Impacts of a Detailed Checklist on Formative Feedback to Teachers

Wave 2 Teacher Recruitment Script– – SPRING 2015

Subject: Invitation to take final $25 survey to improve the NMTEACH teacher evaluation process

title first_name_teacher last_name_teacher

School_name

full_district_name

Dear title last_name_teacher,

Thank you for participating in the Regional Education Lab Southwest (REL Southwest) study of New Mexico principals’ feedback to teachers! You completed our spring 2015 survey. See your responses here. We are now inviting you to complete the second and final teacher survey. It will take approximately 30 minutes to complete the online survey.

As a reminder, all New Mexico public school principals were invited to participate in the study, which is supported by both the New Mexico Public Education Department and your school district. (To see the letter of support from NM PED and districts, visit {REL Southwest website}.)

Click this link to read your rights as a research subject and complete the spring 2016 survey.

https://survey.rand.org/research/hosting/ced/

Login Code: [MMIC code here]

REL Southwest researchers will keep your survey answers confidential. The survey will not be used to evaluate you or your school. Only researchers from the REL Southwest will view your answers, and all answers will be aggregated before being included in the public report. The survey results will help NM PED refine NM TEACH, and hopefully help other states improve their teacher evaluation systems.

If you prefer that we use a different email address for you, please send your request to the survey coordinator, [MMIC staff person here].

Below are some answers to frequently asked questions. If you have any additional questions about the survey, please feel free to contact me at [MMIC survey coordinator email address here], tel. [MMIC survey coordinator # here].

Sincerely,

[MMIC survey coordinator name]

Survey Coordinator

Southwest REL researcher

Frequently Asked Questions

How was I selected for this survey? We are asking all teachers who completed the spring 2015 survey (for $25) to take the spring 2016 survey (for another $25). We invited up to 10 teachers to take the 2015 survey in each school where a principal has agreed to participate in the study.

What do I get for completing the survey? You will receive a $25 gift card for completing the survey. You’ll be able to choose your gift card from more than 200 merchants. To see the full list of merchants, go to http://www.icardgiftcard.com/gift-cards/.

What is the purpose of the survey and how will the results be used? The Southwest Regional Educational Lab is conducting this study to learn about the feedback principals give to teachers under NM TEACH, and teachers’ perceptions of that feedback. The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. For more information about the study, visit {REL Southwest website}. Results will be used to provide New Mexico Public Education Department feedback regarding how to improve NM TEACH training for principals and teachers.

Who is conducting the survey? Southwest REL researchers are conducting this survey. The researchers are from the RAND Corporation, which is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization.

Who will get the survey results? Only Southwest REL researchers will see individual results. The survey results will be summarized across all survey respondents, and Southwest REL will present summaries of results to NM PED and to the federal Department of Education. We adhere to strict codes of confidentiality and will NEVER release individual responses in any way that could identify respondents.

Am I required to complete the survey? No, the survey is voluntary. However, we strongly encourage you to participate. The survey is an opportunity to share your views of NM TEACH and to describe the post-observation feedback process.

How do I complete the survey? You complete the survey online, accessing it from a link shown above. This is your own individual link, so please do not share it with anyone or alter it.

Who can I contact if I have more questions or concerns? If you have general questions, you can contact [first and last name of survey coordinator]. [He/She] is available by email ([survey email account]@rand.org) or by phone (1-866-MMIC- – toll-free). If you have concerns or questions about your rights as a participant, contact the REL Southwest at SEDL (which is responsible for the protection of project participants): {email}, toll free at {XX}, or c/o IRB, {address}.