An Impact Evaluation of Support for Principals

OMB No. XXXXX-xxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

IMPACT EVALUATION OF SUPPORT FOR PRINCIPALS

TEACHER SURVEY

SPRING, 2016

This questionnaire is part of the Impact Evaluation of Support for Principals, a national evaluation being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education by Mathematica Policy Research The questionnaire asks about the professional development and supports you received in the 2015-2016 school year, your school’s climate and culture, and your teaching background and experience.

We want you to know that:

1. Your responses are protected from disclosure per the policies and procedures required by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183. Mathematica Policy Research will present the information collected as part of this study in an aggregate form, and will not associate responses to any of the individuals who participate. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Responses to this data collection will be used only for statistical purposes. The reports prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or individual. Any willful disclosure of such information for nonstatistical purposes, without the informed consent of the respondent, is a class E felony.

2. This survey is voluntary, but your response is critical for producing valid and reliable data. You may skip any questions you do not wish to answer; however, we hope that you answer as many questions as you can. Your answers to questions will not affect your job or any hiring decisions now or in the future and will only be shared with the Mathematica study team (they will not be shared with anyone from your school or district). Participation in the teacher survey will not impose any risks to you as a respondent. If you have any questions about your rights as a research volunteer, contact XXX at New England IRB, toll free XXX-XXX-XXXX.

.

Thank you for your help with this survey!

This evaluation is authorized by Title IX, Part F of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, section

9601 as amended by the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” (20 USC 7941) as it relates to Title II, Part

A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), section 2121-2123 as amended by No Child

Left Behind (NCLB) (20 USC 6621-6623).

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is XXXX-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 30 minutes per respondent, including the time to review instructions, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collected. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20208.

SECTION A. TEACHER INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORTS

This first section asks questions about various instructional supports and development opportunities that you received during the school year.

A1. Please indicate the frequency and usefulness of supports or development opportunities that you may have received in the following forms during the 2015-2016 school year.

In Column A: For each type of support or opportunity, mark how often each occurred during the 2015-2016 school year.

In Column B: For each type of support or opportunity, mark how useful you found the support. If you did not receive the support, mark “N/A.”

In each row, mark one box only in both a and b	A. How often did each of the following supports occur?					B. How useful were each of the following supports?
	Never	Yearly	Quarterly	Monthly	Weekly	Not Very Useful	Somewhat Useful	Moderately Useful	Very Useful	N/A
a. My principal coached or mentored me on my instructional practice	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
b. Someone other than my principal coached or mentored me on my instructional practice	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
c. I coached or mentored another teacher	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
d. Another teacher(s) and I jointly planned lessons	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
e. I observed another teacher teaching, or another teacher observed me teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
f. Someone helped me locate formal professional development opportunities or arrange an informal learning opportunity to support my goals	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
g. I had the opportunity to take a leadership role related to one of my identified areas of strength	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
h. A content specialist worked with me	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
i I participated in a network of teachers formed specifically for the professional development of teachers EXAMPLE: PLC (Professional Learning Community)	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 
j. Someone helped me locate supports to address a problem with a student in my classroom	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	1 	2 	3 	4 	n 

A2. Please indicate the frequency and usefulness of the following types of instructional supports that you may have received specifically from your principal during the 2015-2016 school year.

In Column A: For each type of instructional support, mark how often your principal provided you the support.

In Column B: For each type of instructional support, mark how useful you found the support. If you did not receive the support from your principal, mark “N/A.”

In each row, mark one box only in both a and b

A. How often did my principal…?

B. How useful were each of the following supports?

Never

Yearly

Quarterly

Monthly

Weekly

Not Very Useful

Somewhat Useful

Moderately Useful

Very Useful

N/A

Instructional evaluation & feedback

a. observe my classroom instruction

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

b. give me specific feedback on the quality of my teaching as part of a state- or district-mandated evaluation

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

c. give me specific feedback on the quality of my teaching not as part of a state- or district-mandated evaluation

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

d. work with me to develop specific instructional practice goals

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

e. examine data to determine whether my instructional practice goals were met

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

Support for data use

f. discuss grade- or school-level student achievement data, teacher effectiveness data, or classroom observation data with me (either individually or as part of a group)

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

g. made data (student achievement data, teacher effectiveness data, or classroom observation data) or reports available to me

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

h. suggest specific teaching actions to me, based on student achievement data, teacher effectiveness data, or classroom observation data

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

Other instructional support

i. review my teaching plans to ensure that they were aligned with curriculum standards

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

j. share instructional materials or curricula to support my instructional goals

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

k. help me establish classroom systems or routines to improve student engagement or support high expectations for students

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

A3. This question is about supports from someone other than your principal.

