ICGS Research Collaboration

PARTNERSHIP OVERVIEW

The International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS) is pleased to partner with Challenge Success to research the well-being, engagement, and belonging of students in ICGS member schools. Through this partnership, we have collected actionable data around the well-being, engagement, and belonging of students in ICGS schools. Participating schools will have the opportunity to leverage these data to communicate the unique and powerful benefits of girls’ schools in general, as well as the differentiating factors that exist within their own school communities.

Stay tuned: research report to be released in Fall 2024!

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Academy of Our Lady of Peace – San Diego, CA

Archbishop Blanch School – Southport, United Kingdom

The Archer School for Girls – Los Angeles, CA

Arundel School – Harare, Zimbabwe

Avila College – Victoria, Australia

The Baldwin School – PA

Balmoral Hall School – Manitoba, Canada

Beaumont School – Cleveland Heights, OH

The Bishop Strachan School – Ontario, Canada

Brescia House School – Gauteng, South Africa

Brighton Girls – East Sussex, UK

Brigidine College Indooroopilly – Queensland, Australia

Brigidine College (St. Ives) – New South Wales, Australia

Carmel College – Auckland, New Zealand

Castilleja School – Palo Alto, CA

Chelmsford County High School – Essex, UK

Christchurch Girls High School – Canterbury, New Zealand

Clarendon High School for Girls – Eastern Cape, South Africa

Colegio Marymount de Bogotá – Bogota

Columbus School for Girls – Columbus, OH

Croydon High School – London, United Kingdom

Curtin Medical School – Bentley, Australia

Elizabeth-Seton High School – Bladensburg, MD

Esperanza Academy – Lawrence, MA

The Girls’ School of Austin – Austin, TX

Firbank Grammar School – Victoria, Australia

Frensham School – New South Wales, Australia

Girls Preparatory School – Chattanooga, TN

Hanger Hall School – Asheville, NC

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School – Hertfordshire, UK

Holy Name of Mary College School – Ontario, Canada

ICA Cristo Rey Academy – San Francisco, CA

Iona Presentation College – Perth, Australia

Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School – Dallas, TX

Isobel Botha – Eastern Cape, South Africa

Ivanhoe Girls Grammar – Victoria, Australia

Kambala School – New South Wales, Australia

Kilbreda College – Victoria, Australia

Korowa Anglican Girls’ School – Victoria, Australia

Lincoln School – Providence, RI

The Linden School – Ontario, Canada

Louise S. McGehee School – New Orleans, LA

Loreto College Coorparoo – Brisbane, Australia

Loreto College Marryatville – Adelaide, Australia

Loreto Toorak – Victoria, Australia

Loreto Kirribilli – New South Wales, Australia

Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School – Essendon, Australia

The Madeira School – Mclean, VA

Magnificat High School – Rocky River, OH

Marlborough School – Los Angeles, CA

Marymount School of New York – NY

Mater Christi College – Victoria, Australia

Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus – Pasadena, CA

Melbourne Girls Grammar – Victoria, Australia

Mentone Girls’ Grammar – Victoria, Australia

Mentone Girls Secondary College – Victoria, Australia

Mercy High School – Farmington Hills, MI

Meriden School – New South Wales, New Zealand

Merion Mercy Academy – Merion Station, PA

Methodist Ladies’ College – Perth, Australia

Miriam College – Manila, Philippines

Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School – Chicago, IL

Nashoba Brooks School – Concord, MA

Newton Country Day School – Newton, MA

The Nightingale-Bamford School – New York, NY

Nonsuch High School for Girls – London, UK

Northampton High School – Northamptonshire, UK

Northwood College for Girls – London, United Kingdom

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child – Summit, NJ

Oakland Catholic High School – Pittsburgh, PA

Oldfields School – Sparks Glencoe, MD

Our Lady of Mercy College – Victoria, Australia

Our Lady of Tepeyac High School – Chicago, IL

Our Sisters’ School – New Bedford, MA

Perth College – Western Australia

PLC Armidale – New South Wales, Australia

Presbyterian Ladies’ College – Victoria, Australia

Putney High School – London, United Kingdom

Pymble Ladies’ College – New South Wales, Australia

Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School – Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Queenwood – Sydney, Australia

Ramona Convent Secondary School – Alhambra, CA

Resurrection College Prep High School – Chicago, IL

Roedean School (SA) – Johannesburg, South Africa

Roland Park Country School – Baltimore, MD

Roseville College – Australia

The Royal High School Bath – Bath, United Kingdom

Ruyton Girls’ School – Melbourne, Australia

Sacre Couer – Victoria, Australia

Saint Kentigern Girls’ School – Auckland, New Zealand

Saint Mary’s School – Raleigh, NC

Saint Pedro Poveda College – Manila, Philippines

Salem Academy – Winston Salem, NC

Santa Fe Girls’ School – Sante Fe, NM

Seymour College – South Australia

Sheffield Girls’ Infant and Junior School – Yorkshire, United Kingdom

SHOFCO Schools – Nairobi, Kenya

Shrewsbury High School – Shropshire, United Kingdom

St. Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School – Brisbane, Australia

St. Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls – London, England

St. Catherine’s School – Melbourne, Australia

St. Catherine’s School – Richmond, VA

St. Catherine’s School, Waverley – New south Wales, New Zealand

St. Cuthbert’s College – Auckland, New Zealand

St. Hilda’s School – Queensland, Australia

St. Jean Baptiste High School – New York, NY

St. Margaret’s School – British Columbia, Canada

St. Mary’s Academy – Inglewood, CA

St. Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School – Western Australia

