FRANKFORT — A survey currently being conducted seeks information about school working conditions from practicing educators.
From March 1 to March 25, the TELL, Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning, survey will be administered to all Kentucky certified educators employed in the state’s 174 school districts. The purpose of the survey is to document and analyze how teachers and other educators view their teaching and learning conditions, so educators, stakeholders and policymakers can make evidence-based decisions on policies and practices that will improve student achievement and teacher retention.
“Teaching conditions are student learning conditions,” Gov. Steve Beshear said. “When we focus on supporting our teachers, our students benefit. This is an opportunity for us to hear directly from those that matter most to our students — the educators in our schools.”
All school-based certified public school teachers and principals will be asked to submit their perceptions on a variety of issues related to student achievement and teacher retention, including the adequacy of facilities and resources; time; empowerment; school leadership; community support; student conduct; professional development; mentoring and induction services; and student learning.
“For the first time in the history of the state, every public school teacher and principal in Kentucky has the opportunity to shape the future of our schools,” Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday said. “This survey gives teachers and administrators the chance to tell policymakers what they need to do their jobs well. We value the voices of the people who work with the children across the Commonwealth every day in our schools, and this survey will let their voices be heard.”
The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, and all responses will remain anonymous.
To encourage large response rates, the Kentucky Education Association, Kentucky Association of School Administrators, Kentucky School Boards Association and Jefferson County Teachers Association are contributing prize money for weekly drawings.
Every school that reaches a 50 percent response rate will be entered into a drawing for $1,000 cash award for the school. Schools that reach a 100 percent response rate will be entered into a drawing for the $1,000 cash award to go to an individual educator. There also will be district-level awards. School and district completion rates will be posted on the TELL Kentucky website after the survey begins.
Results from the teacher responses will be aggregated and reported no later than June 1. These reports will be a compilation of educator responses to all questions and will be presented as bar charts and in Excel format for the school (if at least 50 percent of educators respond), district and state.
For more information about the 2011 TELL Kentucky survey and to track individual response rates for every school, visit www.tellkentucky.org.
