Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Fayette County TELL Survey Results Up

This from the Herald-Leader:
What do teachers think of the schools where they work?

Parents and anyone else in Kentucky who is interested can now find out online.

Certified staff in public schools throughout the state completed an anonymous survey about teaching conditions this spring. The results of the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning survey, or TELL, are available at Tellkentucky.org.

Teachers were asked about a variety of topics, such as whether class sizes were reasonable, whether the school was a safe place to work, whether they felt comfortable raising concerns with leadership and what kinds of professional development would be helpful.

Results are available for 1,296 Kentucky schools — those that had at least a 50 percent response rate and at least five responses. All public schools in Fayette County met that threshold and have results posted.

Fayette County Superintendent Tom Shelton said the results were important for improving schools.
"Happy teachers make happy kids," he said. "The more satisfied a teacher is with their working conditions, the more effective they will be."

Shelton said the survey indicated the primary challenges for Fayette schools were "cultural — how people relate to each other, how empowered they feel to make decisions."

Among the findings for Fayette County:
■ 55 percent of teachers said class sizes were "reasonable such that teachers have the time available to meet the needs of all students," but 45 percent disagreed.
■ 59 percent said "efforts were made to minimize the amount of routine paperwork," but 41 percent disagreed.
■ 64 percent agreed that "teachers have an appropriate level of influence on decision-making" at their school; 36 percent disagreed.
■ 66 percent said there was an "atmosphere of trust and mutual respect" in their school, while 34 percent disagreed.
Because results of the survey vary from school to school, board of education member Doug Barnett said changes are "going to have to come from the leadership level at the school and the site-based council."

He said the district's role was to provide resources and support to help schools make changes to improve the teaching environment, based on each school's needs.

This is the second time the TELL survey has been conducted.

Fayette County had about 68 percent participation when the survey was offered in 2011, but after a push to get more staff to take it, 98 percent participated this spring.

While this survey was only for certified staff members, Shelton said the district was working on a survey that would gather information about how classified staff perceive the culture and climate of Fayette County schools.

"We need to make sure that all employees feel valued in the process," he said.


Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/07/23/2727687/results-of-kentucky-schools-survey.html#storylink=cpy
Fayette County Results Indicate 
Higher response rate, Greater approval












                                                                                                                                          % Agree
                                                                                                                                     

TELL FCPS 2013


TELL FCPS 2011




Time
Q2.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about the use of time in your school.





a. Class sizes are reasonable such that teachers have the time available to meet the needs of all students.
55.0%

50.1%


b. Teachers have time available to collaborate with colleagues.
69.7%

64.8%


c. Teachers are allowed to focus on educating students with minimal interruptions
64.1%

53.0%


d. The non-instructional time provided for teachers in my school is sufficient.
63.4%

52.9%


e. Efforts are made to minimize the amount of routine paperwork teachers are required to do.
58.6%

43.9%


f. Teachers have sufficient instructional time to meet the needs of all students.
60.4%

52.1%


g. Teachers are protected from duties that interfere with their essential role of educating students.
69.3%

58.9%


Facilities and Resources
Q3.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about your school facilities and resources.





a. Teachers have sufficient access to instructional technology, including computers, printers, software and internet access.
80.3%

77.0%


b. Teachers have access to reliable communication technology, including phones, faxes and email.
94.9%

94.1%


c. Teachers have sufficient access to office equipment and supplies such as copy machines, paper, pens, etc.
82.5%

80.1%


d. Teachers have sufficient access to a broad range of professional support personnel.
83.5%

81.6%


e. The school environment is clean and well maintained.
84.9%

83.4%


f. Teachers have adequate space to work productively.
82.3%

77.7%


g. The physical environment of classrooms in this school supports teaching and learning.
86.4%

84.9%


h. The reliability and speed of Internet connections in this school are sufficient to support instructional practices.
74.1%

80.2%


Community Support and Involvement
Q4.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about community support and involvement in your school.





a. Parents/guardians are influential decision makers in this school.
69.6%

67.4%


b. This school maintains clear, two-way communication with the community.
85.6%

83.2%


c. This school does a good job of encouraging parent/guardian involvement.
87.8%

85.9%


d. Teachers provide parents/guardians with useful information about student learning.
93.9%

94.2%


e. Parents/guardians know what is going on in this school.
81.9%

79.0%


f. Parents/guardians support teachers, contributing to their success with students.
70.4%

65.4%


g. Community members support teachers, contributing to their success with students.
78.1%

73.3%


h. The community we serve is supportive of this school.
81.2%

76.6%


Managing Student Conduct
Q5.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about managing student conduct in your school.





a. Students at this school understand expectations for their conduct.
84.6%

78.9%


b. Students at this school follow rules of conduct.
66.2%

60.2%


c. Policies and procedures about student conduct are clearly understood by the faculty.
78.7%

77.5%


d. School administrators consistently enforces rules for student conduct.
65.6%

61.3%


e. School administrators support teachers' efforts to maintain discipline in the classroom.
76.5%

71.2%


f. Teachers consistently enforce rules for student conduct.
74.2%

72.3%


g. The faculty work in a school environment that is safe.
88.5%

85.6%


Teacher Leadership
Q6.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about teacher leadership in your school.





