Untitled Document

PUBLIC SCHOOL SURVEY

The Islamic Schools League of America estimates that there are about 32,000 Muslim children who attend Islamic schools around the country, this statistic tells us that the majority of Muslim kids are still being educated in American public schools. We want to know first hand from Muslim students about their public school experience, past or present. We intend this research to aid in providing parents and public school educators better insight into the public school experience for Muslim children, insha’Allah.

If you are a parent of a younger school age child in public school, we invite you to sit down and answer these questions together. We need to hear from Muslims of all ages, even those who have now completed their education. The experiences past and present are equally valuable to our research.

We do not want any identifying personal information about the respondent. We will be conducting interviews of children whose parents consent–please email us (link below) with your contact (parent) information if you agree to participate further in our research.

First name (only): Age: City: State:
Your School and Classmates
Are you attending public school this school year?	YES	NO
How many years have you been in public school?
What grade are you currently in?
Estimate how many other Muslim kids attend your school
There are about Muslim kids in my classroom with me.
I usually hang out with the other Muslim kids at my school
Please explain your answer here:
If you do not have many other Muslim kids at your school, how do you feel being one of very few Muslim kids? Please describe
Do you talk about being a Muslim to your classmates?	YES	NO
If yes, is it difficult to talk about being a Muslim?	YES	NO
Why?
Do you ever get teased or feel left out at school because you are a Muslim?	YES	NO
If yes, please describe
How do the non-Muslim kids treat you? Please describe

Do you feel accepted at school by your non-Muslim classmates?	YES	NO
If you are a girl, do you wear hijab to school?	YES	NO
If yes, how does wearing hijab affect your friendships with non-Muslim classmates?
Please describe
Do you pray at school?	YES	NO
If yes, does your school give you a special place to pray?	YES	NO
If you are old enough to be fasting, does your school give you a place to spend the lunch hour during Ramadan?	YES	NO
Does fasting draw attention to the fact you are a Muslim?	YES	NO
If yes, do you mind the attention? Please explain
Public School Vs. Islamic School
Is there an Islamic school in your area?	YES	NO
If yes, explain why you and parents chose not to have you attend there?
If no, would you want to attend if it was available?	YES	NO
Have you ever attended an Islamic school in the past?	YES	NO
What is different about attending the different schools?
What do you miss about Islamic school?
What do you like about Public school in comparison to Islamic school?
What do you dislike about Public school in comparison to Islamic school?
American Holiday Season in Public Schools
Does your school include discussions about Muslim holidays when they discuss other faith traditions’ holidays, like Hanukah, Kwanza, Christmas, etc.?	YES	NO
Explain how you handle the traditional American Fall/Winter “holiday season” at school. Do you let the kids and teachers know that you do not celebrate Christmas or Hanukah at home?	YES	NO
If you answered no, what do you do during this season at school?
Does your school have holiday parties and singing programs during December?	YES	NO
If yes, do you enjoy the celebrations? Please describe:
Please describe how you feel at school during this time of the year.
Your Teachers
Do your teachers know anything about Muslims, Islam and the Muslim holidays and traditions?	YES	NO
Do your teachers ever ask you to talk about being Muslim?	YES	NO
If you answered yes; do you like to talk about being Muslim at school to non-Muslims?	YES	NO
Please describe
Have you ever offered to provide information to the teacher or class about Muslims and Islam?	YES	NO
If yes, describe the teacher’s reaction to the materials
How do you feel when asked to explain stuff like Ramadan and fasting, or the two Eids or any other topics relating to Islam
Please tell us anything else that you would like us to know about your experience in public school, past or present: Please describe
If there is anything you wish other kids at school knew about you or did differently, what would it be? Please describe
If there is anything you wish you could change about your public school experience, what would it be? Please describe
Tell us how it feels to be in the religious minority in school? Please describe
For Teens and Graduates Only
Please answer the following questions even if you have already finished high school and or college.
Do you participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs, parties, student government, sports, etc? Please describe
Do you feel comfortable participating in extracurricular activities?	YES	NO
Why or why not?
What is your experience participating in clubs or athletic events? Please describe
What is your experience participating in social events (dances, parties)? Please describe
How do you feel about the prom? Please describe
Did you or will you attend?	YES	NO
Why or why not? How do you feel about this? Please describe
Do you date?	YES	NO
What affect did your classmates have on your choices? Please describe
If you chose not to date, how did your classmates react? Please describe
Have you experimented with drugs or alcohol?	YES	NO
What affected your choices? Please describe
Do your friends drink or do drugs?	YES	NO
If you chose not to do any drugs or alcohol, how did your classmates react? Please describe
How do you feel about your choices? Please describe
What was the most challenging experience being a Muslim in public school? Please describe
What was one of the most positive? Please describe
What effect, if any do you think 9/11 had on your school experience? Please describe

First name (only): Age: City: State:

Your School and Classmates

Are you attending public school this school year?

