# Teacher and Leader Evaluation Systems Study:

**Spring 2013 Teacher Survey**

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### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

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### Dear Teacher: The Teacher and Leader Evaluation Systems Study is a groundbreaking national study designed to test innovative teacher feedback syste ms, a principal feedback system , and a student growth feedback system . Yo ur participation is important and appreciated, but you do have the right to skip any question that yo u do not wish to answer. Below are answers to some general questions concerning your participation. 

### What is the purpose of this survey**?** The purpose of this survey is to obtain background information on the teachers within the study as well as information about their experiences with receiving feedback from observations and student achievement results, their experiences providing feedback to their principal, their professional development and professional growth areas, futu re career plans, data use, collaboration, and attitudes and beliefs related to teaching. 

### Who is conducting this survey**?** The Teacher and Leader Evaluation System study was commissioned by the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences and th e study survey is administered by American Institutes for Research. 

### Why **should y ou participate in this survey** **?** Policyma kers and educational leaders rely on findings from studies like the Teacher and Leader Evaluation System study to inform their decisions. The current study will fill a critical gap in the research on the effects of evaluation systems. 

### Will y**our responses be kept confidential?** Your responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (P.L. 107 -279, Title I, Part E, Sec.183). All respo nses that relate to or describe identifiable characteristics of individuals may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purposes, unless otherwise compelled by law. 

### How**w ill y** **our informati on be reported?**  The information you provide will be combined with the information provided by others in statistical reports. No individual data that link your name or email address with yo ur responses will be included in the statistical reports.



### Thank y**o u for**  **your cooperation in this very important effort!**

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

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## Certification 1. Wh ich of the following describes the teaching certificate you currently hold in this state? Mark (X) in only one box. 

##  Regular or standard state certificate or advanced professional certificate 

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

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

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

##  I do not have any of the above certifications in THIS state (If you marked this option , skip to Question 3.) 

### 2. Wh ich of the following grade ranges does this cert ificate apply to? Check all that apply. 

##  Early childhood, preschool, and any of grades K –5 

##  An y of grades 6–8 

##  An y of grades 9– 12 

## Education and Preservice Training 3. Have you earned any of the following degrees, diplomas , or certificates? Please check Yes or No in each row. **Degree Earned**  a. Bachelor’s degree 

##  Yes 

##  No b. Master’s degree 

##  Yes 

##  No c. Educational specialist, professional diploma, or certificate of advanced graduate studies (at least one year beyond master’s level) 

##  Yes 

##  No d. Doctorate or professional degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., M.D, L.L.B, J.D, D.D.S . ) 

##  Yes 

##  No

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## Experience 4. Including the current year, how many years of teaching experience do you have in each of the following settings? Include the current year. Record whole years, not fractions or months. a. Teaching in total Years
b. Teaching in your current district Years

c. Teaching in your current school Years 

## Current T**eaching Position** 5. In which grades are ALL of the students yo u have taught during the 2012 -2013 school year? Check all that apply. 

###  Prekindergarten 

###  3 rd 

###  7th 

###  Kindergarten 

###  4th 

###  8th 

###  1st 

###  5th 

###  9th 

###  2nd 

###  6th 

###  Ungraded 6. This school year, what subjects have you taught? Check all that apply. 

##  Early childhood or pre- K, general 

##  Elem entary grades, general 

##  English and Language Arts 

##  Mathematics 

##  Science (e.g., biology, chemistry, earth sciences) 

##  Social Studies (e.g., history, government) 

##  Special Education 

##  Other (please specify):____________________________________________

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## Observations and F**eedback** 7. During the 2012 - 13 school year, has anyone conducted classroom observations of your teaching? 

##  Yes → Go to question 8 

##  No → Go to question 17 

### 8. During the 2012 - 13 school year, for how many of the classroom observations did you receive som e form of feedback? Please consider “feedback” to include oral feedback, written feedback, or a rating of any kind. 

