School Survey

OMB No.: 1850-0884

Expiration Date: XX-XX-XXXX

Impact Evaluation of

Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants

Draft School Administrator Survey

March 30, 2012

This survey is part of the Impact Evaluation of Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants, a national evaluation being conducted for the U.S. Department of Education. The questions in this survey ask about school turnaround models, the strategies and practices being used by schools, and the types of support that your school has received from the state and/or district. The evaluation team will not identify any individual respondents interviewed for the evaluation, and all interview data will be used for research purposes only. Any school-level data provided to the evaluation team will be kept strictly confidential, and no schools or administrators will ever be identified by name in any study reports.

If you have questions, please contact:

NAME

Phone: 866-XXX-XXXX

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 45 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain a benefit for schools receiving ARRA funds under the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (34 C.F.R. § 76.591). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20202-4651 and reference the OMB Control Number 1850-0884. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, 555 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20208.

Email: [email protected]

T hank you for participating in this evaluation. You will be answering questions on a number of topics including standards and assessments, data systems, teacher and school leader evaluations, and school turnaround strategies. If you don’t know the answer to a question, feel free to consult others at your school who may have the information requested.

First, we would like to ask about the use of the Common Core Standards in your school.

SA1. Is your school using the Common Core State Standards in English language arts?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

SA2. Is your school using the Common Core State Standards in mathematics?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

IF “NO” TO SA1 AND SA2, GO TO DA1 ON PAGE 3, OTHERWISE, GO TO SA3

SA3. In the past school year, has your school received any of the following types of supports to help school staff understand the Common Core standards and/or change instruction based on these standards? These supports may have been provided by your state or your district. For each type of support received, please specify the supports received.

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	YES	NO
a. Funds (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
b. Materials to support understanding and use of the standards (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
c. Professional development, training, or technical assistance to support understanding and use of the standards? (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
d. Something else? (Please specify)	1 □		0 □

SA4. In the past school year, has your school received any of the following types of supports specifically designed to aid in the implementation of the Common Core standards with English language learners? These supports may have been provided by your state or your district. For each type of support received, please specify the supports received. If your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	YES	NO		NA
a. Funds (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		NA □
b. Materials to support understanding and use of the standards with English language learners (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		NA □
c. Professional development, training, or technical assistance to support understanding and use of the standards with English language learners (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		NA □
d. Something else? (Please specify)	1 □		0 □	NA □

First, we would like to get a sense for how your school uses data. For the purposes of this survey, when we refer to using “data,” data can mean many types of information, including student achievement data (on both state and local assessments), graduation rates, student demographics, teacher effectiveness data, or information on school climate or disciplinary incidents.

DA1. During the current school year, for which of the following purposes has your school used data?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. To evaluate instructional programs (for example, measuring program effectiveness)	1 □	0 □
b. To guide development and implementation of academic supports or enrichment programs (for example, identify how many and which students need academic support or enrichment, assign or reassign students to classes)	1 □	0 □
c. To guide development and implementation of nonacademic supports or enrichment programs (for example, identify how many and which students need counseling)	1 □	0 □
d. To inform teachers’ instructional practices (for example, identify areas for improvement, tailor instruction to meet student needs, manage instructional pacing)	1 □	0 □
e. To inform professional development offerings (for example, identify specific content or skills in which teachers need assistance or support)	1 □	0 □
f. To evaluate the success of professional development offerings	1 □	0 □
g. To track individual student performance and identify areas of improvement for specific students	1 □	0 □
h. To track student progress toward high school graduation (for example, credits earned, required courses taken)	1 □	0 □
i. To track preparation for college enrollment (for example, participation in Advanced Placement courses or dual enrollment)	1 □	0 □
j. To track students’ postsecondary enrollment and progress (for example, credits earned)	1 □	0 □
k. To inform resource allocation to improve instruction (for example, which students participate in which programs, which staff work with which students)	1 □	0 □
l. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