Please indicate the frequency and usefulness of the following types of instructional supports that you may have received from someone other than your principal (such as another teacher, a coach/mentor, an assistant principal, a department chair, or a district administrator) during the 2015-2016 school year.

In Column A: For each type of instructional support, mark how often someone other than your principal provided you the support.

In Column B: For each type of instructional support, mark how useful you found the support. If you did not receive the support from someone other than your principal, mark “N/A.”

In each row, mark one box only in both a and b

A. How often did someone other than my principal…?

B. How useful were each of the following supports?

Never

Yearly

Quarterly

Monthly

Weekly

Not Very Useful

Somewhat Useful

Moderately Useful

Very Useful

N/A

Instructional evaluation & feedback

a. observe my classroom instruction

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

b. give me specific feedback on the quality of my teaching as part of a state- or district-mandated evaluation

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

c. give me specific feedback on the quality of my teaching not as part of a state- or district-mandated evaluation

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

d. work with me to develop specific instructional practice goals

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

e. examine data to determine whether my instructional practice goals were met

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

Support for data use

f. discuss student grade- or school-level achievement data, teacher effectiveness data, or classroom observation data with me (either individually or as part of a group)

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

g. made data (student achievement data, teacher effectiveness data, or classroom observation data) or reports available to me

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

h. suggest specific teaching actions to me, based on student achievement data, teacher effectiveness data, or classroom observation data

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

Other instructional support

i. review my teaching plans to ensure that they were aligned with curriculum standards

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

j. share instructional materials or curricula to support instructional goals

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

k. help me establish classroom systems or routines to support high expectations

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

n 

A4. Thinking about all the instructional supports you received during the 2015-2016 school year, please indicate the extent to which those supports…

In each row, mark one box only	Not at All	To a Small Extent	To a Moderate Extent	To a Great Extent
a. were aligned with your own improvement goals	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. were aligned with school-wide goals or plans for improvement	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. were aligned with evidence from your performance evaluations, observations of your teaching, or your students’ performance data	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. deepened or built upon your identified strengths	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. helped you address weaknesses in your teaching practice	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. addressed the pressing issues in your classroom(s)	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. engaged you in setting specific goals to improve your teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
h. sent a consistent message about specific actions you could take to improve your teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
i. led you to make specific changes to your teaching practice	1 	2 	3 	4 

A5. During the 2015-2016 school year, how often did you have an interaction about your instruction with your principal?

Select one only

 Never 1 GO TO A7

 Yearly 2

 Quarterly 3

 Monthly 4

 Weekly 5

A6. How useful did you find these interactions with your principal?

Select one only

 Not Very Useful 1

 Somewhat Useful 2

 Moderately Useful 3

 Very Useful 4

A7. During the 2015-2016 school year, how often did you have an interaction about your instruction with someone other than your principal (such as another teacher, a coach or mentor, an instructional leader in your school, or your assistant principal or department chair)?

Select one only

 Never 1 GO TO A9

 Yearly 2

 Quarterly 3

 Monthly 4

 Weekly 5

A8. How useful did you find these interactions with someone other than your principal?

Select one only

 Not Very Useful 1

 Somewhat Useful 2

 Moderately Useful 3

 Very Useful 4

A9. Thinking about all the times during the 2015-2016 school year someone came to your classroom to observe your teaching, what is your best estimate of the total number of observations that took place in your classroom?

TOTAL NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS

My classroom was never observed 0 GO TO A11

A10. Thinking about all the times during the 2015-2016 school year someone came to your classroom to observe your teaching, what is your best estimate of the duration (in minutes) of each of the following?