##  I received feedback on ALL of m y classroom observations → Go to question 9 

##  I received feedback on SOME of m y classroom observations → Go to question 9 

##  I did not receive feedback on any classroom observation → Go to question 17 

### 9. Wh o conducted the observations of your teaching for which you later received feedback? Check all that apply. 

##  Principal 

##  Assistant or v ice principal 

##  Coach or mentor 

##  Other teacher(s) in your school 

##  Non -coach/- me ntor o bserver(s) not based at m y school

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

6 10. Please fill in the following information about each observation of your teaching so far during the 2012– 13 school year for which you later received some form of feedback. **A. Approximate**  **date of observation**  **B. Approximately** 

**how many minutes did the observation**  **last? C.**  **Based on the observation of your teaching,**

**which of the following forms of feedback did you**  **receive:** Please check all that apply. Please select “Rating” if the feedback you received was in the form of a rating, such as “satisfactory”, or a rating on a numeric scale (e.g., 1 -4). If “other,” please specify. **D. If you received oral**  **feedback, a** **pproximately how**  **many minutes did it last?** 

1 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________ 2 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________ 3 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________ 4 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________ 5 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________ 6 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________ 7 O Fall 2012

____________ minutes O Oral feedback (if checked, please answer D)

____________ minutes O Winter 2012- 13 O Written narrative O Spring 2013 O Rating(s) O Other: ___________________

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

7 11. For the observations for which you have received feedback during the 2012 - 13 school year, please indicate your level of agreement with the following statement. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly**
a. I had a clear sense of what kinds of things the observers were looking for when they observed m y teaching. 1 2 3 4 [NOTE: Depending on how respondents complete item 9, a conditional logic will be applied for item s 12a through 12d .That is, if respondents select either “Principal” or “Assistant or vice principal” to item 9 they will receive item 12a; if respondents select “Coach or mentor” they will receive item 12b; if respondents select “Other teacher(s) in your school” they will receive item 12c; if respondents select “ Non -coach/- me ntor o bserver(s) not based at m y school” they will receive i tem 12d .] 

### 12. For the observations for which you have received feedback during the 2012 - 13 school year, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly**
a. The administrative staff at my school who observed m y teaching were well qualified to evaluate it. 1 2 3 4 b. The coach or mentor who observed m y teaching was well qualified to evaluate it. 1 2 3 4
c. The other teacher(s) at m y school who observed m y teaching were well qualified to evaluate it. 1 2 3 4 d . The non -coach/- me ntor observer(s) not based at m y school who observed m y teaching were well qualified to evaluate it. 1 2 3 4


### 13. During the 2012– 13 school year, was an evaluation rubric or protocol referenced in any of the feedback? 

##  Yes 

##  No

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

8 14. Thinking back on all of the observations for which you received feedback during the 2012 - 2013 school year, typically, h ow soon after the observation did you receive the feedback? 

##  Sam e day of the observation 

##  Within a week after the observation 

##  Between one and two weeks after the observation 

##  More than two weeks after the observation 

### 15. Thinking back on all of the feedback yo u received during the 2012 -2013 school year based on a classroom observation, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. I received feedback that is a fair assessment of m y performance. 1 2 3 4 b . I received feedback that was easy to understand. 1 2 3 4

c . I received feedback that provided specific ideas about how I could improve m y performance. 1 2 3 4 d. The feedback made me more reflective about my teaching. 1 2 3 4
e. In the long run, students will benefit from the feedback I received . 1 2 3 4

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

9 [NOTE: A conditional logic will be applied for item 1 6 .That is, if respondents indicated within 10c that they had received a rating then they will receive item 16. ] 

### 16. For the ma

jority of ratings that you have received as part of the feedback from classroom observations during the 2012 - 13 school year, please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. **Don’t Know**  **Disagree**

**Strongly Disagree** 

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly**
a. The rating s ystem does a good job distinguishing effective from ineffective teaching. 0 1 2 3 4
b. The rating s ystem is fair to all teachers, regardless of their personal characteristics or those of the students they teach. 0 1 2 3 4

c. The rating s ystem ignores im portant aspects of m y teaching. 0 1 2 3 4 d. I have a clear idea of what the rating system views as “good instruction.” N/A 1 2 3 4

e. The way m y teaching is being rated accurately reflects the quality of my

teaching. N/A 1 2 3 4

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## Student A**chievement Information**  For items 17, 18, and 19, “student achievement information” refers to **information based on standardized test results**  **for the students you taught during the 2011**  **- 12 school year**  . 

