Evaluation of a District wide Implementation of a Professional Learning Community Iniative

Appendix E: Post-Implementation Teacher Survey

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The purpose of this research study is to document the process of implementing professional learning communities (PLCs) in all schools in the District and to collect teachers and principals’ impression of the implementation. The purpose of this survey is to inquire about your personal experience with being a PLC team member and collaborating with colleagues to achieve the goals of the PLC program in the West Chester Area School District during the first year of implementation (2013-14 school year). This research survey was specifically designed for this purpose by a research team at Rutgers University’s Center for Effective School Practices who is also responsible for collecting survey responses, analyzing the data, and producing reports for the district. We are asking all teachers in the district to complete this survey. Your perspective is valuable and critical to the success of the program in your school and in all of the West Chester Area School District’s school, so we ask for your honest assessment and complete cooperation as we work together to further improve the educational and professional experience of all members of our community .

Your participation in this research study is voluntary and free. You may choose not to participate. If you decide to participate in this research survey, you may withdraw at any time. If you decide not to participate in this study or if you withdrawal from participating at any time, you will not be penalized in any way.

The procedure involves filling an online survey that will take approximately 30 minutes. The survey questions are about your experience with professional learning communities in your school, your evaluation of this experience, and the impact this experience may had on you, your students, and your school. You will also have an opportunity to reflect on and share your most positive experience as well as your most negative experience, if any, working in your PLC this past school year.

Your responses will be kept confidential and the information collected from you will be used for research purposes only. The data collected through this survey will be analyzed only by researchers at Rutgers University’s Center for Effective School Practices and study reports will not provide information that identifies you or your school to anyone outside the study team. The study adheres to the highest standards for research and has received approvals from Rutgers University’s Institutional Review Board, the Institute for Educational Studies of the US Department of Education, and the federal Office of Management and Budget. The contractor will follow the confidentiality and data protection requirements of IES (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183) and will protect the confidentiality of all information collected for the study and will use it for research purposes only. Information collected for this study comes under the confidentiality and data protection requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183). Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for the study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district, school, or individual. We will not provide information that identifies you, your district or your school to anyone outside the study team, except as permitted by law.

If you have any questions about this research survey, please contact the Director of the Center for Effective School Practices and Principal Investigator of this research study, Dr. Cynthia Blitz, at (732) 564-9100 or cindy.blitz@gse.rutgers.edu.

In order to progress through this survey, please use the following navigation buttons:

• Click the Next button to continue to the next page.

• Click the Previous button to return to the previous page.

• Click the Exit the Survey Early button if you need to exit the survey.

• Click the Submit button to submit your survey.

• Any questions marked with an asterisk (*) require an answer in order to progress through the survey.

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is xxxx-xxxx. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per survey , including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., LBJ, Room 2E117, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or send electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number.

Informed Consent

CONSENT TO BE A RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

This survey is part of the Evaluation of a District-Wide Implementation of a Professional Learning Community Initiative in West Chester Area School District (WCASD) in the 2013-2014 school year. This survey is being administered by the Rutgers University research team, funded by the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic (REL MA). Participants' responses to this survey will help us learn about the successes and challenges involved in the implementation of PLCs in WCASD during the initial full roll-out period.

With minor exceptions, each question on the survey asks you to choose from a set of answer options. We estimate that you should be able to complete the survey in approximately 20 minutes. Your responses to this survey will be kept strictly confidential and will only be reported at the aggregate. The results will never be reported in any way that would permit any response to be associated with a specific individual. The information you provide in this study will enhance our ability to understand the effectiveness of the implementation of PLCs in WCASD.

The data gathered from the survey will be kept confidential and stored with limited identifiable information, used for the sole purpose of issuing each participant a unique study identifier to link individuals across datasets used in the analysis. The data will be used only for the purpose of this project by the Rutgers University research team. Because the information you provide in this study is strictly confidential, there will be essentially no risk from your participation. All study data will be kept for 7 years after the completion of the study and then will be destroyed. Rutgers research staff responsible for all data analyses will follow National Center for Education Statistics protocol for restricted datasets.