1. A TYPICAL OBSERVATION THAT YOU EXPERIENCED

NUMBER OF MINUTES

2. THE SHORTEST OBSERVATION THAT YOU EXPERIENCED

NUMBER OF MINUTES

3. THE LONGEST OBSERVATION THAT YOU EXPERIENCED

NUMBER OF MINUTES

A11. During the 2015-2016 school year, did you receive any instructional feedback from your principal?

 Yes, I received instructional feedback from my principal 1

 No, I did not receive instructional feedback from my principal 0 GO TO B1

A12. Thinking about all the instructional feedback you received from your principal during the 2015-2016 school year, please indicate the extent to which that feedback…

In each row, mark one box only	Not at All	To a Small Extent	To a Moderate Extent	To a Great Extent
a. addressed the pressing issues in your classroom(s)	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. included questions soliciting your own reflection on teaching practices	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. involved you talking more than the evaluator	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. was depersonalized, with a focus on your performance rather than your personality or you as an individual	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. used evidence as a starting point for reflection	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. provided you with actionable steps for improvement	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. focused on improving aspects of your teaching practice that are realistic for you to change	1 	2 	3 	4 
h. identified trends in your instructional practice, based on analysis of evidence, such as changes over time or patterns across different populations of students	1 	2 	3 	4 
i. was related to feedback you received earlier in the year on the same issue or area for improvement	1 	2 	3 	4 
j. provided descriptions of specific things that your students and you did or said during a classroom observation	1 	2 	3 	4 
k. included recognition of our accomplishments or helped you identify your areas of strength	1 	2 	3 	4 
l. helped you identify your areas of instructional practice that need improvement	1 	2 	3 	4 

A13. Thinking about the instructional feedback that you received during the 2015-2016 school year from your principal versus from someone else, to what extent did feedback from these two sources send a consistent message?

Select one only

 Not at All 1

 To a Small Extent 2

 To a Moderate Extent 3

 To a Great Extent 4

 N/A (I received feedback only from my principal or someone else; not both) 0

SECTION B. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This next section includes questions on your participation in formal professional development. By this we mean coordinated groups of activities designed specifically for the purpose of teacher professional development, such as university courses, degree programs, workshops, conferences, seminars, or in-service training.

B1. What is your best estimate of the total number of hours of formal professional development or learning sessions in which you participated during the 2015-2016 school year?

TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS

 I did not participate in formal professional development this school year 0 GO TO C1

B2. Thinking about all of the formal professional development in which you participated during the 2015-2016 school year, what is your best estimate of the percentage that was personally delivered by your principal, as opposed to someone else (such as someone from your school, your district, or an external organization or individual hired to provide the professional development)?

PERCENTAGE YOUR PRINCIPAL PERSONALLY DELIVERED

B3. Thinking about all the formal professional development that you received during the 2015-2016 school year, please indicate the extent to which that professional development had the following characteristics.

The formal professional development I received…

In each row, mark one box only	Not at All	To a Small Extent	To a Moderate Extent	To a Great Extent
a. was aligned with my own improvement goals	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. was aligned with school-wide goals or plans for improvement	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. was aligned with evidence from my performance evaluations, observations of my teaching, or my students’ performance data	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. deepened or built upon my identified strengths	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. helped me address weaknesses in my teaching practices	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. addressed the pressing issues in my classroom(s)	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. engaged me in setting specific goals to improve my teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
h. sent a consistent message about specific actions I could take to improve my teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
i. led me to make specific changes to my teaching practice	1 	2 	3 	4 

SECTION C. SCHOOL CULTURE AND IMPROVEMENT

The next section includes questions about improvement plans in your school, your principal’s practices during the school year, and your school’s climate and culture.

C1. During the 2015-2016 school year, how often did your principal do each of the following?

My principal…

In each row, mark one box only	Never	Yearly	Quarterly	Monthly	Weekly
a discussed his/her goals for improving our school’s instructional quality with teachers	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
b. communicated progress toward goals for improving our school’s instructional quality to teachers	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 
c. communicated a clear vision for our school’s instructional quality through his/her regular communications	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 

C2. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about plans for improvement in your school during the 2015-2016 school year.

In each row, mark one box only	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
a. Teachers collaborated with the administration to shape plans	1 	2 	3 	4 	d 
b. Plans included indicators to measure progress toward goals	1 	2 	3 	4 	d 
c. Plans were consistent with teachers’ own goals for their individual growth	1 	2 	3 	4 	d 
d. Plans clearly outlined specific steps that teachers could take to improve their teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 	d 

C3. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about your principal during the 2015-2016 school year.