### 17. Wh ich of the following types of **student achievement information** did you receive?

Please check all that apply. 

##  I did not receive any student achievement information based on standardized test results (if selected, please go to 20) 

##  Data on individual students that I taught (e.g., individual student scale scores, proficiency levels, or percentile rank) 

##  Average data for classes of students that I taught (e.g., average scale score for the class, percent proficient for the class, average percentile rank fo r the class) 

##  Value -added scores for me based upon the students that I taught (i.e., scores that represent the contribution that I made to m y students’ achievement growth on standardized tests) 

##  Other (please specify):______________________________________

____ 

### 18. Please indicate your level of agree m ent with each of the following statements about the **student achievement information**  yo u received this year . **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. The information is eas y to understand. 1 2 3 4 b. The information is a good measure of how well students learned what I taught last year. 1 2 3 4
c. The information is a fair assessment of m y performance . 1 2 3 4 d. The information accurately reflects the quality of m y teaching. 1 2 3 4
e. The information ignores important aspects of my performance as a teacher. 1 2 3 4

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

11 19. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements about the fairness of interpreting the **student achievement information**  yo u received as an indicator of a teacher’s level of effectiveness. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly**
a. The information **as an indicator of teacher effectiveness**  is fair to all teachers, regardless of the personal characteristics of the students they teach. 1 2 3 4

b. The information **as an indicator of teacher effectiveness**  is fair to all teachers, regardless of the prior achievement of the students they teach. 1 2 3 4 

## At**titudes and Beliefs** 20. Please indicate the extent to which yo u think each of the following has the potential to influence yo ur teaching practice . **Not at A ll**  **To a Mi**  **nimal Extent**  **To a**

**Moderate Extent**  **To a Great**

**Extent** a. Feedback on your teaching based on classroom observations 1 2 3 4 b. Information on student growth based on student test scores 1 2 3 4 

### 21. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. Teachers at this school are recognized for exemplary classroom practices. 1 2 3 4 b. Teachers at this school are recognized for exemplary student achievement gains. 1 2 3 4 c. I am willing to try new teaching strategies to overcome challenges in the classroom. 1 2 3 4 d. There are teaching strategies available that are more effective than m y current practices. 1 2 3 4

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

12 22. How important is each of the following to you personally? **Not at A ll**  **Important Somewhat** 

**Important Moderately** 

**Important Very** 

**Important** a. Recognition or praise for effective classroom practices 1 2 3 4 b. Recognition or praise for gains in student achievement 1 2 3 4 c. Getting opportunities to participate in conferences related to teaching 1 2 3 4 d. Ta king on leadership roles within your school 1 2 3 4 

### 23. How would you rate yourself as a teacher relative to other teachers in your district , in terms of im proving student achievement? Please select one option for each row. Please select “NA” for “Math Instruction” if you do not teach mathematics. Please select “NA” for “ Reading/

ELA Instruction” if you do not teach Reading or English language arts. **N/A Very Poor** 

**(Bottom 5%)**  **Poor**

**(6 –** **25th Percentile)**  **Fair**

**(26 –** **50th Percentile)**  **Good**

**(51 –** **75th Percentile)**  **Very Good**

**(76 –** **95th Percentile)**  **Exceptional**

**(Top 5%)** Math Instruction 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reading/ ELA Instruction 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

13 24. To what extent would you like to improve on the following:

**No improvement**  **needed I**  **mprove a**

**little Improve**  **a**

**moderate amount**  **I mprove a** 

**large amount**  **During the 2012 –**  **13**

**school year, d id**  **you discuss the**  **topic with someone**  **who provided feedback on**  **your teaching**  **?** a. Content knowledge (e.g., how to mu ltiply fractions) 

