Teacher Candidate Survey Fall 2009

DATE

«First_Name» «Last_Name»

«School»

«School_Street_Address»

«School_City», «School_State» «School_Zip»

Dear Teacher,

As you know, your district is participating in the Talent Transfer Initiative and you were identified as an eligible candidate for that program. Mathematica Policy Research (MPR), with our partners The New Teacher Group (TNTP) and Optimal Solutions Group (OSG), is conducting an evaluation of this program for the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. As part of the study, we are gathering information about your educational background, certifications, teaching experiences of the group of highest performing teachers in participating districts. Additionally, we are interested in your decision whether or not to apply, experiences with the application process, and decisions to accept or to decline any positions offered by the Talent Transfer Initiative schools.

As an eligible candidate, we ask that you complete the Talent Transfer Initiative Candidate Survey. 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. We will not provide information that identifies you or your district to anyone outside the study team, except as required by law. Additionally, no one at your school or in your district will see your responses. While your participation in this study is voluntary, it is very important that you complete the questionnaire.

We estimate the questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. As a thank you, you will receive a check for $25 once you have returned the completed questionnaire. Please use the enclosed envelope to return the survey by DATE.

If you have any questions, please contact Kristina Rall at 866-608-8290, or by e-mail at [email protected].

Thank you for your help with this important study.

Sincerely,

Nancy Carey

Study Director

OMB No.: XXX-XXX

Approval Expires: XX/XX/XXXX

In 2009, you were invited to apply to the Talent Transfer Initiative (TTI). This questionnaire asks about your educational background, certifications, teaching experience, and attitudes and experiences related to the Talent Transfer Initiative. For each item, please mark or circle only one answer, unless instructions say to “Mark one or more” or “Mark all that apply.” Thank you very much for your help with this survey.

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 eligibility for the Talent Transfer Initiative (TTI) or any hiring decisions made on behalf of the program now or in the future. Your answers will not be shared with any members of the school administration or anyone else other than the researchers. 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, you can contact Margo Campbell at Public/Private Ventures IRB, toll free 800-755-4778 x4446.

2. The U.S. Department of Education wants to protect 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.

Please return the completed form to: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. 707 Alexander Road Building 3, Suite 304 Princeton, NJ 08540 ATTN:

If you have questions, please contact: Ms. Kristina Rall Phone: 866-608-8290 (toll free) FAX: 202-863-1763 E-mail: [email protected]

This survey is authorized by law: (1) Sections 171(b) and 173 of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-279 (2002); and (2) Section 9601 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 (Pub. L. 107-110).

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 1850-0861. 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. TEACHING EXPERIENCES

A1. How many years have you worked as a lead classroom teacher, including the current school year? (Include all years teaching in public and private schools. Do not include years as a substitute teacher, teacher’s aide, or student teacher.)

Total years of teaching experience (across all schools) | | | TOTAL YEARS TEACHING

A2. How many years have you worked as a lead classroom teacher in [SCHOOL DISTRICT] including the current school year?

Total years teaching in this

school district | | | TOTAL YEARS IN DISTRICT

A3. Indicate the school in which you worked as a lead classroom teacher during the 2008-2009 school year and the total number of years you taught at that school.

School: | | | YEARS TEACHING AT SCHOOL

A4. Before teaching at that school in 2008-2009, had you worked as a lead classroom teacher at any other schools in the same school district?

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO A6

A5. Beginning with the most recent, list any other schools in this district in which you have been employed as a lead classroom teacher and the total number of years you taught at each school. List up to 5 schools.

CHECK HERE IF YOU TAUGHT IN MORE THAN 5 SCHOOLS IN THIS DISTRICT: 

1. School Name: | | | YEARS TEACHING AT SCHOOL

2. School Name: | | | YEARS TEACHING AT SCHOOL

3. School Name: | | | YEARS TEACHING AT SCHOOL

4. School Name: | | | YEARS TEACHING AT SCHOOL

5. School Name: | | | YEARS TEACHING AT SCHOOL

A6. Thinking about the school in which you taught last year (2008-2009), how satisfied were you with each of the following aspects of that school?