DA2. During the current school year, for which of the following purposes has your school used data on English language learners? If your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No	NA
a. To make decisions about students’ entry into and/or exit from English language learner status	1 □	0 □	NA □
b. To place English language learners into specialized programs and/or classes	1 □	0 □	NA □
c. To track the progress of current English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
d. To track the progress of former English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
e. To inform/improve/differentiate instruction for English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
f. To identify professional development needs for teachers of English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
g. To assess teacher effectiveness with English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
h. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □

DA3. Within the past year, did any of the following activities related to data use occur in your school? If so, how often did they occur (daily, weekly, monthly, a few times per year, or once per year)? For items b and f below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

Activity	Yes	No	NA	Frequency
a. District staff met with you and/or other school staff to review data on overall student performance.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3b)		1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
b. District staff met with you and/or other school staff specifically to review student performance data on English language learners.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3c)	NA □ (GO TO DA3c)	1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
c. You or other school leaders reviewed student performance data to identify areas of improvement for the school.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3d)		1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
d. You or other school leaders met with teachers to discuss student performance data to identify areas in need of improvement for individual students or groups of students.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3e)		1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
e. School leaders coached teachers on the use of data to improve instruction.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3f)		1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
f. School leaders coached teachers on the use of data specifically to improve instruction of English language learners.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3g)	NA □ (GO TO DA3g)	1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
g. Teachers met with each other to discuss data on their students/classes.	1 □	0 □ (GO TO DA3h)		1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year
h. After reviewing student performance data, teachers, administrators, and/or coaches formulated specific plans to update and revise instructional practice to address issues with specific students or specific classes.	1 □	0 □		1 □ Daily 2 □ Weekly 3 □ Monthly 4 □ A few times per year 5 □ Once per year

DA4. Currently, does your school have a designated staff person (either someone from your school staff, from the district, or an external consultant) who supports the use of data by teachers in your school for the purpose of improving instruction?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO DA6

DA5. Please specify how many hours each month during this school year this support was provided, on average. If the support is not provided each month, please estimate the total number of hours over the school year. Your best estimate is fine.

| | | HOURS PER MONTH

| | | HOURS PER SCHOOL YEAR

DA6. Does your school provide scheduled time for teachers to examine data, either on their own or in collaboration with other teachers or school administrators?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

DA7. Please specify how many hours a typical teacher in your school spends each week, on average, examining data. Your best estimate on how much time the average teacher spends examining data each week is fine.

| | | HOURS PER WEEK

DA8. This school year, has your school received any of the following types of support to help school administrators and/or teachers access and use data to improve and/or differentiate instruction? For each type of support received, please specify the nature of the support that your school received. For example, if funding was received, please specify how much funding and the purposes for which the funds were used (for example, to buy hardware or software, to develop or improve data systems, or to provide training to teachers on the analysis and use of data).

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	YES	NO
a. Funds to support school investments related to data use; for example, funds to buy hardware or software, to develop or improve data systems, or to provide training to teachers on the analysis and use of data (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
b. Hardware or software to facilitate data use (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
c. Materials on how to access and use data to differentiate or improve instruction (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
d. Something else? (Please specify)	1 □		0 □

DA9. This school year, has your school received any professional development, training, or technical assistance to help school administrators and/or teachers access data, navigate data systems, or interpret and use data to improve and/or differentiate instruction? If so, please indicate the total number of hours of professional development, training, or technical assistance provided to school administrators and/or teachers this school year on these topics.

1 □ Yes (Please specify)

| | | HOURS PROVIDED TO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

| | | HOURS PROVIDED TO TEACHERS

0 □ No

DA10.This school year, has your school received any of the following supports to help your school access and use data related to English language learners to improve and/or differentiate instruction for these students? For each type of support received, please describe the nature of the support received. If your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	YES	NO		NA
a. Supports to help school staff use data to track the performance of English language learners (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		NA □
b. Supports to help school staff use data to improve or differentiate instruction for English language learners (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		NA □
c. Other supports to help school staff use data about English language learners? (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		NA □

DA11. Which of the following would you say are the top three barriers at your school to the use of data to make instructional improvements? Please record 1 for the most significant barrier, 2 for the second most significant barrier, and 3 for the third most significant barrier. Please enter your best estimate, even if some barriers are very close in terms of their significance as barriers to the use of data.

