Frequently Asked Questions about Panorama:
Updated 08/26/2022
What is Panorama Education?
Panorama Education partners with K-12 schools and districts across the country to collect and analyze data about social-emotional learning, school climate, family engagement and more. With research-backed surveys and a leading technology platform, Panorama helps educators act on data and improve student outcomes. Panorama supports more than 10 million students in 17,000 schools and 1,500 districts across 49 states. To learn more about Panorama Education, visit www.panoramaed.com.
How was the survey developed?
The Panorama Student Survey was developed under the leadership of Dr. Hunter Gehlbach, Associate Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Director of Research at Panorama Education. The research team followed a rigorous survey development process that involved multiple rounds of piloting and refinement, following cognitive interviews with students, an extensive review of survey literature, and feedback from experts around the country.
What does the survey measure?
The Panorama Education survey is designed to capture student voice and allow students to express their perspectives about teaching and learning, culture and climate, and their classroom experiences. The Student Supports and Environments portion of the survey allows for students to offer feedback specifically about school safety, their sense of belonging, teacher-student relationships, cultural awareness, and diversity and inclusion.
Why does this survey ask students questions on topics of diversity, equity and inclusion?
Student data on diversity, equity and inclusion is helpful to better understand and analyze trends. Our awareness of student’s perspectives improves and informs our professional development plans, school improvement plans and awareness of diverse cultures. A hallmark of effective instruction and teaching is student voice and agency which recognizes diversity of people and thought. Panorama provides students with an opportunity to share their authentic feedback about the world around them—a world that we are actively preparing them to enter post K-12.
Are there questions included in the survey that ask about the mental health of my student?
No. Panorama survey content is not designed for nor should be used to identify students who require mental health or trauma treatment. The purpose of the Panorama survey is to help educators understand students’ general social-emotional needs and strengths.
Is there data available to show the benefit to academic success? How does the district use the data to increase academic focus?
Yes, we evaluate the overview survey result data annually. Click here to review the board presentation on Panorama results from December 9, 2020. You may also watch the video recording.
Research tells us there are conditions for teaching and learning that are extremely important for students to achieve academic success. Those include areas that we use Panorama to measure, for example:
- How connected students feel at school (sense of belonging);
- Student’s ability to regulate their emotions (emotion regulation);
- Student’s ability to persevere through challenges (grit and growth mindset);
- Positive connections with teachers (teacher-student relationships);
- How safe students feel at school (school safety)?;
- How connected students feel to their peers (social awareness), and many more areas.
When educators have access to this type of information about how students feel at their school they are better able to make informed decisions about what they should and could target in order to increase student’s ability to achieve.
Where can I find the content of the survey for my student?
Full content proofs for each of the student surveys being used during the ‘22-’23 school year is available below:
K-2 Grade Version
3-5 Grade Version
6-12 Grade Version
What if I don’t want my student(s) to participate?
Families are notified prior to the administration of the Panorama Education survey in a variety of ways. The district sends notification of the surveys through parent email, newsletters, as well as posting information on school and district websites. Parents/guardians are able to complete a brief online opt-out form to exclude their child from participating during the current school year. Opt-out forms for the Panorama survey only need to be completed once per school year. If you opted out in the fall, you do not need to do so again. Opt-out forms for the Panorama survey need to be completed by 11:59pm on March 15th. Because the time needed to give the survey is brief, students who have opted-out are given the opportunity to do other tasks (homework, study, reading on their own) while those who are participating complete the survey.
“When will the survey be administered to students?” should be:
The fall survey window will run from March 20th to the 30th.
Will this impact my student’s grades if they don’t take the survey?
No. There is no credit or grade which is given to students for participating or not participating. The survey is totally voluntary. There are no right or wrong responses.
SURVEY LOGISTICS
When will the survey be administered to students?
The survey window will run from March 20th to the 30th.
How is the survey administered?
Students use an electronic device to access their unique and secure survey link. The survey is taken at school during the school day, under supervision of staff.
How much time does the survey take to complete?
The survey is given twice during each school year, once in the fall and again in the spring. On average, it will take the following amount of time:
- K-2: One survey, 25 questions, estimated time to complete 10 minutes.
- 3rd-5th: Two surveys, 47 questions, estimated time to complete 16 minutes.
- 6th-12th: Two surveys, 65 questions, estimated time to complete 22 minutes.
RESULTS
Are students’ responses anonymous?
Student responses to the survey items are anonymous.
What does HSE Schools do with the information provided by the surveys?
The primary purpose of the survey is to understand students’ perspectives. District leadership, school administrators and staff review the overview data to understand areas of strength and growth opportunities to better serve students and provide targeted student supports.
Where can I find Panorama’s Privacy Policy?
Panorama’s full Privacy Policy can be accessed publicly through Panorama’s website.
What does a sample student’s results look like?
You can view a sample here: student-level report. (NOTE - this is not a real student)
Who has access to student response data for individual questions?
To preserve student confidentiality, individual question responses are not visible in the platform to HSE Schools teachers or staff. HSE Schools does not store individual student response data. Only topic-level summary data is available to specific educators who support your student. To learn more about what reports look like for educators who support your student, see the ‘Exploring Student SEL Data’ page.
Can I request access to my student’s report once data becomes available?
Yes. Contact your student’s school to request this information.
PERSONAL INFORMATION AND DATA
What does Panorama do with students’ data?
Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts. Panorama does not collect personal information from students unless performing services for the school or district pursuant to a written contract. The collection and use of students’ personal information is governed by schools and districts and applicable laws. Panorama also does not market, sell, or rent any student's personal information; nor does it engage in, inform, influence, or enable advertising to students.
How does Panorama keep students’ data safe?
Panorama follows best practices for data privacy and security. The company implements administrative, technical, and physical security controls designed to protect information stored on its servers, which are located in the United States. Panorama does not use student data for purposes other than serving schools and districts and cannot share any education or student information unless authorized by the school or district or under applicable law.
What kinds of student data does Panorama collect?
Panorama only collects student data in the course of performing services for the school or district pursuant to a written contract, and Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts.
Does Panorama engage in data mining?
Panorama’s products enable educators to gain insights from their students’ data in order to better understand and support them. Panorama does not market, sell, or rent any student's personal information. Panorama does not engage in, inform, influence, or enable advertising to students. Panorama does not collect information from students unless we are performing services for their school or district pursuant to a written contract. Panorama cannot share any education or student information unless authorized by the school or district or under applicable law.
Does Panorama share student data with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or other social media companies?
No, absolutely not. Panorama only uses student data for the purpose of serving schools and districts.