Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research

OMB No. XXXXX-xxx

Expiration Date: xx/xx/20xx

IMPACT EVALUATION OF SUPPORT 

FOR PRINCIPALS

PRINCIPAL SURVEY

XXX, 2015

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. 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 principal 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.

2. The U.S. Department of Education is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who 

participate in surveys. All information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and used for 

research purposes only. Your answers will be combined with other surveys, and no information 

identifying individual teachers or their schools will be released.

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 XXXXX-XXX. 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.
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 2

SECTION A. YOUR PRINCIPAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT

This section includes questions about the professional development and supports that you received in the 

past year.

First, please tell us about the different types of professional development and supports that you received.

A1. Please estimate the total number of hours and usefulness of the following types of professional 

development and supports that you received between June 1, 2015 and today. 

In Column A: For each type, indicate the total number of hours. If you did not participate 

in this area, enter “0.”

In Column B: For each type, mark the usefulness. If you did not participate in this area, 

mark “N/A.”

 Between June 1, 2015 and today, I did not receive any the following ................. 0 GO TO A4

A. Total Hours of Support

B. Usefulness of support?

Not Very 

Useful

Somewhat 

Useful

Moderately 

Useful

Very 

Useful N/A

a. Formal degree program or university courses (online or in 

person) 1  2  3  4  n 

b. Formal group learning sessions, such as workshops, 

conferences, or seminars 1  2  3  4  n 

c. One-on-one development opportunities such as leadership 

mentoring or coaching 1  2  3  4  n 

d. Other development opportunities, such as observing 

classrooms for training purposes as a group, participating in 

professional development for teachers, or participating in a 

professional learning community

1  2  3  4  n 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 3

A2. Thinking about all the supports that you just reported receiving between June 1, 2015 and today,

please estimate the percentage of time those supports targeted each of the following content 

areas (for example, roughly 5% of time was spent on content in A, 60% on content in B, 35% on 

content in C, and 0% on other areas). 

Percentage of Target 

Support

a. Recruiting, interviewing, hiring, dismissing or promoting staff, assigning teachers to grades and students,

designing professional development activities for staff, and other content related to managing your school 

staff

b. Observing classroom instruction, providing feedback to teachers on their instructional practice, taking steps 

to align curriculum, assessments, or standards, and other content related to supporting instructional practice 

in your school

c. Planning school improvements, setting and communicating school improvement goals, communicating 

progress towards school improvement, community/parent outreach, student affairs, and other content

related to operations, finances, and administration of your school

d. Professional development or supports in any other area (specify)

TOTAL
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 4

Now that you’ve told us about the types of supports you received, please tell us about your perceptions of 

those supports.

A3. Thinking broadly about all the supports that you received between June 1, 2015 and today, 

indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements about that 

support:

The supports I received...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

a. were aligned with my own improvement goals 1  2  3  4 

b. were consistent with school-wide goals or plans for improvement 1  2  3  4 

c. were aligned with evidence from my principal evaluations or 

leadership framework 1  2  3  4 

d. sent a consistent message about specific actions I can take to 

facilitate school improvement 1  2  3  4 

e. engaged me in setting specific goals to improve my school 

leadership 1  2  3  4 

f. provided me opportunities to improve aspects of my work 1  2  3  4 

g. helped me pay closer attention to particular things I was doing in 

my work 1  2  3  4 

h. led me to try new things in my practice or work 1  2  3  4 

i. helped me think about what supports teachers need to improve 

their practice 1  2  3  4 

j. gave me specific information about steps I can take to improve 

teaching in my school 1  2  3  4 

k. taught me how to gather and analyze evidence about the 

instructional quality in my school 1  2  3  4 

l. gave me specific information about how to effectively provide 

feedback to teachers 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 5

Next, please answer the following questions about your participation in activities specifically provided by 

the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL).

A4. Between June 1, 2015 and today, did you participate in at least one formal group training

session provided by the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL)? Please do not consider 

CEL coaching sessions in this reply. We’ll ask separately about coaching below.

 Yes........................................................................................................................ 1

 No ......................................................................................................................... 0 GO TO A6

A5. Thinking back across all the CEL formal group training sessions in which you participated 

since June 1, 2015, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the 

following statements.

The formal group training sessions...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

a. were well organized 1  2  3  4 

b. were useful 1  2  3  4 

c. gave me a clear understanding of the immediate, specific actions 

I could take in response to the training 1  2  3  4 

d. suggested specific actions that I am likely to implement in my

practice 1  2  3  4 

e. helped me identify ways to measure progress toward school 

improvement goals 1  2  3  4 

f. helped me make more accurate assessments of teacher 

performance 1  2  3  4 

g. helped me better manage my time and resources 1  2  3  4 

A6. Between June 1, 2015 and today, did you participate in at least one coaching session 

provided by CEL?