	MARK ONE FOR EACH ROW
	Very Dissatisfied		Somewhat Dissatisfied		Somewhat Satisfied		Very Satisfied
Leadership/Policies
a. The principal’s leadership and vision	1 	2 		3 		4 
b. Recognition for positive accomplishments	1 	2 		3 		4 
c. Student testing policies	1 	2 		3 		4 
d. Other school policies	1 	2 		3 		4 
Compensation
e. Salary	1 	2 		3 		4 
f. Benefits	1 	2 		3 		4 
Professional Environment
g. Professional caliber of colleagues	1 	2 		3 		4 
h. Opportunities for professional development	1 	2 		3 		4 
i. Opportunities to provide input into school policies and practices	1 	2 		3 		4 
j. Autonomy or control over classroom	1 	2 		3 		4 
k. Workload	1 	2 		3 		4 
School Environment and Facilities
l. Teacher support from the administration	1 	2 		3 		4 
m. Support from faculty/collaboration with colleagues	1 	2 		3 		4 
n. Support for teachers working with students with special needs	1 	2 		3 		4 
o. Availability of resources and materials/ equipment for your classroom	1 	2 		3 		4 
p. School facilities such as the building or grounds.	1 	2 		3 		4 
q. Safety in the school building and on school grounds (including parking lot)	1 	2 		3 		4 
r. Safety in the neighborhood where you work	1 	2 		3 		4 
Your Students and Their Families
s. Student motivation to learn	1 	2 		3 		4 
t. Student discipline and behavior	1 	2 		3 		4 
u. Student academic performance	1 	2 		3 		4 
v. Parental involvement in the school	1 	2 		3 		4 

SECTION B. EXPERIENCE WITH THE TTI AND FUTURE PLANS

B1. Excluding the TTI, did you look or interview for any other positions before the start of the 2009-2010 school year?

Column A: Indicate whether you have looked for each type of position.

Column B: For each type of position you looked for (and marked “yes” in Column A), indicate whether you interviewed for that position.

	MARK YES OR NO IN EACH ROW
	Column A		Column B
Positions other than the TTI:	Looked for position?		If yes, did you interview for position?
	YES	NO	YES	NO
a. Looked for teaching positions within the school district?	1 	0 	1 	0 
b. Looked for teaching positions in another school district?	1 	0 	1 	0 
c. Looked for teaching positions in a charter school?	1 	0 	1 	0 
d. Looked for teaching positions in a private school?	1 	0 	1 	0 
e. Looked for non-teaching positions in education, including administrative, full-time mentor/coach, curriculum specialist?	1 	0 	1 	0 
f. Looked for jobs outside the education field?	1 	0 	1 	0 

B2. Column A: Indicate which of the following sources you used to obtain information about the TTI.

Column B: For each source used, rate how useful the source was in providing information you needed to make a decision about the program.

	MARK YES OR NO IN EACH ROW
	Column A		Column B
Source of information:	Source used?		If yes, how useful was the source?
	Yes	No	Not Useful	Somewhat Useful	Very Useful
a. Information session	1 	0 	1 	2 	3 
b. Website	1 	0 	1 	2 	3 
c. Printed materials	1 	0 	1 	2 	3 
d. Telephone information line	1 	0 	1 	2 	3 
e. Email contact with program staff	1 	0 	1 	2 	3 
f. Other (Please specify)	1 	0 	1 	2 	3 

B3. When you were deciding whether or not to apply for the TTI, who influenced your decision?

Mark all that apply

1. Family members 1 

2. Friends (other than teachers) 2 

3. Other TTI candidates 3 

4. Other teachers (Non-TTI candidates) 4 

5. Union representative 5 

6. Principal of your 2008-2009 school 6 

7. Principal of the TTI hiring school 7 

8. Other district administrator 8 

9. A TTI staff member 9 

10. Parents or students 10 

11. A mentor (not listed above) 11 

12. Other (Please specify) 12 

B4. Did you complete an application for the TTI (e.g., by completing the online application)?

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO B14a

B5. Please indicate the level of importance that each of the following factors played in your decision to apply for the TTI.

	MARK ONE FOR EACH ROW
Potential factors in your decision to apply:	Not At All Important	Somewhat Important	Important	Very Important
a. The stipend.	1 	2 	3 	4 
b. Opportunity to make a difference for at-risk students	1 	2 	3 	4 
c. Opportunities for professional advancement	1 	2 	3 	4 
d. Appeal of a new challenge	1 	2 	3 	4 
e. Opportunity to reduce my commute time to and from work	1 	2 	3 	4 
f. Opportunity to work in a new school enviornmentl	1 	2 	3 	4 
g. Other reason (Please specify)	1 	2 	3 	4 

B6. Were you invited to interview for teaching positions in one or more schools participating in the TTI?