St. Mary’s DSG – KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

St. Mary’s School Waverley – Gauteng, South Africa

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School – Ontario, Canada

St. Oran’s College – Wellington, New Zealand

St. Patrick’s College Townsville – Queensland, Australia

St. Peter’s Girls’ School – Adelaide, Australia

St. Stithians Girls’ College – Gauteng, South Africa

Strathcona Girls Grammar – Victoria, Australia

Streatham and Clapham Prep School – London, UK

Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart – Princeton, NJ

Surval Montreux – Montreux, Switzerland

Trinity High School – River Forest, IL

Toorak College – Victoria, Australia

Townley Grammar School – Kent, United Kingdom

The Village School for Girls – London, United Kingdom

Wellington Girls’ College – Wellington, New Zealand

Westlake Girls High School – Auckland, New Zealand

Westover School – Middlebury, CT

Wilderness School – Adelaide, Australia

Wimbledon High School – London, UK

Woodford House – Hawke”s Bay, New Zealand

Wycombe High School – Buckinghamshire, UK

York House School – Vancouver, Canada

Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy – Houston, TX

Young Women’s Leadership Academy – Houston, TX

SURVEY OVERVIEW

The Challenge Success Student Survey

The Student Survey (also known as the Challenge Success-Stanford Survey of School Experiences) is an approximately 30-minute, online survey for middle and high school students that helps schools gather data and insights that lead to actionable changes designed to improve student well-being, belonging, and engagement with learning. Over 250,000 students have taken this survey since it was developed by researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2007.

Topics covered in survey

Physical health and well-being
Academic engagement
Support and belonging at school
Homework and extracurriculars
Grades and assessment
Parent expectations

[In working with Challenge Success] we were able to put student well-being and student voice at the center of our work. As we articulated and enacted this change, we have become a school that is centered on the students and by the students. A school where the girls are respected and in turn know their voice is valued. And as student well-being has been promoted, we have also seen an uptick in engagement.
– Duchesne Academy of The Sacred Heart

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Reach out to our team directly for more information: research@challengesuccess.org

About the Survey

What does the Challenge Success Student Survey measure?

The Student Survey measures middle and high school students’ perspectives on homework, extracurricular activities and free time, sleep, physical health, school-related stress, parent expectations, academic engagement, academic integrity, and support & belonging at school. See a comparison of the categories covered in the Student and Parent surveys here.

How was the Student Survey developed?

The survey was originally developed in 2007 by Stanford University researchers and is overseen by Stanford’s Administrative Panels for the Protection of Human Subjects.

How can our school use the results?

Survey findings can help schools make data-driven policy and practice decisions that improve student well-being and engagement with learning. For instance, based on results from the survey, some schools have revised homework policies, changed bell schedules, given parent and student education workshops on sleep and physical health, and revised their honor codes.

Administering the Survey

When is the best time of year to administer the survey?

ICGS schools may choose from two survey periods: September-December 2023 or January-March 2024. We recommend you administer the survey during a time that is typical for students at your school. Students should not take the survey right before or after exams or during the first few weeks of school.

What are the best ways to inform our school community about the survey?

We recommend that you include information about the survey in a school newsletter and talk about it with students prior to survey administration. We are happy to help you with your communications plan to your community.

How do we obtain parent permission?

Schools are required to provide survey information to all parents prior to survey administration. Challenge Success will provide schools with materials that can be shared with parents electronically. Parents who wish to decline their child’s participation must sign and return the form that is included. If they do not return the form, the student has permission from the parent to take the survey.

How long is the survey?

The survey has about 70 questions and takes 30-40 minutes to complete.

Do all students have to take the survey?

We recommend that you encourage all students to participate. We aim for a response rate of at least 70%.

What if a student doesn’t want to take the survey?

Students do not have to take the survey. Before beginning the survey, students are given an online assent form, which offers them an opportunity to opt out.

What if a student doesn’t want to answer one or more questions on the survey?

Students can choose not to answer any or all questions.

Do all students in our school need to take the survey at the same time?

No, it is not essential that students take the survey at the same time. However, we ask that all students taking the survey do so over the course of 7 or fewer days. Some schools administer the survey during a class that all students take (e.g. English or PE). Others offer it during an advisory or assembly period. However you structure it, each individual student must complete the survey in one sitting.

How do we administer the survey?

We recommend that students take the survey during a period that’s at least 45 minutes in length. Each student will need access to a computer or tablet as well as a reliable internet connection. Challenge Success will email you a link to a secure website, which you can distribute to your students when they sit for the survey.

Does a staff member have to be in the room with students while they are taking the survey?

Yes, we ask that a staff member read a script to students before they take the survey and stay in the room while they take it.

What if a student has a question about the survey while he/she is taking it?

The staff member may answer any questions students have about the survey (for example, they can help if the student doesn’t understand the question) but should not provide the answer to specific survey questions.

Survey Results

Are survey results confidential?

Survey results are kept strictly confidential. Students are not asked to provide their names and can opt out of answering any or all questions.

When and how will we receive our survey results?

Challenge Success has partnered with ICGS to conduct this research project for ICGS member schools as a whole, and will provide a report at the end of the partnership in August 2024. Individual schools will have access to this aggregate data at no cost.

For an additional fee, schools may choose to purchase a dashboard and debrief call with Challenge Success that will be tailored to their individual school’s data. Explore this example of the dashboard. The debrief is an hour-long video call with members of Challenge Success’ expert research and program teams and representatives from your school. During this call, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions about the data, consider ways to build upon your school’s strengths, and discuss areas of need or concern.

Can I have a copy of the dashboard emailed to me?

Additional reports with survey data may be provided for a fee.