	MARK TOP THREE BARRIERS
a. Time—Lack of time for teachers to analyze or review data on their students and plan instructional improvements
b. Technology—Not enough computers, poor Internet or network connections, lack of technical skills
c. Usability of data—Data are difficult to navigate and manipulate as needed
d. Systems complexity—Data are available in too many different systems; not sure where to access right data
e. Understanding of data—Not sure how to accurately use or interpret data
f. Data quality—Unreliability or inaccuracy of data
g. Collaboration/Trust—Lack of a practice of collaboration and environment of trust around data use
h. Leadership—Lack of support from district leaders for data-driven decision making
i. Timeliness of data—Data are not available on a time cycle useful for decision making at the school level
j. Type of data available—Do not have the right data
k. Access to data—The right people do not have access to data they need
l. Resources to act upon data—Can analyze and interpret data, but no funding or programs available to meet needs or successes identified
m. Knowledge of how to act upon data—Can analyze and interpret data, but lack information on how to effectively respond to the needs or successes identified (for example, need information about specific instructional strategies or programs that are designed to address identified needs)
n. Flexibility to act upon data—Can analyze and interpret data, but constrained by policies or procedures from acting upon data as desired
o. Other (Please specify)

Next, we would like to ask about your school’s teacher evaluation policies or approaches to teacher evaluation.

We are interested in the policies currently in place at your school, even if some parts of the teacher evaluation

system may be changing in future years.

TL1. Currently, are measures of student growth a required component of teacher evaluations in your school for all teachers, some teachers, or no teachers?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ All teachers

2 □ Some teachers (Please specify which types of teachers)

3 □ No teachers GO TO TL5

TL2. Currently, to what extent does student growth evidence factor into the overall teacher evaluation? For example, student growth may be a “significant” factor in evaluations or have a specific weight (such as 20 percent) in the overall teacher evaluation. If this varies for different types of teachers, please describe this variation.

(Please specify the extent to which student growth is factored into overall teacher evaluations)

TL3. Are any of the following measures used to assess student growth for teacher evaluations?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. State test scores	1 □	0 □
b. Scores on assessments other than state tests	1 □	0 □
c. Some other measure of achievement? (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

T

IF TL1 IS “ALL TEACHERS” OR “NO TEACHERS,” GO TO TL5 ON PAGE 10.
OTHERWISE CONTINUE TO TL4.

L4. For which of the following subject areas is student growth measured for teacher evaluations?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. Reading/language arts	1 □	0 □
b. Mathematics	1 □	0 □
c. Some other subject(s)? (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

TL5. Currently, how often are teachers who are in their probationary period evaluated in your school?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Two times per year

2 □ Every year

3 □ Every other year

4 □ Some other interval (Please specify)

TL6. What is the duration of this probationary period?

(Please specify)

TL7. Currently, how often are teachers who are not in a probationary period evaluated in your school?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Two times per year

2 □ Every year

3 □ Every other year

4 □ Some other interval (Please specify)

TL8. Apart from the student growth measures just addressed, which of the following other measures of teacher performance are currently used by your school for teacher evaluations? If a particular measure is used only for some teachers, please specify the types of teachers for whom the measure is used.

	MARK ONE ONLY FOR EACH ROW
	Required for all teachers	Required for some teachers	Not required for any teachers
a. Classroom observations conducted by the principal	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
b. Classroom observations conducted by someone other than the principal (such as a peer or mentor teacher)	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
c. Self-assessment	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
d. Peer assessments	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
e. Portfolios or other artifacts of teacher practice	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
f. Student work samples	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
g. Student surveys or other feedback	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
h. Parent surveys or other feedback	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □
i. Something else? (Please specify)	2 □	1 □ (Specify)	0 □

TL9. Currently, how many rating categories or levels (such as highly effective, effective, and needs improvement) are used in your school when evaluating overall teacher performance?

| | | | NUMBER OF TEACHER RATING CATEGORIES

Next, we would like to ask about your school’s use of teacher evaluations.

