FayetteABC Does Some Homework

Thanks to the folks at FayetteABC we will soon be posting video clips of the finalists for the Fayette County superintendency as they become available.


In the meantime, FayetteABC has compiled TELL Survey data on Clark, Jessamine and Daviess Counties for comparison.


...and one of them really shines.


Lookie here.


And while you're here I hope you will participate in our snap poll in the upper right hand corner of the blog. Who is your choice for FCPS Superintendent?

In addition to compiling survey data, FayetteABC managed to send out 1,900 individual emails, over a three day period recently, to FCPS elementary and middle school faculty  (minus about 30 bounce backs). They wanted to include hig school faculty as well but logistically it was much more complicated and they were unable to do it...except at Lafayette. I told Erik Myrup I didn't think he could get that many through the district's span filter...but he proved me wrong.

Each message was individually addressed to the teacher by name and by school. Myrup wrote as a parent to say, "thank you," and to express FayetteABC's support for all that each teacher has done for their students while also conveying Myrup's concerns about standardized testing and the future of classroom instruction. He asked each teacher to accept his remarks to the school board as a tribute to all that they have done for the county's children and then provided a link to his presentation.


Myrup told KSN&C, 

the effort has generated a significant response from teachers all across the county. In nearly every response, teachers have expressed similar feelings and concerns about the current testing environment in the district. Additionally, many -- though not all -- have spoken about fears of reprimand if they publicly share their concerns.

I still find that last bit to be very sad.

What the Survey TELLs

Over at Prichard, Susan Weston has broken down some of the TELL survey results. Just as it should be, it's a good news, bad news story. A huge percentage of Kentucky teachers responded, some would say bravely, to a set of questions on their working conditions. So the results can be seen as representative of the teachers at large.

Here's a good snippet:
and a bad snippet:
Check it out.

TELL Survey Produces Preliminary Data

High Response Rate suggests
Input is Valid and Representative

Kentucky teachers’ and principals’ participation in the TELL (Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning) Kentucky Survey set a record for first-time response rates on similar surveys.

According to the New Teacher Center (NTC), the non-profit organization that administers the survey, Mississippi previously held the highest record for first-time response rate, with 67 percent participation. Kentucky’s overall response rate was 80.27 percent. Of the total 52,353 educators eligible to participate, 42,025 completed the survey. Additionally, 91 percent of Kentucky schools met the minimum response rate threshold of 50 percent and will be able to use their own school results for annual school improvement planning.

“I am extremely pleased with the rate of response from Kentucky’s teachers and administrators,” said Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “The value of this survey lies in participants’ honest evaluation of their teaching conditions. Because we expect every principal and teacher to create and sustain positive conditions for learning in every classroom, we must be able to measure those conditions.

“Addressing teaching conditions in our schools and districts will improve student learning results, reduce teacher turnover rates and make a long-term impact on the economy of Kentucky. All of the participants – along with our education partners – should be congratulated and commended for their work on this survey.”

See data related to the survey here.

The results will be used by school-based decision making councils, schools, districts, KDE, Kentucky Board of Education and numerous other organizations to improve the teaching and learning conditions in the state’s schools and districts. However, the results will not be used to form a score as part of an accountability model for schools and districts.

All schools and districts across the state were able to view their results April 25 using pass codes. NTC provided tools for assistance in using the data, such as a School Improvement Guide and a District Guide. All tools and results can be viewed here. As follow-up, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) will provide webcasts and technical support on use of the data.

The Kentucky Board of Education will review the preliminary findings at its June meeting for potential state policy and budget impacts.

“The collaborative work of the education leaders in Kentucky, under the strong leadership of the Governor and the commissioner, should be commended,” said Eric Hirsch, chief of External Affairs for NTC. “Not only has Kentucky set a new record for overall response rate percentages for first-time administration of the survey, the large number of schools and districts obtaining the minimum threshold will provide valuable data as the TELL Kentucky Coalition of partners continues its work to help ensure that every school provides the supports necessary for all students to be successful.”

According to NTC, early analyses of the results indicate that, overall, educators are positive about their teaching conditions.

* 93 percent agree they work in a school environment that is safe.
* 94 percent agree the school leadership facilitates using data to improve student learning.
* 92 percent agree that teachers are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction.

However, there are areas of concern expressed by educators. For example, only 63 percent of educators agreed that there is sufficient time for instructional planning to meet the needs of all students.

The final report from NTC, which will include information related to student achievement as well as other key indicators such as years of experience of teachers and comparison to the results from the administrator portion of the survey, will be available in the fall...