If you have any questions concerning this project, please feel free to contact the Principal Investigator, Dr. Cynthia Blitz, or the Rutgers University’s Institutional Review Board using the following contact information:

Dr. Cynthia Blitz, Principal Investigator Rutgers University, Center for Effective School Practices 80 Cottontail Ln, Somerset, NJ 08873 Tel: (732) 564-9100 Email: cindy.blitz@gse.rutgers.edu

Rutgers University Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects Office of Research & Sponsored Programs 3 Rutgers Plaza, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8559 Tel: 848-932-0150 Email: humansubjects@orsp.rutgers.edu

By selecting “Agree,” you will be agreeing to the conditions of the survey. If you do not wish to participate in the research study, please decline participation by clicking on the "disagree" button.

Survey Items

Item/Construct Summary

Constructs/Dimensions	Items	Sources
Background information	1-3
Supportive conditions (school culture)	4	Delaware Department of Education (2012)
Shared mission Collective purpose Measurable goals	12-14 15-18	12, 14: Killion (2006) and DuFour et al. (2010) 13: Olivier et al. (2009) 15-18: Killion (2006)
Collaborative culture Team work routine Shared norms Shared leadership Trust Cohesion Conflict resolution Mutual accountability	5-11 19-25 26-29 30-31 32-35 36-39 40-42	7, 21, 40: DuFour et al. (2010) 19-20, 22, 24, 28-29, 31-32, 34-35, 37-39, 41-44: Killion (2006) 23, 25-26, 30, 33, 36: Olivier et al. (2009) 27: Delaware Department of Education (2012)
Collective inquiry Use of data Shared knowledge	45-46, 53 47-52, 54, 59-60	45, 48-49,51-54, 59-60 : Killion (2006) 46: Olivier et al. (2009) 47, 50: Wake County (2010)
Action/results orientation	55-58	55-58: Killion (2006)
Commitment to continuous improvement	43-44	43-44: Killion (2006)
Progress on tasks	61-72
Supportive conditions	73-83	73-77: Killion (2006) 78-80: DuFour et al. (2010) 81-83: Olivier et al. (2009)
Personal expectancies and gains	84-93	84-90: Killion (2006) 91-93: Delaware Department of Education (2012)
Reflective comments	94-96

Teacher Name:

School:

1.	At which grade levels do you teach this year? Please check all that apply.
	a.	Elementary
	b.	Middle
	c.	High
	d.	Other (Please specify):

2.	If you specialize in teaching one or more individual subjects, which subjects do you teach?
	a.	English Language Arts
	b. c. d. e. f.	Mathematics Science Social studies/History Special education Other (Please specify):
3.	How was membership in your PLC team determined?
	a.	By subject
	b. c. d.	By grade level By subject and grade level Other (Please specify):
4.	Prior to the 2013-2014 school year, had you experienced collaborative planning time or PLCs in the same structured manner as WCASD has been implementing this school year?
	a.	Not at all
	b. c. d. e.	Rarely Somewhat Often A great deal
5.	On average, how often did your PLC meet to do PLC work?
	a.	More than once a week
	b.	Once a week
	c.	Several times a month
	d.	Once a month
	e.	Once a quarter
	f.	Once or twice this year
	g.	Never

6.	When did your PLC meet?
	a.	Same day of the week each time
	b.	Rotated days of the week
	c.	Whenever convenient
	d.	Other (Please specify):

7.	At what time of day did your PLC usually meet?
	a.	During the regular contractual school day
	b.	Outside the regular contractual school day

8.	Where did your PLC usually meet?
	a.	On school or district property
	b.	Outside of school or district property

9.	On average, how long did your PLC meet each time?
	a.	Less than 30 minutes
	b.	Between 30 and 45 minutes
	c.	About 45 minutes
	d.	More than 45 minutes