TL10. Currently, are teacher evaluation results used to guide decisions about what professional development and support is offered, recommended, or required for individual teachers in your school?

1 □ Yes (Please specify how evaluation results are used to guide decisions about teacher professional development and support for individual teachers)

0 □ No

TL11. Currently, can teachers in your school earn tenure or some other continuing right to their job that cannot be revoked without due process?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TL13

TL12. Currently, is there a minimum level of student growth for a teacher in your school to earn tenure or some other continuing right to their job that cannot be revoked without due process? If so, what amount of student growth is required? For example, at least one year of student growth might be required.

1 □ Yes (Please describe the amount of student growth required to earn tenure or some other continuing right to employment)

0 □ No

TL13. Currently, is teacher effectiveness, rather than seniority, the primary consideration in reductions in force and excessing decisions for your school (if your school were to reduce the size of its faculty).

1 □ Yes (Please specify how teacher effectiveness is or would be considered in reductions in force decisions)

0 □ No

TL14. Currently, do teacher evaluation results contribute to decisions about annual salary increases for teachers in your school?

1 □ Yes (Please specify how evaluation results are used)

0 □ No

TL15. Currently, do any teachers in your school have the opportunity to receive bonuses or other performance-based compensation (other than annual salary increases)?

1 □ Yes (Please specify the type of bonuses or performance-based compensation that are available)

0 □ No GO TO TL17

TL16. Currently, do teacher evaluation results contribute to the decision to provide bonuses or other performance-based compensation (other than annual salary increases) for teachers in your school?

1 □ Yes (Please specify how evaluation results are used)

0 □ No

TL17. Currently, do any teachers in your school have career-advancement opportunities available to them (for example, career pathways to become mentors, instructional coaches, classroom observers, content area experts, or department heads, or to apply for other leadership positions in the school or district)?

1 □ Yes (Please specify what advancement opportunities are available)

0 □ No GO TO TL19

TL18. Currently, are teacher evaluation results used to guide decisions about career advancement for teachers in your school?

1 □ Yes (Please specify how evaluation results are used)

0 □ No

Next, we would like to learn more about your school’s principal evaluation.

TL19. Currently, which of the following measures are used to evaluate the performance of your school’s principal?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. Student growth measures (Specify subjects)	1 □	0 □
b. Self-assessment	1 □	0 □
c. District administrator input	1 □	0 □
d. School staff surveys or other feedback	1 □	0 □
e. Student surveys or other feedback	1 □	0 □
f. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

IF “a” IS “NO,” SKIP TO TL21.

TL20. Currently, to what extent does student growth factor into the overall principal evaluation? For example, student growth may be a “significant” factor in evaluations or have a specific weight (such as 20 percent) in the overall principal evaluation.

(Please specify the extent to which student growth is factored into overall principal evaluations)

This next section asks you about how the principal evaluation results are used.

TL21. Currently, are principal evaluation results used to develop professional development and/or support plans specifically for the principal of your school?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TL22. Currently, do principal evaluation results contribute to decisions about annual salary increases for the principal of your school?

1 □ Yes (Please specify how evaluation results are used)

0 □ No

TL23. Currently, does the principal of your school have the opportunity to receive a bonus or other performance-based compensation (other than regular salary increases)?

1 □ Yes (Please specify the types of bonuses or performance-based compensation that are available) _____________________________________________________________________________

0 □ No GO TO TL25

TL24. Currently, do principal evaluation results contribute to the decision to provide bonuses or performance-based compensation to the principal of your school?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

This next section asks about the strategies that your school uses to help recruit and retain effective teachers and principals.

TL25. Do current teacher-assignment policies for your school allow for principal discretion or authority to decide which staff to hire staff for your school? If yes, please describe the discretion or authority available to your school’s principal when making hiring decisions.

