Author Description

This report provides a snapshot of students in grades 7 and 8 of the former Toronto (Ontario, Canada) public schools as they were in 1997. The first survey of students in grades 7 and 8 was conducted in 1970, and surveys have been conducted periodically since then. The survey, which was completed by 7,081 students, 92% of all students in grades 7 and 8, focused on: (1) student characteristics; (2) students' feelings about their teachers and the curriculum; (3) students' involvement in out-of-class activities; (4) students' use of computers; (5) school awards; (6) future school and career plans; (7) self-ratings of various skills; and (8) parental involvement. Most (70%) of the students were Canadian-born, but 35% had other languages as their mother tongue, and nonwhite students made up almost half of the student population. Students came from a wide range of religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, students' perceptions about their schools, teachers, and the curriculum were positive. Most of the grade 7 and 8 students were involved in extracurricular activities, and more than half volunteered in school. About 60% of these students aspired to attend college. Most students rated themselves as good in social skills, but less than 40% considered themselves good at organizational skills. Three quarters of the students reported that their parents were involved in school activities. Information from this survey informs administrative and teaching staff about the needs of students and makes it possible to provide an inclusive learning environment for all the city's students. Two appendixes provide charts of student distribution by country of birth and religious cultural background. (Contains 5 tables, 26 figures, and 3 references.) (SLD).