The benefits
Understand more about what students are experiencing. Identify areas of strength and opportunities to improve. Increase student engagement and learning outcomes. Track progress over time.
Student
Surveys
A well-designed, confidential survey provides students with an important way to share their perspectives. Created with educators and validated by independent research, Tripod surveys provide feedback about key dimensions of school life and teaching practices. A range of administration options are available and our teacher-driven model allows teachers to receive results in real-time.
Analysis and
Reporting
Tripod uses millions of student responses across over 225,000 classrooms to benchmark and calibrate results. Survey responses are analyzed and presented in user-friendly, online reports designed for teachers. Reports highlight areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, so teachers can quickly gauge where to focus attention.
A Framework for Professional Learning
Working closely with educators, Tripod has refined the Tripod framework over the course of more than a decade. The framework helps structure teacher reflection and goal-setting, and we provide protocols and useful resources to support teachers and their professional learning.
Tripod Resources
and Community
We know there are a wide range of resources available to support professional learning. These may be offered by schools and districts or freely available on the internet. We are partnering with educators to collect and organize these available resources. We are also building online communities focused on the Tripod framework.
FAQS
How did Tripod start?
How many people have used Tripod surveys?
How have Tripod surveys been refined and validated?
How do you ensure the Tripod survey is not a popularity contest?
Is the Tripod survey a professional development tool or a diagnostic tool?
Because Tripod was the only student survey validated by the Measures of Effective Teaching project, some states and districts have moved to incorporate Tripod surveys as one of multiple measures in new teacher evaluation systems. While this use is helpful in avoiding an over-emphasis on test scores or observations alone, Tripod has encouraged the use of surveys to promote professional learning. Tripod can enhance teacher evaluation systems by providing an additional perspective, but we always want the major focus to remain instructional improvement.
Who will see my Tripod results?
We also work with school and district leaders to administer Tripod as a school- and district-sponsored survey program. When the use of Tripod surveys is sponsored by the school or district, the leaders work with teachers to determine if results will be private or shared with supervisors.
How do students take the survey?
The online survey needs to be administered on devices with Internet access. This might be in a computer lab or using tablets or laptops in a classroom setting. Internet access is required, but no additional software or downloads are needed. District- or school-sponsored surveys can be administered in an online or paper-based format. At this time, the K-2 version of surveys is only available in a paper-based format.