Case Study

WIAA Conducts Comprehensive Survey of High School Sports Officials

The Opportunity

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association wanted to better understand the perspectives and experiences of its high school officials.

They sought a comprehensive survey to capture active and retired officials’ input to provide a more precise, data-driven understanding of high school officials’ experiences beyond anecdotal feedback.

The survey would capture key demographic data, while also providing officials an opportunity to self-report concerns, challenges, and ideas for improvement.

The intent is to collect reliable information to either validate or challenge common themes, giving the association a stronger foundation for decision-making and program enhancements.

Our Solution

To capture a comprehensive view of officials’ experiences, the WIAA partnered with the Donovan Group to design and administer a secure, online survey.

Open from April 7-27, 2025, the survey reached officials across the state. Measures were implemented to ensure all eligible respondents could participate while preventing duplicate submissions, including IP address logging and time-stamped responses. The survey was translated into Spanish and Hmong.

Expertise Applied

Surveys & Research Services >

The Results

2,717 responses collected provided a robust qualitative dataset. Results were reviewed with WIAA leadership and disaggregated by gender, age group, years of officiating experience, and sport officiated to uncover deeper trends and insights.

The final deliverable included a comprehensive report detailing the aggregated data, key findings, and recommendations, along with considerations for the frequency and methods of future feedback collection from officials.

View a Sample of the Survey and Results Summary

Mentioned in the Media

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The Data Showed

0%

of respondents with 25 or more years of experience began officiating between the ages of 18 and 24

0%

of respondents started officiating as "Service to the community/Giving back to the game"

0

respondents commented that being a WIAA official means "giving back" and "ensuring fairness and safety"

The Impact

“Working with the Donovan Group on our officiating survey was a seamless experience from start to finish. Their team guided us through every step, from shaping the survey questions to analyzing the results and identifying next steps.

They were incredibly timely and responsive, always making sure our needs were met quickly and thoughtfully. The entire process was easy on our end, which allowed us to focus on what mattered most: listening to our officials and using the data to take intentional steps towards positive change.

The comprehensive approach gave us clear insights into satisfaction levels, recruiting future officials, and important demographic information that will help guide our work moving forward. I highly recommend the Donovan Group to any organization looking for a trusted partner to make the survey process simple, effective, and impactful.”

Stephanie Hauser

Executive Director, Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association