Student Census

The Student Census is a voluntary, confidential survey for all students in the TLDSB that will collect identity-based data to help our communities understand the and better support equity and inclusion. The data collected from students and parents/guardians will provide the school system, families, and the community with valuable information that can help to improve programming and services for the benefit of all students.

School boards across Ontario are required by Ontario’s Education Equity Action Plan and Anti-Racism Act, 2017 to gather and report identity-based data. The gathering of this data also aligns with the Board’s strategic planning and commitment to fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and celebrated. 

Collection of identity-based data is supported by Canada’s Human Rights Legislative Framework, which includes the Canadian Human Rights Act, The Ontario Human Rights Code, and section 15(2) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario Human Rights Commission allows and encourages the collection and analysis of identity-based data for the purposes of identifying and removing systemic barriers, preventing discrimination, and promoting equity and inclusivity. 

The Student Census will ask multiple choice identity-based questions on race, ethnicity, religion/spirituality, *gender identity, *sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, and citizenship.

*Questions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation are grade-level appropriate, consistent with The Ontario Curriculum, Health and Physical Education (2019). Kindergarten to Grade 6 students will not be asked about sexual orientation.

Please refer to the “See the survey” section for more information.

The student census is confidential and voluntary, but not anonymous. Individual responses, and all personal student and family information will remain strictly confidential, protected under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 

Personal information collected in the TLDSB student census is under the authority of the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, sections 169.1, 170 (1) and 171 (1), the Anti-Racism Act 2017, and in accordance with Section 29 (2) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. 

Please refer to the “Privacy and Security” section for more information.

No. The census itself is confidential but not anonymous. The resulting reports will summarize the data collected. No individual student or family will be identified in the final reports. 

Please refer to the “Privacy and Security” section for more information.

The student census is voluntary. Parents/guardians can choose not to complete the survey for students in grades Kindergarten through 6. Parents/guardians may choose to opt their grades 7 through 12 children out of participation during class by completing the TLDSB Student Census – Grade 7-12 Opt-out Google Form. However, it’s important to note that a higher completion rate will give the Board a more accurate representation to help with school improvement and program planning.

The student census is voluntary. Those who participate will have the opportunity to skip questions they would prefer not to answer. However, it’s important to note that a higher completion rate will give the Board a more accurate representation to help with school improvement and program planning.

For students in Kindergarten to Grade 6, the census is to be completed by parents/guardians online or on paper (upon request). Grade 7 to 12 students will have the opportunity to complete the census in class, with parent/guardian consent.

The online census has been created to meet Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards.

The survey will be available in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Cantonese
• French
• German
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Hungarian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Malayalam
• Mandarin
• Portuguese (European)
• Punjabi
• Russian
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Telugu
• Urdu
• Vietnamese

Paper copies will be available upon request through your school office.

The encrypted data will be collected securely through Qualtrics in accordance with applicable privacy legislation and best practices. Once the survey period is closed, the data will be transferred to the TLDSB data warehouse in accordance with the Board’s BD-2121 Privacy, Information Management and Access to Information Procedure.

Please refer to the Privacy and Security section for more information.

Once responses are collected and the primary data is cleaned by TLDSB’s Research and Data Analyst, the Research and Data Analyst will work with our consulting firm, Turner Consulting Group, using datasets drawn from the primary data to conduct initial analysis and reporting. These datasets will contain no personal identifying information. 

Please refer to the “Privacy and Security” section for more information.

The data collected from students and parents/guardians will provide the school system, families, and the community with valuable information that can help to improve programming and services for the benefit of all students, with a focus on student achievement and engagement. The Board will share reporting that will help inform Board and school decision-making for programs and instruction that focus on eliminating barriers to student success and enriching students’ learning by providing appropriate supports. Census reports will be shared publicly, along with information on how this data has helped to guide TLDSB’s programming, strategic planning, policies, practices, resources, and supports.

Personal information collected in this census is under the authority of the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, sections 169.1(1) and 170(1), the Anti-Racism Act 2017, section 6 and in accordance with section 28(2) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Personal information collected will be used by TLDSB for educational and research purposes, to support TLDSB schools and provide effective educational programs and services, and to eliminate systemic racism and advance racial equity. Questions or concerns about the collection, use or disclosure of personal information should be directed to your school principal, or the Board Privacy Officer at [email protected].

The Student Census is confidential and voluntary, but not anonymous. Individual responses, and all personal student and family information will remain strictly confidential, protected under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Personal information collected in the TLDSB student census is under the authority of the Education Act, R.S.O. 1990, sections 169.1, 170 (1) and 171 (1), the Anti-Racism Act 2017, and in accordance with Section 29 (2) of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

TLDSB has entered into agreement with Qualtrics and their partner, Red Pepper Software, to create the online version of the TLDSB Student Census. Raw data collected from survey respondents is housed securely within Qualtrics’ Canadian cloud service until the survey is closed and all information from paper copies is entered. This information is accessible only to TLDSB’s Research and Data Analyst and Executive Assistant to the Superintendent of Learning responsible for Equity and Inclusion.

The encrypted data will then be securely downloaded by the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent of Learning responsible for Equity and Inclusion to the TLDSB data warehouse in accordance with the Board’s BD-2121 Privacy, Information Management and Access to Information Procedure, where it will be accessible only by TLDSB’s Research and Data Analyst and Database and Reporting Solutions Manager. All data will be deleted from Qualtrics’ servers at this time.

TLDSB’s Research and Data Analyst will work with our consulting firm, Turner Consulting Group, to clean the datasets and conduct analysis and reporting. These datasets will contain no personal identifying information.

Working collaboratively with the TLDSB Equity Task Force and Turner Consulting Group, community advisory groups will be engaged to further analyze the resulting datasets to help identify gaps and trends in the information. Again, these datasets will contain no personal identifying information.