From March 1 to March 28, the TELL survey was administered to all Kentucky certified educators employed in the state’s 174 school districts. All school-based certified public school teachers and principals were asked to submit their perceptions on a variety of issues related to student achievement and teacher retention, including the adequacy of facilities and resources; time; empowerment; school leadership; community support; student conduct; professional development; mentoring and induction services; and student learning.

The survey was administered by the New Teacher Center (NTC), a national organization dedicated to supporting the development of a high-quality teaching force. NTC has conducted similar surveys in other states and provides induction and professional development for teachers and principals across the country. Since 2008 NTC has administered the teaching conditions survey in eleven states, hearing from almost 500,000 educators.

TELL Kentucky was conducted under the leadership of the Kentucky Department of Education and supported by a coalition of education organizations...

MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE TELL KENTUCKY SURVEY

* 42,025 (80 percent) educators responded to the TELL Kentucky Survey.
* Of nearly 1,400 schools, 1,245 met or exceeded the 50 percent response rate necessary for data to be available.
* Of 174 school districts, 128 had every school reach the minimum threshold for response rate.
* 1,800 administrators responded to the survey (1,057 principals, 743 assistant principals).

Major Trends

Overall, educators are positive about their teaching conditions:

* 93 percent agree they work in a school environment that is safe.
* 83 percent indicate they intend to continue teaching at their current schools.
* 80 percent agree the faculty and leadership have a shared vision.
* 94 percent agree the school leadership facilitates using data to improve student learning.
* 86 percent agree that the school council makes decisions that positively impact instruction (i.e. curriculum, instructional practices).
* 92 percent agree that teachers are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction.

Major Concerns

Early analyses indicate there are concerns across the state. For example, in the area of Time:

* Only 51 percent agree that efforts are made to minimize the amount of routine paperwork teachers are required to do.
* 63 percent agree that teachers have sufficient instructional time to meet the needs of all students.
* 68 percent agree that teachers are protected from duties that interfere with their essential role of educating students.

Survey Areas

Time
Facilities and Resources
Community Support and Involvement
Managing Student Conduct
Teacher Leadership
School Leadership
Professional Development
Instructional Practices and Support
New Teacher Support

SOURCE: KDE Press release

Kentucky Groups Promote Educator Survey

Now more than ever before in the history of the Commonwealth

it is crucial to listen to teachers about what they need

to be effective in the classroom.

TELL Kentucky will give us the information we need

to ensure that teachers across the Commonwealth

work in schools that give them every opportunity

to be successful with all our children.

- --Governor Steve Beshear

Today, at the Capitol Rotunda, a Coalition of Partners formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) Kentucky survey.

Set to launch in March 2011, the TELL Kentucky survey is designed to document and analyze how teachers and other educators view their teaching and learning conditions, so that educators, stakeholders and policy-makers can make evidence-based decisions on policies and practices that will improve student achievement.

The Coalition of Partners has committed to support the TELL Kentucky survey statewide and communicate the importance of hearing from every educator in the state by helping inform teachers and administrators during the coming months.

More details about the survey are available here.
See the survey here.

“Our teachers know what is working in the classroom,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “Their firsthand experiences help us differentiate between the theoretical and the practical, and they can tell us whether we are truly headed in the right direction. The TELL Kentucky survey gives our teachers a loud, undeniable voice in that process.”

“This survey is a powerful tool and part of our comprehensive and collaborative plan for improving public education in our state,” said Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. “Understanding and improving the working conditions in our schools will help us realize our vision of every child, proficient and prepared for success -- that is, college- and career-ready when they graduate.”

Beshear and Holliday joined others in the Coalition of Partners today as the group’s members signed the MOU. The coalition includes:

Office of the Governor, Kentucky
Kentucky Board of Education
Kentucky Department of Education
Education Professional Standards Board
Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
Kentucky Education Association
Kentucky Association of School Councils
Kentucky Association of School Administrators
Kentucky PTA
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Kentucky School Boards Association
Kentucky Association of School Superintendents
Jefferson County Teachers Association

Other partners include the Legislative Research Commission, Office of Education Accountability, Partnership for Successful Schools, Spalding University, legislators, teachers, principals and superintendents.

In March 2011, the TELL survey will be administered to all Kentucky certified educators employed in the state’s 174 school districts. There will be questions about facilities and resources; instructional and planning time; decision-making; school leadership; community support; and more.

The survey will be administered by the nonprofit New Teacher Center (NTC), a national organization dedicated to supporting the development of a high-quality teaching force. NTC has conducted similar surveys in other states and provides induction and professional development for teachers and principals across the country.

The TELL Kentucky survey will be administered online, and all responses will remain anonymous. Results from the teacher responses will be aggregated and reported by NTC no later than June 2011. These reports will be a compilation of educator responses to all questions and presented as bar charts for the school (if at least 50 percent of educators respond), district and state.