1 □ Yes (Please specify the discretion or authority available to the school’s principal)

0 □ No

TL26. Currently, do teachers and/or the principal at your school have the opportunity to receive any of the following financial incentives? For item h below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR TEACHERS			MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR THE PRINCIPAL
	Yes	No	NA	Yes	No	NA
a. Signing/recruitment bonuses for beginning to work in this school	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
b. Retention bonuses for continuing to work in the school	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
c. Performance bonuses	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
d. Increased annual compensation other than bonuses	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
e. Loan forgiveness	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
f. Tuition reimbursement	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
g. Housing (purchase or rent) assistance	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □
h. Financial incentives targeted toward increasing the number of staff with English language learner expertise in the school (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □	1 □	0 □	NA □
i. Other financial incentives (Please specify)	1 □	0 □		1 □	0 □

TL27. Currently, does your school offer increased induction support (above and beyond that provided to all novice teachers in the district) for novice teachers in this school?

1 □ Yes (Please specify the additional induction or support provided to novice teachers in this school)

0 □ No

TL28. Within the past year, has your school engaged in any of the following activities?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	YES	NO
a. Provided additional professional development, mentoring and/or instructional coaching to teachers and/or school leaders (such as principals, assistant principals, or department heads)	1 □	0 □
b. Improved opportunities for collaboration such as common planning time	1 □	0 □
c. Improved the quality of school facilities	1 □	0 □
d. Increased availability of classroom or instructional supplies	1 □	0 □
e. Enhanced safety measures in the building	1 □	0 □
f. Increased access to technology for teachers	1 □	0 □
g. Offered more flexible work conditions (for example, flexible schedule)	1 □	0 □
h. Increased use of aides/paraprofessionals	1 □	0 □
i. Increased use of volunteers (for example, parents)	1 □	0 □
j. Something else (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

Now we’d like to ask about the professional development and other supports that your principal and other school leaders (for example, assistant principals or department heads) may have received either from your state or your district to support school improvement activities.

TL29. During the current school year, have the state and/or district provided professional development or other support to the principal and/or other leaders of this school on any of the following topics? For item e below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	YES	NO	NA
a. Aligning professional development with teacher evaluation results	1 □	0 □
b. Identifying effective instructional staff for leadership positions and supporting them in such positions	1 □	0 □
c. Working with parents	1 □	0 □
d. Integrating cultural sensitivity into the school environment	1 □	0 □
e. Ensuring that English language learners acquire the language skills needed to master academic content	1 □	0 □	NA □
f. Analyzing and revising budgets to use resources more effectively	1 □	0 □
g. Strategies for turning around a low-performing school	1 □	0 □
h. Something else (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

Next, we would like to learn more about your school’s receipt of funds to support school improvement efforts.

TA1. To your knowledge, did your school receive School Improvement Grant funds for school improvement efforts in the current school year?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TA2. To your knowledge, did your school receive School Improvement Grant funds for school improvement efforts in the 2010–2011 school year?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TA3. Did your state receive a Race to the Top grant?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TA6

TA4. To your knowledge, did your school receive Race to the Top funds specifically for school improvement efforts in the current school year? If so, please specify the purpose(s) of those funds—for instance, to implement one of the four school intervention models specified by the U.S. Department of Education or for some other purpose.

1 □ Yes (Please specify)

0 □ No

TA5. To your knowledge, did your school receive Race to the Top funds specifically for school improvement efforts in the 2010–2011school year? If your school received Race to the Top funds in 2010-2011, please specify the purpose(s) of those funds—for instance, to implement one of the four school intervention models specified by the U.S. Department of Education or for some other purpose.

1 □ Yes (Please specify)

0 □ No

Next, we would like to learn about the school intervention model your school is implementing, if applicable.

TA6. Is your school a charter school?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TA7. Are you using one of the four school intervention models specified by the U.S. Department of Education for the SIG and RTT grant programs for turning around schools? These models are Turnaround, Transformation, Restart, and Closure. Please report use of one of these four models regardless of the source of funding (for example, whether the implementation of the model was funded through Race to the Top, School Improvement Grants, or Section 1003(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TA10

TA8. Which of the four intervention models is being implemented in your school?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Turnaround model (the principal and at least half of the staff are replaced; also, changes are made
in the instructional program, professional development, learning time, and operational flexibility)

2 □ Transformation model (the model is similar to the Turnaround model, except (1) 50% of the staff
don’t have to be replaced and (2) student growth must factor into teacher evaluations)

