Where teachers are central to improving schools

1. Where teachers are central to improving schools Teacher Working Conditions in Guilford County Public Schools Center for Teaching Quality September 20, 2006

2. Need to Focus on What Matters for Teacher Retention • Avg. NC turnover: 12.95% (04-05) = need for approx. 10,000 teachers annually • GCPS Turnover rate of 11.81% (04-05) • Consistent turnover in schools leads to instability that can have a direct effect student learning, trust, collaborative culture, etc. • Turnover is costly - approximately $11,000 or more for each recruit leaving in the first few years of teaching as conservative estimate • Why are they leaving?

3. Working Conditions are the Cause of Dissatisfaction Source: Richard M. Ingersoll, Teacher Turnover and Teacher Shortages: An Organizational Analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 38 (Fall 2001): 499-534.

4. Survey every educator in participating districts in order to gather school data as each is unique in their issues as well as in investments and commitment toward improvement • Can assess strengths and areas to improve upon based on what teachers experience everyday • Puts teacher voice at the center of school improvement conversations Need for School by School Data to Drive both Local and State Reforms

5. Need Individual, Customized Data to Diagnose and Address TWC Issues in Schools

6. North Carolina TWC Survey in 2006 • In 2006, more than 75,000 educators respond to TWC survey across North Carolina • Data for almost 2,000 NC schools (compared to 1,100 schools in 2004) • All data available online: (www.northcarolinatwc.org) • Help desk, incentives, outreach and better understanding of significance • Waiting for 2006 Student Achievement and Teacher Retention Data • But from 2002 and 2004 results, we know TWC matters: 1) student achievement, 2) teacher retention, and • 3) exposes differences between perceptions of principals and teachers on TWC

7. Teacher Working Conditions are Student Learning Conditions Teaching and Learning Conditions Matter for Student Achievement

8. Leadership was the single greatest predictor of AYP status at the middle school level, more so than school size and teacher retention. For every one point increase on the TWC survey, MS were almost 6.7 times more likely to have made AYP • Schools were 4 times more likely to make AYP for every one point increase on the TWC on professional development • For every one point increase on the survey in the facilities and resource domain avg., schools were 2.8 times more likely to make AYP Teacher Working Conditions and AYP in NC

9. Aspect of TWC Important in Promoting Student Learning Source: GCPS, NC, AZ, OH, NV, KS Teacher Working Conditions Surveys, 2006

10. “If I am allowed to utilize my teaching expertise—to draw from what I know will engage and stimulate my students—then students will achieve at levels no one could dream of. If I am hampered…then I can’t do what I do best.” - Member, Teacher Leaders Network Time and Empowerment are Critical

11. Teaching and Learning Conditions Improve Teacher Retention Teachers Want to Work in Schools Designed for Them to be Successful

12. Empowerment was statistically significant in explaining retention at the high school level • Professional development was significant for elementary and high schools • School designation category, school size and percentage of students on free and reduced lunch all are significant predictors of teacher retention. Percentage not fully licensed most highly correlated with retention rates TWC and Teacher Retention in NC in 2004

13. Working Conditions are Critical to Keeping NC Teachers in Schools

14. NC Teachers Stay Where They Believe Leadership Makes Efforts to Improve Working Conditions

15. TLC Aspect Most Affects Willingness to Stay Source: GCPS, NC, AZ, OH, NV, KS Teacher Working Conditions Surveys, 2006

16. “Without a doubt, the principal is the number one factor in determining the desirability of being a part of a particular school community. Being respected and valued personally and professionally is something I have to have in order to stay in a school.” - Member, Teacher Leaders Network Leadership and Empowerment are Critical to Retention

17. Teachers and Administrators View Their Schools Differently Educators Do Not View Teaching and Learning Conditions Similarly

18. NC Beliefs that Leadership Makes a Sustained Effort to Address Teacher Concerns

19. Where teachersare central to improving schools • In 2004, GCPS had 28% response rate, no district level data report and only 35 schools w/ data • In 2006, GCPS has 70% response rate, with district level data report and 104 schools w/ data available • In 2006, 4236 GCPS educators respond to survey • Visibility of survey, history of initiative, state and local supports