My principal…

In each row, mark one box only	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. knows what effective teaching looks like	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. made teachers feel comfortable to try new things in the classroom	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. communicated clear standards for student learning	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. was transparent about performance expectations for teachers	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. expected teachers to continually learn and grow	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. encouraged teachers to implement what they learned in professional development	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. informed teachers about resources they could use to improve their instruction	1 	2 	3 	4 
h. encouraged teachers to share ideas and work together to improve their teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
i. praised or encouraged teachers for their efforts to improve their teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
j. worked directly with teachers to help them improve their instruction	1 	2 	3 	4 
k. knew what was going on in classrooms	1 	2 	3 	4 
l. changed instructional assignments to match teachers’ expertise with student needs	1 	2 	3 	4 

C4. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about your school.

In each row, mark one box only	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. There is a great deal of cooperative effort among the staff members	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. The school administration’s behavior toward the staff is supportive and encouraging	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Teachers at my school trust each other	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. In my school, teachers are encouraged to experiment in their classrooms	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. In my school, teachers are expected to continually learn and seek out new ideas for teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. Academic achievement is recognized and acknowledged in my school	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. The level of student misbehavior in this school (such as noise, horseplay, or fighting in the halls, cafeteria, or student lounge) interferes with my teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
h. Students respect others who get good grades	1 	2 	3 	4 
i. Teachers at my school encourage students to keep trying even when the work is challenging	1 	2 	3 	4 
j. Teachers at my school set high expectations for academic work	1 	2 	3 	4 

C5. Next, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about your job satisfaction.

In each row, mark one box only	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
a. The stress and disappointments involved in teaching at this school aren’t really worth it	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. The teachers at this school like being here; I would describe us as a satisfied group	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. I like the way things are run at this school	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. If I could get a higher paying job I’d leave teaching as soon as possible	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. I think about transferring to another school	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. I don’t seem to have as much enthusiasm now as I did when I began teaching	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. I think about staying home from school because I’m just too tired to go	1 	2 	3 	4 
SECTION D. TEACHER BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

You’re almost done! In this last section, please tell us about your background and teaching experience.

D1. What is the highest degree you have earned?

Select one only

 Associate’s degree 1

 Bachelor’s degree (B.A., B.S., etc.) 2

 Master’s degree (M.A., M.A.T., M.B.A., M.Ed., M.S., etc.) 3

 Educational specialist or professional diploma (at least one year beyond master’s level) 4

 Doctorate or first professional degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., M.D., L.L.B., J.D., D.D.S.) 5

 Do not have a degree 6

D2. Which of the following describes the teaching certificate you held in June 2015 (i.e., the beginning of the summer prior to this past school year) in this state?

Select one only

 Regular or standard state certificate or advanced professional certificate 1

 Certificate issued after satisfying all requirements except the completion of a probationary period 2

 Certificate that requires some additional coursework, student teaching, or passage of a test before regular certification can be obtained 3

 Certificate issued to persons who must complete a certification program in order to continue teaching 4

 I do not have any of the above certifications in this state 5

D3. How many years have you worked as a teacher in any school (please round up to the nearest whole number and include the current school year)?

TOTAL YEARS

D4. How many years have you worked as a teacher at this school (please round up to the nearest whole number and include the current school year)?

TOTAL YEARS

D5. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin?

 Yes 1

 No 0

D6. What is your race?

Select all that apply

 American Indian or Alaska Native 1

 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 2

 Asian 3

 Black or African American 4

 White 5

D7. Are you male or female?

 Male 1

 Female 2

D8. In what year were you born?

YEAR

YYYY

In order to mail you the [check/gift card] as a thank you for participating, please provide your full name and mailing addresses. In addition, we may have questions about the responses you provided on this survey. Please enter your telephone number and email address in the spaces provided. We will only contact you if we have questions.

Full Name

_____________________________

Mailing Address

______________________________

______________________________

Telephone Number (xxx-xxx-xxxx)

______________________________

Email Address

______________________________

Thank you for completing the Teacher Survey for the Impact Evaluation of Support for Principals

Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research