10.	Who usually decided when your PLC met?
	a.	Principal or other administrator
	b.	A single designated PLC leader
	c.	PLC as a whole
	d.	Whoever felt the need to call the meeting
	e.	Other (Please specify):
11.	Who usually ran your PLC meetings?
	a.	Principal or other administrator
	b.	A single designated PLC leader
	c.	PLC members in rotation
	d.	PLC members who volunteered to run the meeting
	e.	No one member in particular; we ran meetings collectively
	f.	Other (Please specify):

12. Our PLC has embraced the idea that the core purpose of schooling is learning for all.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

13. Our PLC makes decisions in alignment with the school’s values and vision.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

14. Our PLC has established SMART goals—that is, goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

15. Teachers in our PLC who share the same course content and/or students have worked together during this school year to clarify essential learning targets.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

16. Our PLC has clarified expectations for the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of each team member in order to promote effective team practices.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

17. It's OK to question or critique each other's ideas in our PLC.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

18. Everyone in our PLC gets the opportunity to have a say.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

19. Only certain kinds of ideas can be expressed freely in our PLC.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

20. Members of our PLC minimize outside interruptions during our meetings (e.g., turn off cell phones).

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

21. Our PLC’s members strive to discover common ground and work toward consensus.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

22. Members of our PLC tend to go along with whatever the leader suggests.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

23. Leadership is promoted and nurtured among our PLC’s members.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

24. Our PLC is able to delegate work on some tasks to individual members or to a subgroup.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

25. Our PLC as a whole takes responsibility for problem solving.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

26. A culture of trust for taking risks exists in our PLC.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

27. I feel comfortable discussing my students' classroom data or state assessment data with my peers.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

28. Many of the PLC members insert their personal agendas and want to insist on their own ideas about the process.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

29. Our PLC members fully accept other members' strengths and weaknesses.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

30. Our PLC members work hard to motivate each other.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

31. We enjoy working together in our PLC.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

32. Our PLC is productive.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

33. Conflicts within our PLC are resolved successfully.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

34. Our PLC is able to work through group problems.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

35. Members of our PLC feel that we are all in it together and share responsibility for the team's success or failure.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

36. I am willing to be held accountable for our PLC’s results.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

37. Teachers on our PLC tend to do their own thing in the classroom with little coordination.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

38. Our PLC tries to use set team procedures or protocols when we work together

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

39. Our PLC does not have fixed team procedures; we make them up as the task or project progresses.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

40. Our PLC uses specific strategies for exploring one another’s thinking.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

41. We set time limits for PLC meetings.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

42. Our members review and agree on PLC meeting agendas before each meeting gets under way.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

43. We summarize what we have accomplished in the meeting and identify next steps before concluding each PLC meeting.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

44. We continually evaluate each PLC meeting as to its efficiency, productivity, and adequacy of addressing members’ concerns.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

45.	Our PLC generally makes decisions by seeking out best practices rather than by sharing opinions.

1. Strongly Disagree

1. Disagree

2. Neither Agree nor Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

46.	Our PLC’s members collaboratively analyze student work to improve teaching and learning.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

47.	My PLC teammates willingly share their knowledge and expertise in regular PLC meetings.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

48.	Teachers in our PLC who share the same course content and/or students have developed common formative assessments.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

49.	Teachers in our PLC who share the same course content and/or students agree on how to determine student proficiency as they assess the quality of student work.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

50.	My PLC teammates willingly share their instructional materials in regular PLC meetings.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

51.	Our PLC has read and discussed research reports and other descriptions of evidence-based strategies for addressing student needs.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

52.	Our PLC has been having candid, substantive discussions about similarities and differences in members’ beliefs about teaching and approaches to instruction.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

53.	PLC members have assessed and shared results of new instructional approaches they have tried out in their classrooms.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

54.	My PLC teammates give me feedback and recommendations for improving instruction.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

55.	Our PLC is quick to get on with the task at hand without spending too much time in the planning stage.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