 Yes........................................................................................................................ 1

 No ......................................................................................................................... 0 GO TO B1
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 6

A7. Thinking back across all the CEL coaching sessions in which you participated since June 

1, 2015, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following 

statements.

The coaching sessions...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

a. were well organized 1  2  3  4 

b. were useful 1  2  3  4 

c. gave me a clear understanding of the immediate, specific actions 

I could take in response to the coaching 1  2  3  4 

d. suggested specific actions that I am likely to implement in my

practice 1  2  3  4 

e. helped me identify ways to measure progress toward school 

improvement goals 1  2  3  4 

f. helped me make more accurate assessments of teacher 

performance 1  2  3  4 

g. helped me better manage my time and resources 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 7

SECTION B. LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

The next section includes questions about the day-to-day practices you used this school year to conduct 

your work as principal of your school.

B1. During the 2015-2016 school year, to what extent did you use teacher performance data 

(which may come from various sources, such as student assessments, teacher 

evaluations, observations of classroom teaching, teacher portfolios, or attainment of 

student learning objectives) to do the following?

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY Not at All

To a Small 

Extent

To a Moderate 

Extent

To a Great 

Extent

a. Make teacher retention or promotion decisions 1  2  3  4 

b. Assign or reassign teachers to grade-levels or 

students 1  2  3  4 

c. Determine the content of professional development 

for school staff 1  2  3  4 

d. Identify teachers suited to leadership or mentoring 

positions 1  2  3  4 

B2. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement. 

During the 2015-2016 school year, I changed instructional assignments to match teachers’ 

expertise with student needs.

 Strongly disagree.................................................................................................. 1

 Disagree ............................................................................................................... 2

 Agree .................................................................................................................... 3

 Strongly agree ...................................................................................................... 4
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 8

B3. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. 

When making decisions during the 2015-2016 school year about what formal professional 

development opportunities (such as workshops, conferences, seminars, or in-service 

training) and other instructional supports (such as coaching or mentoring, joint lesson 

planning, classroom observations, or feedback on instruction) to offer teachers in my 

school, I prioritized...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

a. aligning professional development to teachers’ own 

improvement goals 1  2  3  4 

b. aligning professional development to school-wide goals 

or plans for improvement 1  2  3  4 

c. aligning professional development with evidence from

teacher performance evaluations, observations of their 

teaching, or their students’ performance data

1  2  3  4 

d. ensuring that professional development deepens or 

builds upon teachers’ identified strengths 1  2  3  4 

e. ensuring that professional development addresses the 

pressing issues in teachers’ classrooms 1  2  3  4 

f. ensuring that professional development sessions send a 

consistent message about specific actions teachers can 

take to improve their teaching

1  2  3  4 

g. differentiating professional development to meet the 

needs of individual teachers 1  2  3  4 

h. tailoring professional development for teachers to 

develop leadership skills or leadership opportunities, 

such as leading task forces or meetings

1  2  3  4 

i. aligning professional development to student needs that 

are not currently being met by school staff 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 9

B4. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. 

During the 2015-2016 school year, I...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

a. tracked whether teachers were engaging in professional 

development 1  2  3  4 

b. encouraged teachers to implement what they learned in 

professional development 1  2  3  4 

c. engaged teachers in setting goals for their teaching 1  2  3  4 

d. delegated work in planning professional development for 

teachers to other members of my staff 1  2  3  4 

B5. During the 2015-2016 school year, did your school have a team of staff members that had 

responsibility for overseeing, managing, or coordinating instruction in the school?

 Yes........................................................................................................................ 1

 No ......................................................................................................................... 0 GO TO B9

B6. During the 2015-2016 school year, how often did you interact with members of this team 

about instruction in the school?

 Never .................................................................................................................... 0

 Yearly.................................................................................................................... 1

 Quarterly............................................................................................................... 2

 Monthly ................................................................................................................. 3

 Weekly.................................................................................................................. 4

B7. During the 2015-2016 school year, please indicate the extent to which you agree or 

disagree with the following statements about this team.

The members of the team...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly 

Agree

a. openly express their professional views during meetings 1  2  3  4 

b. are willing to question one another’s views 1  2  3  4 

c. work together closely to lead this school 1  2  3  4 

d. equally share power to make decisions 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 10

B8. During the 2015-2016 school year, please indicate the extent to which you agree or 

disagree with the following statements about your school’s leadership team. 

