take place during the 2023-2024 school year. 

In support of NPS’s commitment to excellence, equity, and social and emotional wellbeing, researchers will survey all teachers across the district in order to accurately measure the breadth of teacher perspectives on topics ranging from pedagogical beliefs to classroom technology use. In addition, select groups of students will be asked to share their views and behaviors through a student survey. Survey questions will be designed and selected with input from NPS administrators, teachers, and staff. All survey responses and results are anonymous, with no identifiable information reported.

The project builds on a long history of collaboration between NPS and Boston College, with NPS students and teachers being included in multiple BC-led studies of educational technology within the past 2 decades. The current project aims to provide critical insight to district and school leadership to further NPS’s mission and goals. Survey results will be shared both through structured presentations by the BC research team as well as through dynamic data dashboards that allow NPS leaders to examine and reflect on the data collected.