56.	Some team members are impatient with abstract discussions of the concepts and issues because they want to move on to decisions and action.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

57.	Although our PLC generates lots of ideas, it seems as if little is being accomplished relative to our goals.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

58.	Our PLC has designed new materials, lessons, or assessments based on student needs.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

59.	Our PLC has created processes that engage our team in a continuous cycle of improvement.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

60.	Our PLC collaborated with other PLCs in the District.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

61.	For approximately how many units was your PLC able to develop essential learning targets?

62.	For approximately how many units was your PLC able to design or adopt common formative assessments?

63.	How many of these common formative assessments was your PLC able to administer?

64.	For how many of these common formative assessments was your PLC able to create or adopt rubrics?

65.	Did you or your PLC share essential learning targets with students?

1. Yes

2. No

66.	Did you or your PLC obtain input from students on the design and analysis of common formative assessments?

1. Yes

2. No

67.	Did you or your PLC share essential learning targets with parents?

1. Yes

2. No

68.	Did you or your PLC share essential learning targets with a principal or a supervisor?

1. Yes

2. No

69.	Did you or your PLC obtain input from a principal or a supervisor on the design and analysis of common formative assessments?

1. Yes

2. No

70.	Did your PLC identify specific students who were not proficient on each essential learning target? If so, how many?

71.	Did your PLC collaboratively determine if individual students’ lack of proficiency on common formative assessments was due to “skill” or “will”? If so, about how many?

72.	Did your PLC have an opportunity to reflect on both highly effective and not-so-highly effective practices that PLC members use?

1. Yes

2. No

73.	Our PLC can access additional time and support for students when they experience initial difficulty learning.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

74.	Our PLC can access timely enrichment for students when they have met all essential learning targets.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

75.	One or more members of our PLC have received professional development related to PLC tasks (e.g., developing essential learning targets, common assessments, rubrics, best practices, etc.).

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

76.	One or more members of our PLC have received professional development on team-based collaboration skills.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

77.	Professional development in our school and District focuses on teaching and learning related to our students’ learning needs.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

78.	Our PLC has received clear instructions, guidelines, or models that have helped us to do our work.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

79.	Our PLC has received support or assistance from the principal, other administrators, or others that has helped us do our work.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

80.	The school’s communications systems promote smooth flow of information among PLC members.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

81.	Student data are organized and made available to provide easy access for our PLC members.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

82.	Opportunities exist for PLC members to observe each other in the classroom.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

83.	The school schedule promotes collective learning and shared practice among PLC members.

1. Strongly Disagree

2. Disagree

3. Neither Agree nor Disagree

4. Agree

5. Strongly Agree

84.	My participation in the PLC has significantly changed how I work with other teachers.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

85.	My participation in the PLC has changed my perceptions about some students’ learning abilities.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

86.	My participation in the PLC has increased my understanding of how to motivate students to work harder.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

87.	My participation in the PLC has significantly changed how I teach.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

88.	Looking at student data has helped me to determine where I need to differentiate my instruction.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

89.	My participation in the PLC has helped me feel comfortable using data to identify patterns of need in my whole class.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

90.	My participation in the PLC has helped me to develop useful skills around the collection and use of data.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

91.	I feel more confident in making instructional decisions based on data as a result of participating in the PLC.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

92.	My participation in the PLC has improved my skills in helping students learn.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

93.	My participation in the PLC has improved my overall teaching effectiveness.

1. Not at all

2. A little

3. Somewhat

4. A lot

5. A great deal

94.	As you reflect back on the PLC experience you had this year, what would you say was the most positive experience you had?

95.	Reflecting on the PLC experience you had this year, what would you say was the least positive experience you had?

96.	What recommendations, if any, can you offer regarding the continued implementation of the PLC program in your school and/or District? What needs to be done or can be done better? This completes our survey. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

OMB Package: Evaluation of a District-Wide Implementation of a Professional Learning Community Initiative 26