a. Teachers are recognized as educational experts.
81.5%

76.4%


b. Teachers are trusted to make sound professional decisions about instruction.
80.8%

73.9%


c. Teachers are relied upon to make decisions about educational issues.
80.0%

73.8%


d. Teachers are encouraged to participate in school leadership roles.
86.1%

83.8%


e. The faculty has an effective process for making group decisions to solve problems.
70.5%

63.6%


f. In this school we take steps to solve problems.
78.2%

74.3%


g. Teachers are effective leaders in this school.
82.4%

78.7%

Q6.2
Please indicate the role teachers have at your school in each of the following areas.





a. Selecting instructional materials and resources
80.1%

N/A


b. Devising teaching techniques
86.5%

N/A


c. Setting grading and student assessment practices
79.4%

N/A


d. Determining the content of in-service professional development programs
56.4%

N/A


e. Establishing student discipline procedures
62.0%

N/A


f. Providing input on how the school budget will be spent
43.9%

N/A


g. The selection of teachers new to this school
43.2%

N/A


h. School improvement planning
65.3%

N/A


School Leadership
Q7.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about school leadership in your school.





a. The faculty and leadership have a shared vision.
76.0%

72.9%


b. There is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in this school.
66.4%

60.9%


c. Teachers feel comfortable raising issues and concerns that are important to them.
64.9%

57.4%


d. The school leadership consistently supports teachers.
72.0%

63.7%


e. Teachers are held to high professional standards for delivering instruction.
91.3%

91.5%


f. The school leadership facilitates using data to improve student learning.
91.3%

92.9%


g. Teacher performance is assessed objectively.
84.1%

79.5%


h. Teachers receive feedback that can help them improve teaching.
79.0%

75.6%


i. The procedures for teacher evaluation are consistent.
83.5%

77.1%


j. The school improvement team provides effective leadership at this school.
77.1%

72.2%


k. The faculty are recognized for accomplishments.
83.4%

77.2%

Q7.3
The school leadership makes a sustained effort to address teacher concerns about:





a. Leadership issues
72.8%

64.5%


b. Facilities and resources
84.0%

79.2%


c. The use of time in my school
74.6%

66.3%


d. Professional development
80.8%

74.9%


e. Teacher leadership
80.3%

75.4%


f. Community support and involvement
83.9%

79.0%


g. Managing student conduct
73.2%

67.2%


h. Instructional practices and support
84.7%

79.7%


i. New teacher support
79.4%

72.0%

Q7.4
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about the school council in your school.





a. Teachers on the school council are representative of the faculty (i.e. experience, subject/grade, etc.)
88.6%

86.5%


b. Parents on the school council are representative of the diversity within the school community.
74.4%

70.8%


c. The school council makes decisions that positively impact instruction (i.e. curriculum, instructional practices, etc.).
87.7%

85.5%


d. The school council makes decisions that positively impact school staffing and schedules.
84.3%

80.8%


e. Overall, the school council provides effective leadership in this school.
85.7%

82.2%


Professional Development
Q8.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with statements about professional development in your school.





a. Sufficient resources are available for professional development in my school.
71.3%

68.9%


b. An appropriate amount of time is provided for professional development.
78.2%

75.4%


c. Professional development offerings are data driven.
78.9%

79.5%


d. Professional learning opportunities are aligned with the school’s improvement plan.
88.4%

88.5%


e. Professional development is differentiated to meet the needs of individual teachers.
59.1%

56.2%


f. Professional development deepens teachers' content knowledge.
74.4%

71.4%


g. Teachers have sufficient training to fully utilize instructional technology.
67.9%

67.1%


h. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on their own practice.
86.1%

85.5%


i. In this school, follow up is provided from professional development.
60.8%

58.9%


j. Professional development provides ongoing opportunities for teachers to work with colleagues to refine teaching practices.
72.7%

71.0%


k. Professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers.
53.8%

51.5%


l. Professional development enhances teachers' ability to implement instructional strategies that meet diverse student learning needs.
81.2%

79.4%


m. Professional development enhances teachers' abilities to improve student learning.
84.3%

83.4%


Instructional Practices and Support
Q9.1
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about instructional practices and support in your school.





a. State assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.
56.4%

57.8%


b. Local assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.
82.4%

83.5%


c. Teachers use assessment data to inform their instruction.
90.0%

91.2%


d. The curriculum taught in this school is aligned with Common Core Standards.
96.1%

N/A


e. Teachers work in professional learning communities to develop and align instructional practices.
86.7%

86.7%


f. Provided supports (i.e. instructional coaching, professional learning communities, etc.) translate to improvements in instructional practices by teachers.
80.7%

81.2%


g. Teachers are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction.
90.3%

88.4%


h. Teachers are assigned classes that maximize their likelihood of success with students.
65.6%

60.1%


i. Teachers have autonomy to make decisions about instructional delivery (i.e. pacing, materials and pedagogy).
79.1%