20. GCPS educators more negative than NC on all 5 domain areas of TWC survey • Gaps largest in time (time available for collaboration, planning, etc.) • While there are notable concerns, still some good news • More than 7 in 10 (71%) still agree that their school is a good place to work and learn. • 83% agree faculty are committed to helping every student learn • Relatively positive on some facilities and induction measures of the survey GCPS TWC 2006 – Data Trends

21. GCPS Relative to NC – Domain Averages

22. Perceptions of Facilities and Resources Percent who Agree or Strongly Agree

23. Perceptions of Time Percent Who Agree or Strongly Agree

24. Time is only Area Where NC Elementary Teachers More Negative than Middle & High

25. NCPTSC study planning time in elementary with 39 examples of 5 or more hours, on average, per week (www.ncptsc.org) • Use of community, full time subs, paras etc. to free up time for collaborative work • Principal cover classes to allow observation and planning at South Topsail • “Seems to me it is about finding a planning period and a duty free lunch” – that’s half the battle – need to focus on quality as well. How is planning time being used Finding Time for Teachers

26. Perceptions of Empowerment Percent Who Agree or Strongly Agree

27. At Half of Teachers…. NC is a National Leader

28. Leadership teams in 6 middle schools in Orange and Wake Counties as part of distributed leadership model (part of hiring teams and have control over the professional development budget) • Each location is different – assess current roles (formal and informal) and consider the knowledge and skills necessary for teachers to assume new responsibilities in a collaborative setting Empowering Teachers

29. Perceptions of Leadership Percent Who Agree or Strongly Agree

30. Perceptions of Professional Development Percent Who Agree or Strongly Agree

31. Perceptions of Professional Development Areas of Greatest Need • Every other PD area; Academically Gifted; Content Area; Methods of Teaching; Student Assessment; Classroom Management and Reading Strategies comes in under 30% for GCPS and the State

32. Perceptions of Mentoring & Induction Percent who say Mentor Helped “a lot” or critical

33. GCPS Teachers and Administrators View Their Schools Differently Educators Do Not View Teaching and Learning Conditions Similarly

34. Teacher vs. Principal Perceptions of TWC

35. Perceptions of GCPS Teachers & Principals

36. Perceptions of GCPS Teachers & Principals

37. Only 13 Percent of Teachers Want to Leave Their School, including 5 percent Want to Leave Teaching 87% of teachers are “stayers” 8% of teachers are “movers” 5% of teachers are “leavers”

38. 19 Percent of Teachers Want to Leave Their School, including 6 percent Want to Leave Teaching 81% of teachers are “stayers” 13% of teachers are “movers” 6% of teachers are “leavers”

39. Has it Made a Difference? Examples of Changes Due to NC TWC

40. Funding for working conditions survey and analysis in the budget and advisory group • Funding for PD through Teacher Academy in DSSF, for PEP to create modules – required for all first year principals, and NC Network for integrating in improvement planning process • Review of MSA programs to ensure they address recruitment, retention and TWC • Principal evaluations to include recruitment, retention and TWC measures • Study of use of use of time where more is available for teacher planning and collaboration (39 elementary schools) State Policies to Improve TWC in NC

41. Governor Easley’s Real D.E.A.L. Awards Schools That Are Great Places to Teach and Learn – 8 Awards Granted and Conference

42. About convening faculty conversations and engaging in school and district improvement planning processes • While perceptual data matters, it should be triangulated with other measures • Approaches need to be integrated with other policies and programs that enhance teaching quality locally • Resources: PEP, NC Network, Teacher Academy TWC PD module; TWC Toolkit online at: www.teacherworkingconditions.org Using TWC Data

45. Your Experience with TWC • Identify Areas of Need; Where to Focus Energy and Resources for Reform around TWC? • Recognizing barriers – What Keeps Schools from Addressing and Improving TWC? • What are your next steps on TWC? Group Discussion Responding to TWC Data

46. 500 Millstone Drive, Suite 102 Hillsborough,NC 27278 www.teachingquality.org www.teacherworkingconditions.org www.northcarolinatwc.org