The Inclusivity Index survey is administered to students and faculty to build an objective view of the school’s qualities and profile of the student body. The Inclusivity Index is provided by a nonprofit as a service to educators wanting to improve their school and individual student experiences. The Internet-based survey is purposely designed to be anonymous, neutral, to not presume any conclusions and to be completed in 15 – 20 minutes. It is offered in three versions, the Lower School appropriate for K-4 students, Middle School for grades 4-8 and the Upper School for 7-12 grades.

The exercise gives each student the chance to express their perceptions about the school community, their experience and ability to participate and be accepted. The survey format first requires the students to consider and weigh an both positive and negative statements about the school and select which ones do and don’t apply. To make the survey neutral, there are an equal number of positive and negative statements shown and an equal number of do and don’t apply, A second brief section asks students to describe themselves along 5 to 14 dimensions depending on grade level by offering a menu of alternatives and an option to not answer any question that where the student does not feel comfortable answering. The survey is not a test, there are no right or wrong answers, and no names are associated with any of the information gathered.  We only ask that all students complete the survey (the survey strives for 100% participation) and that students do their best.

Once complete, the results are independently assessed by Inclusivity Index non-profit’s analytical tools that produce a comprehensive summary of the student and faculty input. This output is objective, data oriented and intended to support dialogue among school leadership.  The end goal is to consider and test alternative ideas about the school and its opportunities and ultimately reach a set of actions and priorities supported from a neutral survey that makes no begins with no assumptions or points of view.

The Inclusivity Index was first administered in 2017 and has been used in a variety of schools, some for as many as seven consecutive years. Schools that repeat the survey have a strong record of continually improving their scores as indicated by more students having positive experiences in the later years and documentation that limitations at the school have been successfully addressed.