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO B15

B7. With how many TTI schools did you interview?

MARK ONLY ONE

None, did not accept any interviews 1  GO TO B14a

Interviewed at 1 school 2 

Interviewed at 2 schools 3 

Interviewed at 3 schools 4 

Interviewed at 4 or more schools 5 

B8. For each of the schools in which you interviewed, indicate whether each of the following occurred. (Please report separately for each school, beginning with the first school in which you interviewed.)

Interview process:	School 1		School 2		School 3		School 4
Interviewed at school? If yes, mark box and respond for items a-f below							
	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO
a. The interview was informative	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
b. I had opportunities to communicate my strengths during the interview	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
c. The principal/interviewer was genuinely interested	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
d. The principal/interviewer responded to my questions about the position	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
e. The principal seemed like someone I could work with	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
f. The interview increased my desire to teach at the school	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 

B9. Indicate which of the following were part of the interview process in each of the schools at which you interviewed. (Please report separately for each school, beginning with the first school at which you interviewed.)

Interview process:	School 1		School 2		School 3		School 4
Interviewed at school? If yes, mark box and respond for items a-e below							
	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO	YES	NO
a. Had a one-on-one interview with the principal or assistant principal	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
b. Interviewed with other school staff	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
c. Was asked to give a teaching demonstration	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
d. Was given a tour of the school	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 
e. Met students at the school	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 	1 	0 

B10. Were you offered a teaching position at any of the participating TTI schools for the 2009-2010 school year?

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO B15

B11. Which TTI schools offered you a position for the 2009-2010 school year?

mark all that apply

a. School 1 1 

b. School 2 2 

c. School 3 3 

d. School 4 4 

e. Any other schools 5 

B12. Did you accept a teaching position for the 2009-2010 school year from a TTI school?

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO B14a

B13a. Indicate which of the following reasons influenced your decision to accept a

teaching position in a TTI school.

	MARK ONE FOR EACH ROW
Reasons influencing your decision:	Yes	No
a. The principal's leadership and vision	1 	0 
b. Professional caliber of colleagues	1 	0 
c. Knew other teachers at the school	1 	0 
d. The school’s organization/environment	1 	0 
e. A program of support and information provided for new hires to the school	1 	0 
f. Opportunities to help/mentor other teachers	1 	0 
g. Opportunities such as coaching a sports team or being an academic coach or team leader	1 	0 
h. Opportunities for professional advancement	1 	0 
i. The grade level/subject in which there was an opening	1 	0 
j. The school’s location	1 	0 
k. Appeal of a new challenge	1 	0 
l. Opportunity to make a difference for at-risk students	1 	0 
m. Challenge of working with students with disabilities	1 	0 
n. Challenge of working with students who are not English proficient	1 	0 
o. Challenge of working with students with other special needs	1 	0 
p. Other (Please specify)	1 	0 

B13b. From the list above, choose the letter that corresponds to the most important reason influencing your decision to accept a teaching position in a TTI school. ___________

If you accepted a position to teach in a TTI school for the 2009-2010 school year, check here  and GO TO SECTION C.

B14a. We are interested in learning why teachers did not pursue the application process or did not accept a teaching position in the TTI. Mark all the reasons influencing your decision.

	MARK ONE FOR EACH ROW
Reasons influencing your decision:	Yes	No
a. I was happy at my old school	1 	0 
b. Did not like the principals at the TTI schools	2 	0 
c. Did not like the other administrators at the TTI schools	1 	0 
d. I felt teachers at a new school might resent or not welcome me	1 	0 
e. Grade level/subject area of vacancies not ideal	1 	0 
f. Stipend not big enough	1 	0 
g. Students too challenging	1 	0 
h. Commuting distance/other commuting issues	1 	0 
i. Concerns about school/neighborhood safety	1 	0 
j. Changing schools would cause childcare or family problems	1 	0 
k. I committed to a certain school and did not want to go back on my word	1 	0 
l. Not interested in starting at a new school	1 	0 
m. The timing of application process would not allow me to know my next year’s assignment as soon as I would like	1 	0 
n. Application process was too difficult	1 	0 
o. Application process was too time consuming	1 	0 
p. I do not support the philosophy of the program	1 	0 
q. Concern about not being able to return to my current school, if interested	1 	0 
r. Uncertain I would be effective in a TTI school	1 	0 
s. Other (Please specify)	1 	0 

B14b. From the list above, choose the letter that corresponds to the most important reason for not pursuing the application process or not accepting a teaching position with the TTI. ___________

B15. In this school year (2009-2010), which of the following applies? Are you . . .

