California Standards Implementation Survey of District Staff October 2015 Thank you for taking this survey endorsed by the California State Board of Education and California Department of Education. Its purpose is to learn more about your district’s experiences implementing California’s English Language Arts and mathematics standards. Results from the survey will help state leaders learn more about the ways the California standards are affecting classroom instruction and professional development. If you do not supervise curriculum and instruction and/or professional development for your district, please forward the survey to the single individual best equipped to answer questions about these issues. The information provided will be kept strictly confidential. Results of the survey will be reported only in summary form so that neither individuals nor their districts can be identified. This is not an evaluation of any program or individual. The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. A. CALIFORNIA’S NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATHEMATICS STANDARDS A1. How would you describe the support your district receives for implementing California’s new English Language Arts (ELA) standards from the following groups? Select one response per row. [Response options: General Lack of Support, Some Support, Support was Initially Low and is Increasing, Consistently High Support, Not Sure] a. State education agency b. Our county office c. Other county office (Please specify): d. Other support provider (Please specify): A2. How would you describe the support your district receives for implementing California’s new mathematics standards from the following groups? Select one response per row. [Response options: General Lack of Support, Some Support, Support was Initially Low and is Increasing, Consistently High Support, Not Sure] a. State education agency b. Our county office c. Other county office (Please specify): d. Other support provider (Please specify): A3. Please rate the quality of supports your district may have received to help you make progress in implementing California’s new English Language Arts (ELA) standards. (If your district did not receive a particular support, please select “did not receive this support.”) Select one response per row. [Response options: Did Not Receive This Support, Poor Quality, Adequate Quality, Excellent Quality] a. Curriculum materials b. State curriculum framework c. Digital tools (such as on-line textbooks or webinars) d. Professional development programs for teachers e. Professional development programs for principals f. My Digital Chalkboard g. Access to Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources h. Information about assessments aligned to California’s new ELA standards i. Information about how California’s new ELA standards change what is expected of teachers’ instructional practice j. Information about how California’s new ELA standards change what is expected of students k. Information about how to strengthen teachers’ ELA instructional practices l. Other (Please specify) 1 A4. Please indicate which three (3) of the following supports for implementing California’s new English Language Arts (ELA) standards would be most helpful for your district moving forward? Please select three choices. □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ Curriculum materials State curriculum framework Digital tools (such as on-line textbooks or webinars) Professional development programs for teachers Professional development programs for principals My Digital Chalkboard (or similar online communities) Access to Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources Information about assessments aligned to California’s new ELA standards Information about how California’s new ELA standards change what is expected of teachers’ instructional practices Information about how California’s new ELA standards change what is expected of students Information about how to strengthen teachers’ ELA instructional practices Other (please specify): A5. Please rate the quality of supports your district may have received to help you make progress in implementing California’s new mathematics standards. (If your district did not receive a particular support, please select “did not receive this support.”) Select one response per row. [Response options: Did Not Receive This Support, Poor Quality, Adequate Quality, Excellent Quality] a. Curriculum materials b. State curriculum framework c. Digital tools (such as on-line textbooks or webinars) d. Professional development programs for teachers e. Professional development programs for principals f. My Digital Chalkboard g. Access to Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources h. Information about assessments aligned to California’s new mathematics standards i. Information about how California’s new mathematics standards change what is expected of teachers’ instructional practice j. Information about how California’s new mathematics standards change what is expected of students k. Information about how to strengthen teachers’ mathematics instructional practices l. Other (Please specify): 2 A6. Please indicate which three (3) of the following supports for implementing California’s new mathematics standards would be most helpful for your district moving forward? Please select three choices. □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ Curriculum materials State curriculum framework Digital tools (such as on-line textbooks or webinars) Professional development programs for teachers Professional development programs for principals My Digital Chalkboard (or similar online communities) Access to Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources Information about assessments aligned to California’s new mathematics standards Information about how California’s new mathematics standards change what is expected of teachers’ instructional practices Information about how California’s new mathematics standards change what is expected of students Information about how to strengthen teachers’ mathematics instructional practices Other (Please specify): *A7.Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about the capacity of your district to effectively implement California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards. Select one response per row. [Response options: Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Neither Agree Nor Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Agree] *a. The district provides adequate resources to schools to successfully implement California’s new standards. *b. The district provides schools with adequate time to successfully implement California’s new standards. *c. The district provides adequate professional development to support schools’ successful implementation of California’s new standards. *d. The district has sufficient expertise, or access to expertise, to help principals and teachers successfully implement California’s new standards. * A version of this question appears on district staff surveys in other states. 