I delegated responsibility to my school leadership team to...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly 

Agree

a. coach teachers on their instruction 1  2  3  4 

b. conduct observations of classroom teaching 1  2  3  4 

c. conduct walkthroughs in the school 1  2  3  4 

d. provide other instructional supports to teachers 1  2  3  4 

B9. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly 

Agree

a. I know what effective teaching looks like 1  2  3  4 

b. I know what teaching practices to look for when I’m 

conducting classroom observations 1  2  3  4 

c. I feel comfortable having difficult conversations with teachers 

in my school 1  2  3  4 

d. I feel comfortable suggesting specific teaching actions to 

teachers, based on student achievement data, teacher 

effectiveness data, or classroom observation data

1  2  3  4 

e. I feel competent helping teachers identify their areas of 

instructional practice that need improvement 1  2  3  4 

f. I feel competent helping teachers recognize their 

accomplishments or identify their areas of strength 1  2  3  4 

g. I know how to ask teachers questions soliciting their own 

reflection on teaching practices 1  2  3  4 

h. I know how to give teachers feedback on their instruction that 

provides them with actionable steps for improvement 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 11

B10. Thinking about all the times during the 2015-2016 school year that you went to a typical 

teacher’s classroom to observe their teaching, what is your best estimate of the total

number of observations that you conducted in a typical teacher’s classroom?

TOTAL NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS

 No observations made ........................................................................................ 0 GO TO B12

B11. Thinking about all the times during the 2015-2016 school year that you visited a typical

teacher’s classroom to observe their teaching, what is your best estimate of the duration 

(in minutes) of each of the following?

a. A TYPICAL OBSERVATION THAT YOU CONDUCTED

NUMBER OF MINUTES

b. THE SHORTEST OBSERVATION THAT YOU CONDUCTED

NUMBER OF MINUTES

c. THE LONGEST OBSERVATION THAT YOU CONDUCTED

NUMBER OF MINUTES

B12. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements 

about classroom observations of teacher instruction in your school.

During the 2015-2016 school year, you or anyone else who conducted classroom 

observations...

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly 

Agree

a. recorded their observations in standardized protocols or forms 1  2  3  4 

b. relied on a conceptual framework to guide their observations of specific 

practices 1  2  3  4 

c. focused their observations on specific areas or issues unique to the 

teacher’s needs 1  2  3  4 

d. focused on recording objective descriptive evidence of what was 

happening in the classroom (e.g., “multiple students raised hands to 

respond to questions, students asked many questions, students spoke 

energetically with each other while solving the problem”) rather than 

evaluative evidence (e.g., “students were engaged”)

1  2  3  4 

e. recorded descriptions of specific things that the teacher and students did 

or said during a classroom observation 1  2  3  4 

f. analyzed data collected during classroom observations to identify trends in 

instructional practice, such as changes over time or patterns across grade 

levels, disciplines, or different populations of students

1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 12

B13. 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

a. The administration collaborated with teachers collaboratively to shape the 

plans in my school 1  2  3  4 

b. Plans detailed the measures that would be tracked to measure progress 

toward goals 1  2  3  4 

c. Plans were aligned with evidence from teacher performance evaluations,

observations of classroom teaching, or student performance data 1  2  3  4 

d. Plans were consistent with teachers’ goals for individual growth 1  2  3  4 

e. Plans clearly outlined steps that teachers should take to improve their 

teaching 1  2  3  4 

B14. During the 2015-2016 school year, how often did you do the following?

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY Never Yearly Quarterly Monthly Weekly

a. Communicate my goals for improving instructional 

quality in our school to teachers or other school staff 0  1  2  3  4 

b. Update staff on progress toward the school vision or 

goals for improvement 0  1  2  3  4 

c. Incorporate a clear vision for our school into my regular 

communications 0  1  2  3  4 

d. Delegate these actions surrounding school culture and 

vision to another member of my staff 0  1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 13

SECTION C. DISTRICT & SCHOOL CONTEXT

Next, please answer the following questions about the district and school contexts in which you operated 

this year.

C1. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements 

about your school district. 

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree

Strongly 

Agree Don’t Know

a. The school district’s curriculum frameworks are specific and clear 1  2  3  4  n 

b. The school district’s assessment program provides specific and clear 

information about what students should know and be able to do 1  2  3  4  n 

c. The school district’s instructional policies give teachers clear 

information about what and how to teach 1  2  3  4  n 

d. District standards for student learning drive much of our improvement 

agenda in this school 1  2  3  4  n 

e. The school district is an important source of funding for our school 

improvement agenda 1  2  3  4  n 

f. The school district provides flexibility in how resources are allocated 

at this school (e.g., time, materials, personnel) 1  2  3  4  n 

g. The school district’s staff provides important information and 

expertise that support our school improvement efforts 1  2  3  4  n 

h. There is a great deal of turnover in the central office in the district 1  2  3  4  n 

i. There is a strong consensus among district leaders about priorities 

for school improvement 1  2  3  4  n 

j. Central office policies and procedures change frequently in this 

district 1  2  3  4  n 

k. The school district’s improvement agenda makes it difficult for us to 

create a school improvement plan tailored to the specific needs of 

this school

1  2  3  4  n 

l. The district’s personnel policies and practices make it difficult to hire 

staff with the expertise and interest we need for school improvement 1  2  3  4  n 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 14

C2. During the 2015-2016 school year, to what extent did you feel you had autonomy when you 

were making decisions about or taking actions in the following areas?