MARK ONLY ONE

Teaching in the same school in which you taught last year 1 

Teaching in another school in the same district as last year 2 

Teaching in a different public school district from last year 3 

Teaching in a private school or charter school 4 

In a non-teaching job 5 

Not working outside the home 6 

Other (Please specify) 7 

B16. How long do you plan to continue working as a classroom teacher?

MARK ONLY ONE

As long as I am able 1 

Until I am eligible for retirement benefits from this job 2 

Until I am eligible for retirement from another job 3 

Until I am eligible for Social Security benefits 4 

Until a specific life event occurs (e.g., parenthood, marriage) 5 

Until a more desirable opportunity comes along 6 

Definitely plan to leave as soon as I can 7 

Undecided at this time 8 

Other (Please specify) 9 

SECTION C. EDUCATION AND TEACHING CERTIFICATION

C1. Please tell us about your educational degrees.

Column A: Indicate whether you hold each of the following degrees or certificates.

Column B: For each degree or certificate, indicate the name of the college or institution from which you received that degree or certificate.

Column C: Indicate the major field(s) of study using the codes from the Major Field of Study table on page 13.

Column D: Indicate the year in which this degree was awarded.

	Column A		Column B	Column C	Column D
	Degree		College/University	Major Field of Study	Year Degree Awarded
	MARK ONE FOR EACH DEGREE			USE LIST OF CODES ON PAGE 13
	Yes	No	Name of College/University	Code	Year
Bachelor’s degree	1 	0 	______________________	| | | |	| | | | |
Master’s degree	1 	0 	______________________	| | | |	| | | | |
Doctorate degree	1 	0 	______________________	| | | |	| | | | |
Other degree (Please specify)	1 	0 	______________________	| | | |	| | | | |

Table 1. Major Field of Study Codes

General Education
Elementary Education		Natural Sciences
101 Early childhood/Pre-K, general		211 Biology/Life sciences
102 Elementary grades, general		212 Chemistry
		213 Earth sciences
Secondary Education		214 Engineering
103 Middle grades, general		217 Physics
104 Secondary grades, general		218 Other
Special Education		Social Sciences
110 Special education, any		221 Anthropology
		222 Area/Ethnic studies (Excluding Native American)
Other Education		223 Criminal justice
131 Administration		224 Cultural studies
132 Counseling and guidance		225 Economics
133 Educational psychology		226 Geography
134 Policy studies		227 Government/Civics
135 School psychology		228 History
136 Other non-subject matter specific education		229 International studies
		230 Law
Subject Matter Specific		231 Native American studies
		232 Political science
Arts & Music		233 Psychology
141 Art/Arts or crafts		234 Sociology
142 Art history		235 Other social science
143 Dance
144 Drama/Theater		Vocational/Technical Education
145 Music		241 Agriculture and natural resources
		242 Business/Office
English and Language Arts		243 Keyboarding
151 Communications		244 Marketing and distribution
152 Composition		245 Health occupations
153 English		246 Construction trades
154 Journalism		247 Mechanics and repair
155 Language arts		248 Drafting/Graphics/Printing
156 Linguistics		249 Metals/Woods/Plastics and other precision production
157 Literature/Literary Criticism		(electronics, leatherwork, meat cutting, etc.)
158 Reading		250 Communications and other technologies (not including
159 Speech		computer science)
		251 Culinary arts/Hospitality
English as a Second Language		252 Child care and education
160 ESL/Bilingual education: General		253 Personal and other services (including cosmetology,
161 ESL/Bilingual education: Spanish		custodial services, clothing and textiles, and interior
162 ESL/Bilingual education: Other languages		design)
		254 Family and consumer sciences education
Foreign Languages		255 Industrial arts/Technology education
171 French
172 German		Miscellaneous
173 Latin		261 Architecture
174 Spanish		263 Humanities/Liberal studies
175 Other foreign language		264 Library/Information science
		265 Military science/ROTC
Health Education & Physical Education		266 Philosophy
181 Health education		267 Religious studies/Theology/Divinity
182 Physical education
		Other
Mathematics and Computer Science		268 Other
190 Mathematics
197 Computer Science

C2. In what levels have you been certified for at least six months?

