The scope of school surveys is large and varied. A single comprehensive school survey may be comprised of various parts or constituent surveys.
1. Survey Testing:
Tests serve a variety of functions such as to measure achievement, aptitude and intelligence and also to describe typical behaviour such as personality traits, interests and attitudes.
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2. Achievement Testing:
Survey testing of educational achievement is an important aspect of school surveys. Achievement tests of the objective type have been constructed by various agencies.
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They are based upon the current courses of study prescribed by school boards for the schools within the area or system under investigation. They may cover any, or all subjects and grades. Achievement testing surveys may serve the following purposes.
(i) To compare the attainment of present pupils with that of the previous years and in the case of unsatisfactory performance, to lead to an investigation of the causes and remedies.
(ii) To enable the administrator to compare the performance of different schools.
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(iii) To furnish national or local norms this can provide a basis for assessing certain curricular strengths and weaknesses.
(iv) To help to determine whether an innovative programme is better or poorer than the conventional one in facilitating the attainment of specific curricular objectives.
(v) To use the results of city or state-wide survey testing for a critical analysis of their own classes and schools.
(vi) To enable to identify particular groups of students who are weak so that appropriate remedial measures could be introduced to bring them up.
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(vii) To provide information regarding the objectives of education which are fulfilled satisfactorily and which are not, so that changes in the methods of teaching could be introduced to improve the quality of education and, thereby ensure realisation of the desired objectives.
(viii) To help in identifying in a state or the nation particular groups of students who are doing better so that studies could be conducted to investigate the characteristics of the educational system being followed there and make the results known, for the benefit of others.
(ix) To help in locating geographical regions or school systems which are weak so that they could be given more help.