3 □ Restart model (the school is closed and then reopened under a charter or education management organization)

4 □ Closure model (the school is in the process of being closed and current students will attend other
schools in the district after the school is closed)

TA9. Which of the following factors informed the decision regarding the school intervention model to use in this school? For item f below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No	NA
a. State priorities and guidance (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
b. Previous academic achievement of the school	1 □	0 □
c. Availability of funding from sources other than SIG or RTT	1 □	0 □
d. Parent/community input	1 □	0 □
e. School interest in and commitment to specific models	1 □	0 □
f. The percentage of English language learners in the school	1 □	0 □	NA □
g. The percentage of another population of students in the school (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
h. School desire to retain current principal	1 □	0 □
i. Existing, ongoing efforts to turn around some of the eligible schools	1 □	0 □
j. District and/or school capacity (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
k. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

TA10. Did your district or school consider, but ultimately decide not to implement, one or more of the four intervention models specified by the U.S. Department of Education in your school (that is, Turnaround, Restart, Closure, or Transformation)?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TA12

TA11. Which of the following were reasons why your district or school ultimately decided not to implement one or more of the ED‑specified intervention models in your school?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. Issues related to charter schools, such as our state does not allow charter schools, our state had exceeded the cap or enrollment restriction on charter schools, or our state did not authorize our charter	1 □	0 □
b. Shortages of qualified staff made it difficult to implement a model	1 □	0 □
c. We do not have schools to which we could move students if we closed the school	1 □	0 □
d. Parents, the community, or school staff opposed certain model(s)	1 □	0 □
e. There was not enough time to plan and implement certain model(s)	1 □	0 □
f. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

Next, we’d like to ask about improvement strategies that are sometimes implemented in schools and whether these strategies are being used in your school.

TA12. Since July 2010, did your school implement changes to any of the following? For item e below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No	NA
a. English language arts curriculum	1 □	0 □
b. Math curriculum	1 □	0 □
c. Instructional approaches in English language arts	1 □	0 □
d. Instructional approaches in math	1 □	0 □
e. Strategies to meet the needs of English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
f. School administrative structure	1 □	0 □
g. Discipline policies	1 □	0 □
h. Nonacademic supports (for example, mental health supports) for students	1 □	0 □
i. Policies or strategies related to parent and/or community engagement	1 □	0 □
j. Policies around the use of data for instructional improvement	1 □	0 □
k. Monitoring of student readiness for grade promotion and/or high school graduation	1 □	0 □
l. Monitoring of students’ college readiness (e.g., participation in Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment)	1 □	0 □
m. Other changes (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

Next, we would like to learn about the human resources at your school.

TA13. Did your school get a new principal between July 2010 and June 2011?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TA14. Did your school get a new principal between July 2011 and today?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TA15. Since July 2010, did your school pursue any other major or significant leadership changes (aside from the principal) as part of your school improvement efforts?

1 □ Yes (Please specify)

0 □ No

TA16. Since July 2010, did your school review the strengths and competencies of all existing instructional staff to assess the extent to which they were likely to be successful working in a school turnaround or improvement context?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TA18

TA17. What strengths or competencies were examined?

(Please specify)

TA18. Since July 2010, did your school remove instructional staff through firing or counseling out as part of school improvement efforts?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TA20

TA19. What proportion of existing instructional staff was removed through firing or counseling out as part of school improvement efforts?

| | | | PERCENTAGE

TA20. Since July 2010, did your school hire a significant number of new staff (at least 50 percent of staff or more) as part of school improvement efforts?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO TA22

TA21. Were these new hires assessed for whether they possessed specific strengths or competencies deemed important to be successful working in a school turnaround or improvement context?

1 □ Yes (Please specify the specific competencies/skills sought in new staff)

0 □ No

Next, we’d like to learn about the professional development that instructional staff in your school have received in the current school year.

