Dear School Administration and Faculty,
San Mateo County Safe Routes to School will be gathering travel evaluation data. To gather
data we will collect classroom tally data and parent survey data during the fall data
collection period which extended from October 1 to December 31.
The survey and hand tally results will be kept anonymous. The data will be used to identify
areas of strength and program needs. By identifying areas for improvement, schools and
districts can adjust their Safe Routes to School plans to accommodate the needs of families
and students. At no time will this data be shared without prior consent. Additionally, at no
time will this data be used to single out schools for high rates of walking, biking, carpooling,
or single families traveling in cars.
Classroom Tally Data
Classroom tally data will be collected by teachers. With classroom tallies, the idea is to
gather 2 days worth of travel data from students in 5 minutes. Directions for how to
conduct the survey are on the survey form. When collecting data, please be sure to read all
travel options before allowing students to raise their hands to indicate how they arrived at
school and are planning to go home. Please also take a moment to confirm that the number
of students present equals the number of votes. Completed forms should be submitted to
[insert name].
Parent Survey
Parent surveys should be sent home the same day that classroom tallies are conducted. An
online survey is also available. Parents who complete the form online should not complete
the paper survey. Teachers should inform students that their parents or caregivers have
homework and emphasize that the online form or paper form should be completed that
evening. Teachers should also emphasize that paper forms should be returned the next day.
Teachers should turn over paper forms to [insert name/name deposit location].
The classroom with the highest response rate at each school will win a prize. The districts
with the top two response rates will also win prizes. Teachers interested in the classroom
prize should keep track of the number of paper forms returned. Teachers who track the
number of paper surveys returned should submit this data to [insert name] on [insert
date(s)]. Online form completion will be tracked online.
The San Mateo County Office of Education, the City/County Association of Governments,
the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Safe Routes to School San Mateo County
would like to thank you for your support and participation.