California Standards Implementation Principal Survey October 2015 Thank you for taking this survey endorsed by the California State Board of Education and the California Department of Education. Its purpose is to learn more about your 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. The information you provide via this survey will be kept strictly confidential. Results of the survey will be reported only in summary form so that neither individuals nor their schools can be identified. This is not an evaluation of any program or individual. All respondents who complete the survey will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. A. CALIFORNIA’S NEW ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATHEMATICS STANDARDS *A1.Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about California’s new standards. Select one response per row. [Response options: Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Neither Agree Nor Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Agree] *a. The English Language Arts (ELA) standards are more rigorous than the previous state standards. *b. The ELA standards set appropriate expectations for student learning at each grade level. *c. The ELA standards are presented clearly. *d. The English Language Development (ELD) standards set appropriate expectations for student learning at each grade level. *e. The ELD standards are presented clearly. *f. The mathematics standards are more rigorous than the previous state standards. *g. The mathematics standards set appropriate expectations for student learning at each grade level. *h. The mathematics standards are presented clearly. *i. Clear expectations about California’s standards have been communicated to teachers. *j. California’s standards will positively affect the degree to which students are prepared for college and careers. *k. California’s standards make learning more relevant to students’ everyday lives. A2. Which of the following supports for implementing California’s new standards has your school received from your district, how helpful were these supports, from whom did you receive these supports, and do you need more support? Select one response per row. *A2a. Support received? [Response options: Yes, No] *A2b. How helpful was support? [Response options: Not Helpful, Somewhat Helpful, Helpful, Very Helpful] *A2c. What was the source of the support? [Response options: Yourself or Colleague(s), Administrator or District Staff, Other Provider] *A2d. Do you need more of this type of support? [Response options: Yes, No] *a. Curriculum materials aligned to California’s new English Language Arts (ELA) standards *b. Diagnostic assessments aligned to California’s new ELA standards *c. Curriculum materials aligned to California’s new mathematics standards *d. Diagnostic assessments aligned to California’s new mathematics standards *e. Digital tools (on-line textbooks, webinars, on-line communities, applications/apps, etc.) f. Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources *g. Information about how California’s new standards change what is expected of teachers’ instructional practices *h. Information about how California’s new standards change what is expected of students *i. Professional development on California’s new ELA standards *j. Professional development on California’s new mathematics standards *k. Other (Please specify): * A version of this question appears on principal surveys in other states. 1 A3. Do you think California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards have a positive or negative impact on each of the following? Select one response per row. [Response options: Negative Impact, Somewhat Negative Impact, Neutral: No Impact, Somewhat Positive Impact, Positive Impact] a. Consistency in learning goals for students from school-to-school b. Degree to which students will be prepared for careers c. Degree to which students will be prepared for college d. Overall quality of the education your students receive A4. Which of the following steps has your school taken to implement California’s new English Language Arts and mathematics standards? Select all that apply. □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ Adjusted our school improvement priorities to accommodate California’s new standards Created a leadership plan for the implementation of California’s new standards Convened departmental and/or grade-level groups to learn about California’s new standards Sent school staff to professional development sessions on California’s new standards Provided professional development sessions on using Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources Provided planning time for teachers Provided instructional materials and/or classroom libraries Provided additional technology for use during instruction Other (Please specify) *A5.Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about support for implementing 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. My district leadership provides my school with adequate resources for the successful implementation of California’s new standards. *b. My district leadership provides adequate time for my school to successfully implement California’s new standards. *c. My district provides adequate professional development to support my school’s implementation of California’s new standards. *d. My district administrators have sufficient expertise, or access to experts, to support my school’s implementation of California’s new standards. e. My district included teachers in developing its strategy for implementing California’s new standards. * A version of this question appears on principal surveys in other states. 2 A6. 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 California’s new ELA standards b. Implementing California’s new ELA standards in classrooms c. Providing professional development for teaching California’s new English Language Development (ELD) Framework d. Implementing California’s new ELD framework in classrooms e. Providing professional development for teaching California’s new mathematics standards f. Implementing California’s new mathematics standards in classrooms g. Aligning instructional materials to California’s new ELA standards h. Aligning instructional materials to California’s new mathematics standards i. Implementing computer-based/computer-adaptive assessments j. Integrating technology into classroom instruction k. Addressing the needs of special populations A7. 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, Don’t Know] a. Smarter Balanced sample items b. State mathematics curriculum framework c. State English Language Arts/English Language Development curriculum framework d. California’s new standards progressions in mathematics e. Basal alignment project f. Publishers’ criteria for ELA/ELD g. Publishers’ criteria for mathematics h. Other (Please specify) A8. Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about your school’s implementation of California’s new 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 school highly prioritizes ensuring that ELs are able to meet the rigor of California’s new standards. b. ELL teachers at my school are ready to ensure that ELs are able to meet the rigor of California’s new standards. c. General education teachers at my school are ready to ensure ELs are able to meet the rigor of California’s new standards. d. EL and general education teachers at my school are collaborating to ensure ELs are able to meet the rigor of California’s new standards. 3 A9. Has your school 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, Don’t Know] a. Interim/formative assessment scores aligned to California’s new standards b. Classroom observation instruments aligned to California’s new standards c. Student work samples aligned to California’s new standards d. English learner student performance on interim/formative assessments e. Student performance on interim/formative assessments f. The district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan and annual update 4 B. TEACHER DEVELOPMENT The next set of questions asks about professional development for teachers at your school. B1. We are interested in your assessment of the supports teachers in your school had for collaborating with colleagues during the 2014-15 school year. How would you rate the adequacy of each of the following? Select one response per row. [Response options: Not Enough, Minimal, Adequate, Optimal] a. Time for collaboration among teachers b. Materials provided to teachers for collaboration c. Expertise available to teachers for collaboration (such as instructional coaches or other staff support) d. Administrative support provided to teachers for collaboration *B2.Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. Select one response per row. [Response options: Disagree, Somewhat Disagree, Neither Agree Nor Disagree, Somewhat Agree, Agree] a. My school provides teachers with adequate time in the school day to collaborate with peers. *b. My school makes sure that teachers have adequate expertise and guidance for their collaborations. *c. My school provides materials and tools that help teachers work together more effectively. d. Teachers’ collaborative sessions in my school are usually productive. *B3.Are teachers at your school offered any of the following supports 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 * A version of this question appears on principal surveys in other states. 5 *B4.How successful do you feel your district was in engaging in the following with teachers during the 2014-15 school year (including summer 2014)? Select one response per row. [Response options: Unsuccessful, Somewhat Unsuccessful, Neither Unsuccessful Nor Successful, Somewhat Successful, Successful] *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 to understand and teach California’s new standards d. Including teachers in planning the implementation of California’s new standards B5. From your perspective as principal, to what extent has your school 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 B6. 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 * A version of this question appears on principal surveys in other states. 6 B7. 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. Teachers discussing California’s new standards during parent meetings e. Principals conducting faculty meetings exclusively focused on California’s new standards f. Teachers and principals attending professional development sessions on using Smarter Balanced Digital Library resources g. Teachers and principals participating in Local Control and Accountability Plan discussions 7 C. DEMOGRAPHICS C1. During the 2014-2015 school year, what grades did your school enroll? Please select all that apply. □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ Pre-K Transitional kindergarten Kindergarten grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4 grade 5 grade 6 grade 7 grade 8 grade 9 grade 10 grade 11 grade 12 THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION. 8