TA22. Which of the following topics have been a focus of the professional development provided to instructional staff this school year? For item e below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No	NA
a. Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards	1 □	0 □
b. Aligning instruction to state standards	1 □	0 □
c. Instructional strategies (Please specify which instructional strategies were part of the professional development)	1 □	0 □
d. Using data to improve and/or differentiate instruction (Please specify the specific strategies to improve and/or differentiate instruction that were part of the professional development)	1 □	0 □
e. Meeting the needs of English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
f. Strategies for turning around a low-performing school (Please specify)	1 □	0 □
g. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

TA23. How would you characterize the nature of the professional development activities provided to instructional staff in your school this year in terms of the following characteristics? For example, focusing on the first row below, would you say that all, most, roughly half, few, or none of the professional development provided to instructional staff this school year were single-session,
one-time events?

	MARK ONE ONLY FOR EACH ROW
	All	Most	Roughly Half	Few	None
a. Single-session, one-time events	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □
b. Multiple-session events	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □
c. Involved practice in the classroom	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □
d. Required for all instructional staff	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □
e. Were designed with input from school staff	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □

Next, we would like to learn more about your school’s schedule.

TA24. Does your school schedule currently use or offer any of the following?

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. Block scheduling	1 □	0 □
b. Before- and/or after-school instruction	1 □	0 □
c. Weekend instruction	1 □	0 □
d. Summer instruction	1 □	0 □

TA25. In the current school year, how many minutes of math instruction are being provided to the average student in your school? Please specify the period over which such instruction occurs (that is, per day, every other day, or some other period).

| | | | MINUTES

1 □ Day

2 □ Every other day

3 □ Some other interval (Please specify)

TA26. In the current school year, how many minutes of English/Language Arts instruction are being provided to the average student in your school? Please specify the period over which such instruction occurs (that is, per day, every other day, or some other period).

| | | | MINUTES

1 □ Day

2 □ Every other day

3 □ Some other interval (Please specify)

TA27. In the current school year, how many hours per day is your school in session for students?

| | | HOURS

TA28. In the 2009–2010 school year, how many hours per day was your school in session for students?

| | | HOURS

TA29. In the current school year, how many days per year is your school in session for students?

| | | | DAYS

TA30. In the 2009–2010 school year, how many days per year was your school in session for students?

| | | | DAYS

Curriculum and Instruction

Next, we would like to learn more about the curriculum and instruction at your school.

TA31. This school year, how often does the typical English language arts teacher in your school engage in the following activities?

	MARK ONE ONLY FOR EACH ROW
Activity	Daily	Weekly	Monthly	A Few Times Per Year	Once Per Year	Never
a. Use project-based learning (for example, hands-on, inquiry-based activities) in classes	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □	6 □
b. Use cooperative learning (for example, peer tutoring, learning in small groups) with students	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □	6 □
c. Use tiered interventions (for example, targeted/pull-out services for struggling students, intensive support to students who do not respond to interventions)	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □	6 □
d. Use computer-assisted instruction	1 □	2 □	3 □	4 □	5 □	6 □

TA32. Is your school currently using any of the following methods to organize classes or other groups of students for instruction? For item e below, if your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No	NA
a. Traditional grades or academic discipline-based departments	1 □	0 □
b. Grades or the school subdivided into small learning communities, such as “houses,” “families,” “teams,” or field/career-oriented “academies” such as health or sciences	1 □	0 □
c. Student groups that remain two or more years with the same teacher (for example, looping)	1 □	0 □
d. Interdisciplinary teaching (two/more teachers with different academic specializations collaborate on an interdisciplinary program) or paired/team teaching (two/more teachers in the same class at the same time are jointly responsible for instruction)	1 □	0 □
e. Specialized classes for English language learners (such as newcomer class, English as a second language, sheltered content)	1 □	0 □	NA □
f. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

TA33. Currently, do all, some, or no teachers in your school have common planning time to meet in teams? If some (but not all) teachers have common planning time, please specify which teachers have common planning time.

1 □ All teachers

2 □ Some teachers (Please specify which types of teachers)

3 □ No teachers GO TO TA36

TA34. How often do teachers in your school have common planning time?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Daily

2 □ Several times per week

3 □ Once per week

4 □ Once per month

5 □ A few times per year

TA35. Does your school require that your teachers participate in common planning time?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No

TA36. Which of the following strategies/approaches does your school currently use to meet the needs of your school’s English language learners? If your school does not have English language learners, select “NA.”