68.3%


Overall
Q10.6
Overall, my school is a good place to work and learn.
80.9%

79.1%

Q10.7
At this school, we utilize the results from the 2011 TELL Kentucky Survey as a tool for school improvement.
68.5%

N/A

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This Tell Survey was forced upon the teachers of Fayette County Schools. I was told "flat out" that I must take the survey even when I was told initially that it was optional. Luckily, many of us were quite honest and said, what nobody wanted to hear, our administration refuses to discipline.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Day,

Did you watch the meeting where the TELL results were released? If not, you should pay attention to the end of the meeting when Dr. Shelton and Ms. Bacon defended the nursing plan. I was there to support a friend who spoke about FCPS's foreign exchange policy but I started paying attention to Mr. Barnett's reaction to what they were saying. He was shaking his head "no" quite a lot, rolled his eyes a few times, looked really angry and I think he did a lot to restrain himself from, well, going off. He left the auditorium like a rocket and said loudly on his way out the door "I can't believe he defended that piece of (expletive) plan like that. What a joke!" I lost sight of him as he went down the hallway, but he was obviously furious when he left.

I've been reading your blog and noticed that Mr. Barnett has been outspoken about his disgust with the special education director's travel and conflict of interest issues. I also noticed that he spoke to the Herald-Leader about his position on the school nursing plan. He said nothing when Dr. Shelton's evaluation was discussed at that meeting, which I thought was strange because the evaluation was extremely favorable to Dr. Shelton.

Do you think there is some friction here? Do you think Mr. Barnett might be starting to withdraw his support from the current superintendent? I don't know all the dynamics involved, but it struck me as being bizarre.

Thank you so much for your work!

Richard Day said...

July 24, 2013 at 4:18 PM: I'm glad you said what you had to say. Not participating denies you your voice.

July 24, 2013 at 11:52 PM: Regrettably, I am woefully uninformed about the nursing plan...just can't follow everything. All I can tell you is that Doug said, "Really good FCPS school board meeting until the end. I'm still proud of my "no" vote on the nursing plan and I still think I'm right about my assessment of it" on Facebook.

His concerns as expressed in H-L sounded reasonable.

"One thing is that the program is going from an RN model to an LPN model, and I think the reduction in the qualifications of personnel is a big issue," Barnett said.

Barnett said he's also concerned about making staffers in the county schools responsible for providing some services.

"The way I understand it, they are going to train 10 people in each school to be core staff to do things like administer medications," he said. "I have a real problem with shifting those responsibilities to the office staff in the schools."

Clearly it is a reduction in services. That's what happens with cuts. I doubt the cuts were Shelton's preference. Superintendents are expected to slap a happy face on whatever comes their way and present the public with a positive view of the school system. But there are many thorny issues school administrators deal with every day. Sometime, you just have to do the best you can.

Board members get pumped up with a lot of unity chatter and given the volume of info the lay board members have to wade through, most rely heavily on the superintendent. If they've got one they like, they tend to go along.

But this feels issue-specific to me. If Doug is backing away, I'm not aware of it. My guess is that Doug made his concerns known, cast his No vote, and will move on from there. I say, good for him.

5-0 votes are overrated.

Anonymous said...

I read my KSBA newsheadlines and read about this sidebar about nursing and can't help sensing that the general public has no real idea about the dynamics of running a school. Folks get so wrapped up in their personal issue or situational concern that they don't understand the scope and complexity of what we are doing. Though I am not an FCPS employee, I recognize that it employs more workers than 99% of most county governments employ. It maintains a mass transit service, a police force which rivals some metro law branches, provides dozens of food service facilities, provides temporary medical care and have extensive purchasing power.

It truly is amazing when you think about it. It is as though they are their own municipalities or cities. No offense to those who often voice their displeasure with FCPS leadership, but it is a pretty big endeavor to effectively oversee something like this.

Anonymous said...

As a school administrators, I have significant concerns about the TELL survey in terms of how it is interpreted, how it is used and how much direct impact I can make on the results associated with my school.

Bothers me that the superintendent in this article basically washes his hands of any district ownership in the scores and proposes that the district is simply there to provide resources and support to the school. Many of the parameters under which I function (personnel, facilities, finances, policies, etc) are overseen or imposed by the district. At the same time the superintendent is the one who is evaluating me based partially on this data.

I suppose it concerns me the most because the proposed PPGES evaluation system for principals only takes three elements into account in its biannual evaluation system for principals: Val-Ed Summative Results, Student Growth Results and TELL Survey Goal Results. From that, some sort of summative rating is suppose to evolved which identifies my effectiveness as a leader.

Now if I am hired in to a low performing school and expected to implement high impact strategies which significantly alter school culture and operations (i.e. push staff hard toward change), how do you think my evaluations are going to look on TELL? Of course the contrary holds true also if I am an established principal who allows teachers to basically do as they please.

How much measurable impact can I have as one principal in engaging community support and involvement as determined by teachers based one one survey where only 51% of the faculty have to participate? Similarly, as just one voting member on the school council, how can I be expected to be evaluated based upon what that group does or doesn't do for the school?

So is it good that 80% of your faculty think your school is a good place to work and learn or is it bad that 1 in 5 of your teaches thinks your school stinks?