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY Not at All

To a Small 

Extent

To a Moderate 

Extent

To a Great 

Extent

a. Recruiting, interviewing, hiring, dismissing, or promoting 

staff, assigning teachers to grades and students, planning 

professional development activities for staff, and other 

activities related to managing your school staff

1  2  3  4 

b. Observing classroom instruction, providing feedback to 

teachers on their instructional practice, taking steps to 

align curriculum, assessments, or standards, and other 

activities related to supporting instruction in your school

1  2  3  4 

c. Planning school improvements, setting and 

communicating school improvement goals, 

communicating progress towards school improvement, 

community/parent outreach, student affairs, and other

activities related to operations, finances, and administration of 

your school

1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 15

C3. During the 2015-2016 school year, to what extent was each of the following a “roadblock” 

that prevented your school from improving?

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY Not at All

To a Small 

Extent

To a Moderate 

Extent

To a Great 

Extent

a. Lack of support from external organizations (e.g., universities, 

businesses, reform groups, educational consultants, etc.) 1  2  3  4 

b. Pressure to constantly adopt new programs 1  2  3  4 

c. Pressure to get test scores up quickly 1  2  3  4 

d. Pressure to obtain external funds 1  2  3  4 

e. Disagreements or lack of coordination among school partners 1  2  3  4 

f. Lack of teacher knowledge and skills 1  2  3  4 

g. Faculty apathy and resistance to change 1  2  3  4 

h. Teacher turnover 1  2  3  4 

i. Difficulty recruiting and hiring the right teachers 1  2  3  4 

j. Difficulty removing poor teachers 1  2  3  4 

k. Lack of time to evaluate teachers 1  2  3  4 

l. State or federal mandates (NCLB, desegregation, special education, 

bilingual education, etc.) 1  2  3  4 

m. Mistrust between teachers and parents 1  2  3  4 

n. Parents apathetic or irresponsible about their children 1  2  3  4 

o. Problem students (apathetic, hostile, etc.) 1  2  3  4 

p. Lack of support from the school’s community 1  2  3  4 

q. Social problems in the school’s community (poverty, gangs, drugs, etc.) 1  2  3  4 

r. Racial or ethnic tensions in the school’s community 1  2  3  4 

s. Negative stereotypes about this school’s community 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 16

C4. During the 2015-2016 school year, to what extent was each of the following a problem in 

your school?

IN EACH ROW, MARK ONE BOX ONLY Not at All

To a Small 

Extent

To a Moderate 

Extent

To a Great 

Extent

a. Student absenteeism 1  2  3  4 

b. Widespread disorder in classrooms 1  2  3  4 

c. Robbery, theft, or vandalism at school 1  2  3  4 

d. Students’ use of alcohol or illegal drugs 1  2  3  4 

e. Student racial tensions 1  2  3  4 

f. Bullying or harassment among students 1  2  3  4 

g. Physical conflicts among students 1  2  3  4 

h. Student acts of disrespect for teachers 1  2  3  4 

i. Conflicts between students and teachers or verbal abuse of teachers 1  2  3  4 
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 17

SECTION D. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS

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

educator. 

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. How many years have you served in any administrative position in this school? (Please 

round up to the nearest whole number and include the current school year.)

YEARS IN THIS SCHOOL

D3. How many years have you served in any administrative position in any school? (Please 

round up to the nearest whole number and include the current school year.)

YEARS IN ANY SCHOOL

D4. How many years have you served as principal in this school? (Please round up to the 

nearest whole number and include the current school year.)

YEARS IN THIS SCHOOL

D5. How many years have you served as principal in any school? (Please round up to the 

nearest whole number and include the current school year.)

YEARS IN ANY SCHOOL

D6. How many years of classroom teaching experience do you have in any school? (Please 

round up to the nearest whole number and include the current school year.)

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN ANY SCHOOL
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research 18

D9. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin?

 Yes........................................................................................................................ 1

 No ......................................................................................................................... 0

D10. 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

D11. Are you male or female?

 Male ...................................................................................................................... 1

 Female.................................................................................................................. 2

D12. In what year were you born?

YEAR

YYYY

19