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No	NA
a. Use a curriculum that specifically addresses English language learners’ needs (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □
b. Implement instructional strategies that specifically address English language learners’ needs, such as needs-based grouping, differentiated instruction, or increased progress testing of English language learners (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □
c. Provide instruction programs specifically designed for English language learners (such as English as a second language or bilingual programs) (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □
d. Provide specialized classes for English language learners (such as newcomer class, sheltered content class) (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □
e. Provide additional services for English language learners (such as tutors, bilingual aides, after-school program) (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □
f. Provide professional development for teachers on providing instruction to English language learners	1 □	0 □	NA □
g. Use data on English language learners in school decision making	1 □	0 □	NA □
h. Other (Please specify)	1 □	0 □	NA □

Next, we would like to learn more about your school’s use of interim or benchmark assessments. By benchmark or interim assessments, we mean assessments sponsored by the state, district, or school, that are administered periodically throughout the school year, at specified times during a curriculum sequence, to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to an explicit set of longer-term learning goals.

TA37. How often does the typical English language arts teacher in your school use benchmark or interim assessments?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ 0 times per year

2 □ 1–2 times per year

3 □ 3–4 times per year

4 □ 5–6 times per year

5 □ 7–8 times per year

6 □ More than 8 times per year

TA38. How often does the typical math teacher in your school use benchmark or interim assessments?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ 0 times per year

2 □ 1–2 times per year

3 □ 3–4 times per year

4 □ 5–6 times per year

5 □ 7–8 times per year

6 □ More than 8 times per year

Next, we would like to learn about the supports that your school has received from the state and/or district.

TA39. Since July 2010, have the state and/or district provided any of the following types of training or technical assistance to your school? Please include assistance provided directly by state or district staff as well as assistance funded by the state or district but provided by someone other than state or district staff, for example, external consultants or staff from a regional office.

	MARK “YES” OR “NO” FOR EACH ROW
	Yes	No
a. Training or technical assistance on developing and implementing a school improvement plan	1 □	0 □
b. Training or technical assistance on identifying curricula, instructional strategies, or school reform models that have been shown to be effective at increasing student achievement	1 □	0 □
c. Training or technical assistance on identifying curricula, instructional strategies, or school reform models that have been shown to be effective at improving college readiness	1 □	0 □
d. Training or technical assistance on developing strategies to recruit and retain more effective teachers	1 □	0 □
e. Other assistance? (Please specify)	1 □	0 □

TA40. Currently, does your school, the district, or the state have primary responsibility for decisions in each of the following areas for your school?

	MARK ONE ONLY FOR EACH ROW
	School	District	State
a. Setting student discipline policies	1 □	2 □	3 □
b. Developing the school budget	1 □	2 □	3 □
c. Establishing the curriculum (including core texts)	1 □	2 □	3 □
d. Setting student assessment policies (on assessments other than state-mandated tests)	1 □	2 □	3 □
e. Staff hiring, discipline, and dismissal	1 □	2 □	3 □
f. Determining the length of the school day	1 □	2 □	3 □
g. Determining the length of the school year	1 □	2 □	3 □
h. Setting requirements for professional development	1 □	2 □	3 □

TA41. Does your school currently have a state- or district-sponsored external support provider(s) or consultant(s) that regularly provides technical assistance to your school administrators or instructional staff around school improvement efforts?

1 □ Yes

0 □ No GO TO END OF SURVEY

TA42. How often does the external support provider(s) or consultant(s) visit your school?

MARK ONE ONLY

1 □ Weekly

2 □ Monthly

3 □ Quarterly

4 □ Annually

5 □ Other (Please specify)

TA43. What was the focus of the support that the external providers or consultants provided to your school staff this year?

(Please specify)

THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING THIS QUESTIONNAIRE. [IF COMPARISON SCHOOL] YOU SHOULD RECEIVE YOU CHECK FOR $30 IN 2-3 WEEKS.

Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research