3 A8. Please indicate the degree to which you believe the following are aligned to California’s new standards. Select one response per row. [Response options: Not at All Aligned, Somewhat Aligned, Aligned, Strongly Aligned, Not Sure] a. State assessments b. School- or teacher-created summative assessments c. Smarter Balanced interim assessments d. Local formative and diagnostic assessments e. Mathematics textbooks f. English/Language Arts textbooks g. Mathematics curriculum selected or developed by your district h. English Language Arts curriculum selected or developed by your district A9. How would you rate the strength of your district’s progress in implementing California’s new standards in the following areas? Select one response per row. [Response options: Poor, Good, Excellent, Not Applicable] a. Providing professional development for teaching to California’s new English Language Arts standards b. Implementing California’s new English Language Arts standards in classrooms c. Providing professional development for teaching to California’s new English Language Development Framework d. Implementing California’s new English Language Development standards in classrooms e. Implementing California’s new ELA/ELD Curriculum Framework f. Providing professional development for teaching to California’s new mathematics standards g. Implementing California’s new mathematics standards in classrooms h. Aligning instructional materials to California’s new standards i. Using computer-based/computer-adaptive assessments j. Integrating technology into classroom instruction k. Integrating language development and subject matter learning l. Addressing the needs of special populations A10. Has your district used any of the following resources to align instructional materials to California’s new standards? Select one response per row. [Response options: Yes, No] a. State-adopted instructional materials b. Smarter Balanced sample items c. State mathematics curriculum framework d. State English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework e. California’s mathematics standards progressions f. Basal alignment project g. Publishers’ criteria for ELA/ELD h. Publishers’ criteria for mathematics i. Other (Please specify) 4 A11. How would you rate the preparedness of the following district and school staff to implement California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not Very Prepared, Somewhat Prepared, Prepared, Very Prepared, Not Applicable] a. District superintendent and board b. District office curriculum staff c. District office English Learners (EL) staff d. District office research staff e. District office special education staff f. District office technology staff g. District office communication staff h. Principals i. Other school administrators A12. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about your district’s implementation of California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards with English Learner (EL) students. Select one response per row. [Response options: Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Neither Agree Nor Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Agree] a. My district’s English language assessments are aligned to California’s new standards. b. My district has aligned English language development standards to California’s new ELD framework. c. My district highly prioritizes ensuring that ELLs are able to meet the rigor of California’s new ELA/ELD and mathematics standards. d. Purchases of new instructional materials for ELLs focus on supplemental and intervention materials. e. My district considers the needs of ELLs as a major factor when purchasing new instructional materials. A13. From your perspective, to what extent has your district focused on the following changes promoted by California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not At All, Small Extent, Moderate Extent, Large Extent] a. Shifts in teacher practice b. Shifts in the type and quality of student work c. Shifts in teacher content knowledge d. Appropriate supports for students with special needs e. Appropriate supports for English Learners 5 A14. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about your district’s readiness to implement California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards. Select one response per row. [Response options: Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Neither Agree Nor Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Agree] a. Tracking implementation of California’s new standards is a high priority for my district. b. My district has developed interim assessments aligned with California’s new standards. c. My district has established a regular timetable for collecting implementation data. d. My district has a communication strategy to inform stakeholders on the progress of implementing California’s new standards. e. The implementation goals that my district has developed are understood among school-level staff. f. My district uses implementation data to tailor professional development for school-level staff. g. My district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan outlines our implementation efforts. A15. Has your district used any of the following types of data to measure the implementation of California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards? Select one response per row. [Response options: Yes, No] a. Interim assessment scores aligned to California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards b. Student behavior data (attendance, disciplinary referrals, etc.) c. Technology surveys to assess progress toward meeting the minimum requirements for next generation assessments d. Classroom observation instruments aligned to California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards e. Student work samples aligned to California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards f. Teacher surveys to assess their understanding of new English Language Arts and mathematics standards g. Principal surveys to assess their preparedness to provide instructional leadership aligned with California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards h. Principal surveys to assess their understanding of California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards i. Parent/stakeholder surveys to assess awareness of California’s new English Language Arts a nd mathematics standards j. Percentages of English Learners moving into higher English proficiency levels k. Student performance on interim assessments 6 B. TEACHER DEVELOPMENT B1. In your opinion, how much of a barrier are each of the following to providing effective professional development to teachers in your district? Select one response per row. [Response options: Major Barrier, Minor Barrier, Not a Barrier] a. Teachers’ lack of sufficient time for teacher professional development b. Lack of professional development providers with the skills your teachers need c. Lack of funding dedicated specifically for teacher professional development d. Other (Please specify): B2. Are teachers in the district offered any of the following to encourage their participation in professional development activities? Select one response per row. [Response options: Yes, No, Don’t Know] a. Release time from teaching (such as regular teaching responsibilities temporarily assigned to someone else) b. Scheduled time in the contract year for professional development c. Stipend for professional development activities that take place outside regular work hours d. Full or partial reimbursement of college tuition e. Reimbursement for conference or workshop fees f. Reimbursement for travel and/or daily expenses to attend conferences or workshops *B3. To what extent did each of the following factors influence your district’s decisions about teachers’ professional development during the 2014-2015 school year (including summer 2014)? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not At All, Small Extent, Moderate Extent, Large Extent, Don’t Know] *a. *b. *c. *d. *e. *f. *g. *h. *i. Observations of classroom practice Student assessment data Overall teacher effectiveness ratings Conversations with or input from teachers Input from students Input from parents Input from district staff Input from other school administrators Input from teacher leaders, mentors, or coaches * A version of this question appears on district staff surveys in other states. 7 *B4. During the 2014-15 school year (including summer 2014), how successful do you feel your district was at engaging in the following activities with teachers and school administrators? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not At All Successful, Somewhat Unsuccessful, Somewhat Successful, Very Successful, Don’t Know ] *a. Identifying the professional development needs of groups of teachers or staff as a whole *b. Identifying the professional development needs of individual teachers *c. Ensuring that teachers receive support for the California standards they have not yet mastered B5. How often are the following California Standards topics evident in the district’s professional development for English Language Arts? Select one response per row. [Response options: Never Evident, Rarely Evident, Sometimes Evident, Often Evident] a. Building a shared understanding of the instructional shifts in English Language Arts required by California’s new standards b. Building students’ evidence-based reading and writing skills c. Building students’ background knowledge through content-rich nonfiction texts d. Building students’ academic vocabulary e. Building content knowledge in English Language Arts to teach California’s new standards f. Using text-dependent questions to teach California’s new standards g. Teaching reading and writing across content areas h. Teaching complex texts using close-reading analysis i. Selecting materials conducive to teaching California’s new standards j. Building students’ ability to engage in academic discourse k. Addressing language demands of text from various disciplines l. Developing benchmark tests aligned to California’s new standards m. Understanding language progressions across grade levels n. Building an understandings of the next generation assessments in English Language Arts o. Analyzing student work samples based on grade-level expectations of California’s new standards p. Integrating technology into classroom instruction 8 B6. How often are the following California Standards topics evident in the district’s professional development for mathematics? Select one response per row. [Response options: Never Evident, Rarely Evident, Sometimes Evident, Often Evident] a. Building a shared understanding of the instructional shifts in math required by California’s new standards b. Building students’ deep understanding of math concepts c. Building content knowledge in math to teach California’s new standards d. Linking math topics within grades for coherence e. Developing students’ ability to justify their solutions to math items f. Building a shared understanding of instructional practice in math to teach California’s new standards g. Building students’ fluency in math computations h. Ensuring that teachers know the content focus of their grade level i. Selecting materials conducive to teaching California’s new mathematics standards j. Helping students apply math concepts to real world situations k. Understanding the progressions of math concepts across grade levels l. Using complex math language in classrooms m. Developing benchmark tests aligned to California’s new standards n. Analyzing student work samples based on grade-level expectations of California’s new standards o. Building an understandings of the next generation assessments in math p. Integrating technology into classroom instruction B7. To what extent are the following topics related to technology evident in the district’s professional development? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not At All, Small Extent, Moderate Extent, Large Extent] a. Using technology to enable students to interact and collaborate with other students b. Using technology strategically for graphing, modeling, and analyzing mathematical problems c. Enabling students to evaluate information presented in different media formats d. Ensuring that students can strategically use technological tools and mediums to best suit their communication goals e. Using technology to enable students to produce and publish writing f. Ensuring students are familiar with the strengths and limitations of various technological tools and mediums g. Using computer-adaptive assessments to monitor student progress h. Integrating computer-based assessments in the classroom 9 B8. How often do district and school staff participate in the following activities to support the implementation of California’s new standards? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not At All, Annually, Quarterly, Monthly, Daily/Weekly] a. Teachers and principals meeting in professional learning communities b. Principals scheduling common planning time for teachers c. Teachers using online professional development resources aligned to California’s new standards d. District leadership convening key stakeholder groups (community leaders, business leaders, etc.) e. Teachers discussing California’s new standards during parent meetings f. Principals conducting faculty meetings exclusively focused on California’s new standards 10 C. DEMOGRAPHICS C1. Please indicate which of the following best describes your role in the district during the 2014-2015 school year: □ Superintendent □ Assistant Superintendent/Director of Curriculum and Instruction □ Assistant Superintendent/Director of Elementary or Secondary Education □ Assistant Superintendent/Director of Professional Development □ Other (Please specify) THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION. 11