##      Yes 

##  No b. Content-specific teaching techniques (e.g., how to teach ratios) 

##      Yes 

##  No c. Classroom organization (e.g., routines for material distribution) 

##      Yes 

##  No d. Instructional dialogue (e.g., how to elicit students’ thinking) 

##      Yes 

##  No f. Student engagement (e.g., how to increase classroom participation) 

##      Yes 

##  No g. Em otional support for students (e.g., how to demonstrate sensitivity to student concerns) 

##      Yes 

##  No h. Data use (e.g., how to use student data to differentiate instruction) 

##      Yes 

##  No i. Lesson planning (e.g., how to align lesson plans to curriculum standards) 

##      Yes 

##  No j. Other (please specify): 

##      Yes 

##  No 

## Lesson Planning 25. During the 2012– 13 school year, approximately how many hours during a typical week have yo u spen t planning lessons ? Please include time spent during school hours and outside of school hours. a. Individually Hours per week
b. In meetings with other teachers Hours per week

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## Professional Grow**th of Others** 26. In the past month , approximately how many hours have you spent coaching or mentoring other teachers? Please include time spent during school hours and outside of school hours. a. Acting as a formal coach or mentor in m y school
b. Informally coaching or mentoring teachers in m y school 

## Professional Development 27. During the 2012– 13 school year, have yo u participate d in professional development activities related to improving your teaching? Please DO NOT include activities in the summer of 2012. 

##  Yes (If yes, please go to question 27 ) 

##  No (If No, please go to question 30 )

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

15 28. During the 2012– 13 school year, what was the total number of hours you have spent on each of the following professional development activities? For each activity, write the total number of HOURS you spent. Round up to the nearest whole hour. Mark “0” if you participated in none. Please do NOT count the same hours in more than one row. a. Attending professional development session(s) related to teaching. Hours
b. Receiving coaching or mentoring related to teaching. Hours

c. Ta king course(s) related to teaching, such as a college course, that extended over several weeks. Hours
d. Self-directed efforts related to teaching, such as searching for materials and lessons online. Hours

e. Observing other teachers providing instruction . Hours
f. Other (e.g., participating in networks or collaborations supporting professional development related to teaching, participating in committees or task forces related to teaching). Hours

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

16 29. To what extent have the following topics been covered in your professional development activities during the 2012– 13 school year? **Professional Development Topics Not**  **Cover ed**  **at Al**  **l Covered to** 

**a Small Extent**  **Covered to**

**a Moderate Extent**  **Covered to**

**a Large Extent**  a. Content knowledge (e.g., how to multiply fractions) 1 2 3 4 b. Content-specific teaching techniques (e.g., how to teach ratios) 1 2 3 4 c. Classroom organization (e.g., routines for material distribution) 1 2 3 4 d. Instructional dialogue (e.g., how to elicit students’ thinking) 1 2 3 4 f. Student engagement (e.g., how to increase classroom participation) 1 2 3 4 g. Em otional support for students (e.g., how to dem onstrate sensitivity to student concerns) 1 2 3 4 h. Data use (e.g., how to use student data to differentiate instruction) 1 2 3 4 i. Lesson planning (e.g., how to align lesson plans to curriculum standards) 1 2 3 4 j. Other (please specify): 1 2 3 4



### 30. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. **Overall, my professional development experiences this year have:**  **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. Been closely aligned with areas in which I need to im prove my teaching . 1 2 3 4 b . Been focused on practices that I am expected to demonstrate in m y classroom. 1 2 3 4
c . Addressed the needs of the students in m y classroom. 1 2 3 4 d. Supported the improvement of m y teaching. 1 2 3 4

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

17 31. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements . **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. I am satisfied with the selection of professional development activities that have been offered this year. 1 2 3 4 b. I am satisfied with the professional development activities in which I have participated this year. 1 2 3 4 

## Data Use 32. This year, to what extent have you used student data from state, local, and/or other standardized assessments for each of the following p urposes? **Did Not Use Data**  **for This at A** **ll Used** 

**Data to a Small**  **Extent Used** 

**Data to a Moderate**  **Extent Used** 

**Data to a Large**  **Extent** a. Tailoring instruction to individual student’s needs 1 2 3 4 b. Developing recommendations for tutoring or other educational support services for particular students 1 2 3 4
c. Assigning or reassigning students to groups within my class(es) 1 2 3 4 d. Identifying topics requiring more (or less) emphasis in instruction 1 2 3 4
e. Identifying areas where I need to strengthen m y content knowledge or teaching skills 1 2 3 4 f. Reflecting on and discussing teaching and learning with other teachers 1 2 3 4