MARK ALL THAT APPLY

a. Preschool (birth-Pre-K) 1 

b. Elementary (K-5) 2 

c. Middle grades (6-8) 3 

d. Secondary grades (9-12) 4 

e. Special subject areas (K-12) 5 

SPECIFY SPECIAL AREAS (e.g., math):

f. Exceptional Children (K-12) (Please specify) 6 

g. Other (Please specify) 7 

C3. Please indicate whether you hold a National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

MARK ONLY ONE

Yes, I currently hold one or more certificates

from the National Board and have been certified for at least six months 1 

Yes, I have received my first Board Certification within the last six months 2 

I am currently a candidate for National Board certification 3 

I have applied but am no longer being considered for

National Board certification 4 

I have never applied for National Board certification 5 

SECTION D. COMPENSATION

This section asks for information about the compensation you received for all of your teaching activities for the entire 2008-2009 school year. Please report compensation received for services you provided between the start of the school year in summer/fall of 2008 up until the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

D1. What was your academic year base teaching salary for the 2008-2009 school year? Base salary is the amount negotiated in your contract for teaching duties performed. Include compensation for administrative duties. Do not include bonuses or extra pay for extra instructional or non-instructional duties. (Please round to the nearest $100.)

$ | | | |,| | 0 | 0 |

D2. For the 2008-2009 school year, did you receive additional monetary compensation from the school district? (Include incentives, bonuses, National Board Certification, and extra pay for extra instructional or non-instructional duties, such as being a team leader, librarian, curriculum coordinator, summer school teacher, athletic coach, etc.)

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO D4

D3. What was the total amount of additional compensation you received? (Please round to the nearest $100.)

$ | | |,| | 0 | 0 |

D4. For the 2009-2010 school year, do you expect to receive compensation, in addition to your annual base salary from the school district? (Include bonuses, compensation for teaching summer school, coaching, etc.)

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO D6

D5. What is the total amount of additional compensation you expect to receive? (Please round to the nearest $100.)

$ | | |,| | 0 | 0 |

D6. For the 12-month period from June 2008 through May 2009, did you earn additional compensation from working in any job OUTSIDE of this school system? (Please round to the nearest $100.)

YES 1  If yes, how much? $ | | | |,| | 0 | 0 |

NO 0 

SECTION E. FAMILY AND HOUSING COMMITMENTS

This section asks you to provide information about family commitments, housing, and your work commute, all of which may be related to your decision to change jobs or schools.

F1. Do you currently live in the same school district in which you teach?

Yes 1 

No 0 

F2. How far do you live from the school where you taught/teach in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010?

Please indicate the miles and minutes you commute one-way. Your best estimate is fine.

If you did not teach during the 2008-2009 school year, check this box and answer only for the 2009-2010 school year. 

School Year	Miles One Way	Minutes One Way
a. 2008-2009	| | | | MILES	| | | | MINUTES
b. 2009-2010	| | | | MILES	| | | | MINUTES

F3. What is the primary mode of transportation you use to commute to the school where you (taught/teach) in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010?

If you did not teach during the 2008-2009 school year, check this box and answer only for the 2009-2010 school year. 

Mark only one for each year

2008-2009 2009-2010

Usually drive my own car 1  1 

Usually take public transportation (bus, rail) 2  2 

Usually carpool with others 3  3 

Usually walk 4  4 

Other (Please specify) 5  5 

F4. Do you currently own your home, rent your home, or have some other arrangement?

Mark only one

Own home (either paying mortgage or own outright) 1 

Rent home 2 

Have some other arrangement 3 

F5. Are you:

Mark only one

Married or living with a partner 1 

Single (separated, divorced, widowed, or never married) 2 

F6. Do you have any minor children currently living with you?

YES 1 

NO 0  GO TO G1

F7. Are any of the children currently living with you under the age of 5?

YES 1 

NO 0 

SECTION F. TEACHER’S DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

E1. Are you male or female?

MALE 1 

FEMALE 2 

E2. Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin?

YES 1 

NO 0 

E3. What is your race?

MARK ONE OR MORE

a. American Indian or Alaska Native 1 

b. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 2 

c. Asian 3 

d. Black or African American 4 

e. White 5 

E4. In what year were you born?

19 | | | YEAR

As a thank you for completing this survey, we will send you a check for $25. Please provide your name, mailing address, and phone number below.

Name:
Address 1:			Phone Number:
Address 2:
City:		State:		Zip:

Thank you for taking time to participate in this survey.

Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.