Education surveys are like windows into the minds of your stakeholders. They open a line of communication between students, teachers, administrators and family members. They address a wide range of topics to shed light on what’s going well and what needs improvement. Enacting change almost always starts with a survey.

Here are five useful education surveys that can improve your school community.

1. Course evaluation surveys

Course evaluation surveys allow your school to collect valuable feedback about a teacher’s performance. Through this survey, students can share their insights on the quality of instruction they received during the course. These surveys identify areas for improvement so that the department head can adjust the course as necessary. Student feedback can also guide a teacher’s efforts in broadening their skill base.

2. Parent engagement surveys

School staff can leverage parent engagement surveys to measure how involved students’ families are within your schools. This type of survey asks questions pertaining to their interactions with other parents and how frequently they meet with teachers. The goal is to boost parent engagement levels so that they play a more active role in their child’s success.

3. School climate surveys

The school climate survey collects information about how students perceive their school environment. It can touch on a wide variety of topics, including safety, food options, anti-bullying efforts and the quality of education. Trends in the survey results can inform school leaders on how to create a better learning environment for students.

4. School safety surveys

As the name suggests, these surveys assess how safe teachers and staff feel while working at their schools. The surveys ask about current safety measures and whether administration has done enough to mitigate potential threats. School leaders can use the survey results to help staff feel more at ease in classrooms, offices and other school facilities.

5. Student interest surveys

Student interest surveys help teachers find new ways to engage their students in the classroom. The survey provides a list of activities, and students are asked to choose which ones they like the most. Teachers can incorporate these activities into their lesson plans to increase student participation.

There are far more education surveys than the ones listed here. Surveys can help you assess the quality of everything from cafeteria foods to athletic facilities. Look for aspects of your school that would benefit from teacher, student, staff or parent feedback. Create a survey and see what stakeholders have to say.