YES

How many years have you been in public school?

What grade are you currently in?

Estimate how many other Muslim kids attend your school

There are about Muslim kids in my classroom with me.

I usually hang out with the other Muslim kids at my school

Please explain your answer here:

If you do not have many other Muslim kids at your school, how do you feel being one of very few Muslim kids? Please describe

Do you talk about being a Muslim to your classmates?

YES

If yes, is it difficult to talk about being a Muslim?

YES

Why?

Do you ever get teased or feel left out at school because you are a Muslim?

YES

If yes, please describe

How do the non-Muslim kids treat you? Please describe

Do you feel accepted at school by your non-Muslim classmates?

YES

If you are a girl, do you wear hijab to school?

YES

If yes, how does wearing hijab affect your friendships with non-Muslim classmates?

Please describe

Do you pray at school?

YES

If yes, does your school give you a special place to pray?

YES

If you are old enough to be fasting, does your school give you a place to spend the lunch hour during Ramadan?

YES

Does fasting draw attention to the fact you are a Muslim?

YES

If yes, do you mind the attention? Please explain

Public School Vs. Islamic School

Is there an Islamic school in your area?

YES

If yes, explain why you and parents chose not to have you attend there?

If no, would you want to attend if it was available?

YES

Have you ever attended an Islamic school in the past?

YES

What is different about attending the different schools?

What do you miss about Islamic school?

What do you like about Public school in comparison to Islamic school?

What do you dislike about Public school in comparison to Islamic school?

American Holiday Season in Public Schools

Does your school include discussions about Muslim holidays when they discuss other faith traditions’ holidays, like Hanukah, Kwanza, Christmas, etc.?

YES

Explain how you handle the traditional American Fall/Winter “holiday season” at school. Do you let the kids and teachers know that you do not celebrate Christmas or Hanukah at home?

YES

If you answered no, what do you do during this season at school?

Does your school have holiday parties and singing programs during December?

YES

If yes, do you enjoy the celebrations? Please describe:

Please describe how you feel at school during this time of the year.

Your Teachers

Do your teachers know anything about Muslims, Islam and the Muslim holidays and traditions?

YES

Do your teachers ever ask you to talk about being Muslim?

YES

If you answered yes; do you like to talk about being Muslim at school to non-Muslims?

YES

Please describe

Have you ever offered to provide information to the teacher or class about Muslims and Islam?

YES

If yes, describe the teacher’s reaction to the materials

How do you feel when asked to explain stuff like Ramadan and fasting, or the two Eids or any other
topics relating to Islam

Please tell us anything else that you would like us to know about your experience in public school,
past or present: Please describe

If there is anything you wish other kids at school knew about you or did differently, what would it be?
Please describe

If there is anything you wish you could change about your public school experience, what would it be?
Please describe

Tell us how it feels to be in the religious minority in school? Please describe

For Teens and Graduates Only

Please answer the following questions even if you have already finished high school and or college.

Do you participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs, parties, student government, sports, etc?
Please describe

Do you feel comfortable participating in extracurricular activities?

YES

Why or why not?

What is your experience participating in clubs or athletic events? Please describe

What is your experience participating in social events (dances, parties)? Please describe

How do you feel about the prom? Please describe

Did you or will you attend?

YES

Why or why not? How do you feel about this? Please describe

Do you date?

YES

What affect did your classmates have on your choices? Please describe

If you chose not to date, how did your classmates react? Please describe

Have you experimented with drugs or alcohol?

YES

What affected your choices? Please describe

Do your friends drink or do drugs?

YES

If you chose not to do any drugs or alcohol, how did your classmates react? Please describe

How do you feel about your choices? Please describe

What was the most challenging experience being a Muslim in public school? Please describe

What was one of the most positive? Please describe

What effect, if any do you think 9/11 had on your school experience? Please describe