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

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## Collaboration/Collegiality 33. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. Teachers at my

school collaborate well with one another. 1 2 3 4 b. There is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in m y school. 1 2 3 4 c. Teachers at my

school support each other in their efforts to improve teaching. 1 2 3 4 d. I feel accepted and respected as a colleague by staff members at m y school. 1 2 3 4 e. There is someone at m y school whom I can turn to if I need help with improving my teaching. 1 2 3 4 f. Teachers in this school regularly discuss ways to im prove teaching and learning. 1 2 3 4 g. Teachers in this school share and discuss student work with other teachers. 1 2 3 4


## Career decisions 34. Please indicate if you did any of the following during the 2012– 13 school year: Please mark all that apply. 

##  Requested a change in m y assignment within this school 

##  Requested a transfer to another school in this district 

##  Applied for a teaching job in another district 

##  Applied for a nonteaching job in this or another district 

##  Applied for a job outside teaching 

##  None of the above

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

19 35. If y ou could go back to y

our college day

s and start over again, would y ou become a teacher or not? Mark (X) in only one box. 

##  Certainly would become a teacher 

##  Probably would become a teacher 

##  Chances about even for and against 

##  Probably would not become a teacher 

##  Certainly would not become a teacher 

### 36. How long do you plan to remain in teaching? Mark (X) in only one box. 

##  As long as I am able 

##  Until I am eligible for retirement benefits from this job 

##  Until I am eligible for retirements benefits from a previous job 

##  Until I am eligible for Social Security benefits 

##  Until a specific life event occurs (e.g., parenthood, marriage) 

##  Until a more desirable job opportunity comes along 

##  Definitely plan to leave as soon as I can 

##  Undecided at this time 

## Feedback on Principal Performance 37. During the 2012– 13 school year, did you provide input on the performance of your school’s principal? 

##  Yes (If yes, please go to question 36 ) 

##  No (If no, please go to question 39 ) 

### 38. During the 2012– 13 school year, did you provide input on the performance of your principal through a survey/questionnaire? 

##  Yes (If yes, please go to question 37 ) 

##  No (If no, please go to question 38 )

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

20 39. Did yo u feel that the information you provided in the survey/questi onnaire was anonymo us? 

##  Yes 

##  No 

### 40. Please indicate whether you provided input on your principal’s performance in the following areas: Please mark all that apply. 

### The principal’s role in... 

##  Setting the learning goals set for students 

##  Making curriculum or instructional decisions 

##  Identifying professional development opportunities 

##  Student behavior management 

##  Adm inistrative management 

##  Other (please specify)____________________________________ 

## Principal Leadership 41. Over the course of the 2012 - 13 school year, how much time has yo ur principal spen t in your classroom observing yo ur instruction ?

Hours, and Minutes

### Teacher Survey Spring 2013

21 42. Please mark the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following state me nts . **The principal at my school...**  **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. Makes clear to the staff his or her instructional expectations 1 2 3 4 b. Communicates a clear vision for our school 1 2 3 4 c. Sets high standards for teaching 1 2 3 4 d. Understands how children learn 1 2 3 4 e. Sets high standards for student learning 1 2 3 4 f. Encourages teachers to implement what they have learned from their professional development 1 2 3 4 g. Actively tracks student academic progress 1 2 3 4 h. Actively monitors the quality of teaching in this school 1 2 3 4 i. Ensures a safe environment for students and staff members 1 2 3 4 

### 43. Please mark the extent to which you agree or disagree with each of the following statements. **Disagree Strongly**  **Disagree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Somewhat Ag**  **ree**

**Strongly** a. It's OK in this school to discuss worries and frustrations with the principal 1 2 3 4 b. The principal takes a personal interest in the professional development of teachers 1 2 3 4
c. The principal is aware of areas in which I would like to improve 1 2 3 4 d. The principal is responsive to teachers’ input. 1 2 3 4 e. The principal places the needs of children ahead of personal and political interests 1 2 3 4



## You are done w **ith the surve y.** **Thank yo**  **u.**