APPENDIX B
PROTOCOL FOR DISTRICT INTERVIEWS
Mathematica Reference No.: 06844
Impact Evaluation of
Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants
Draft District Interview Protocol
November 2, 2011
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such
collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to
respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain a benefit for districts receiving ARRA funds under the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations (34 C.F.R. § 76.591). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education,
Washington, DC 20202-4651 and reference the OMB Control Number 1850-0884. If you have comments or concerns regarding
the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of
Education, 555 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20208.
STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS MODULE
Implementation of Common Core State Standards and Assessments
First, I’d like to ask about the use of the Common Core State Standards in your state and
district.
SA1. [NOTE TO PROGRAMMER: Ask this version of the question if our data indicate that
the state adopted Common Standards.]
I understand that your state adopted the Common Core State Standards, but I’d like
to confirm this information with you. Did your state adopt the Common Core State
Standards in both English/language arts and math, math only, English/language
arts only, or neither subject?
[NOTE TO PROGRAMMER: Ask this version of the question if our data indicate that
the state did not adopt the Common Standards.]
I understand that your state did not adopt the Common Core State Standards, but
I’d like to confirm this information with you. Did your state adopt the Common Core
State Standards in both English/language arts and math, math only,
English/language arts only, or neither subject?
CODE ONE ONLY
YES, ADOPTED FOR BOTH SUBJECTS .................... 1
YES, ADOPTED FOR MATH ONLY ............................ 2
YES, ADOPTED FOR ENGLISH/LANGUAGE
ARTS ONLY ................................................................ 3
NO, DID NOT ADOPT COMMON CORE IN
EITHER SUBJECT ...................................................... 0 SKIP TO SA6
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO SA6
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO SA6
SA2. Are all, some, or none of the schools in your district currently implementing
the Common Core State Standards?
CODE ONE ONLY
ALL .............................................................................. 1 SKIP TO DA1
SOME .......................................................................... 2
NONE .......................................................................... 0 SKIP TO DA1
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO DA1
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO DA1
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 1 11/2/11
SA3. Currently, what percentage of schools in your district are implementing the
Common Core State Standards?
| | | | PERCENT (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
SA4. Since the adoption of [the Common Core State Standards/your current
state standards], has the district provided any supports to study schools
specifically designed to aid in the implementation of standards with
English language learners?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO DA1
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO DA1
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO DA1
SA5. Which of the following supports specifically designed to aid in the
implementation of standards with English language learners were provided
to study schools?
YES NO DK REF
a. Funds (SPECIFY PURPOSE) .................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
b. Materials to support understanding and use of new standards
with English language learners (SPECIFY PURPOSE) ............. 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
c. Professional development, training, or technical assistance to
support the instruction of English language learners
(SPECIFY PURPOSE) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
d. Something else? (SPECIFY) ...................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 2 11/2/11
DATA SYSTEMS MODULE
Now I’d like to ask you about how your district uses data as part of your school
improvement efforts.
DA1. Focusing on the list of study schools we sent you in advance of this interview,
which of the following types of data analysis does your district currently use to
track or monitor the performance of these schools and inform their
improvement efforts?
CODE ALL THAT APPLY
Analyze student achievement by grade-level
and/or by subject, by school ......................................... 1
Analyze student achievement data over time to
identify trends .............................................................. 2
Examine other measures of student progress
such as benchmarks or diagnostic tests ....................... 3
Examine achievement gaps between groups of
students such as NCLB subgroups .............................. 4
Track graduation rates ................................................. 5
Track student readiness for grade promotion or
graduation .................................................................... 6
To track students’ postsecondary enrollment and
progress, for example, credits earned ................................... 7
Monitor student attendance .......................................... 8
Other analyses (SPECIFY) .......................................... 9
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 3 11/2/11
Access to Data Systems
Now I would like to ask you about access to data in your district, as well as the resources
and supports related to data use for the schools in your district.
DA2. Currently, do schools in your district have direct access to data from the
statewide longitudinal data system, access to district- or state-generated
reports based on data from the state system, access to both types of
information, or access to neither?
CODE ONE ONLY
ONLY HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO SLDS DATA ........ 1
ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO SLDS-BASED
REPORTS ................................................................... 2
HAVE ACCESS TO BOTH SLDS REPORTS
AND DATA .................................................................. 3
DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO EITHER ............................ 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
DA3. Currently, does your district provide schools direct access to data from a
district data system that is distinct from the state’s longitudinal data system,
to district-generated reports based on data from a district data system, to both
types of information, or to neither? By data system, we mean any technology-
based tools or strategies that provide educators with support and data that
can be used to improve instruction.
CODE ONE ONLY
ONLY HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO DISTRICT
DATA ........................................................................... 1
ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO DISTRICT-
GENERATED REPORTS BASED ON DISTRICT
DATA ........................................................................... 2
HAVE ACCESS TO BOTH DISTRICT-REPORTS
AND DISTRICT DATA ................................................ 3
DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO EITHER ............................ 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 4 11/2/11
Supports for Data Use
DA4. Within the past school year, focusing again on the list of study schools we
sent you in advance of this interview, has your district provided funding,
materials, training, technical assistance, or other supports to these schools to
help them access and use data to improve instruction?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO DA6
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO DA6
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO DA6
DA5. Which of the following types of supports did the district provide to study
schools this school year to help them access and use data to improve
instruction? For each type of support, please specify the support provided to
these schools.
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Funds (SPECIFY) ....................................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
b. Materials or documents on using of data to improve instruction
such as models to illustrate how to use data when allocating
resources and planning school improvement activities
(SPECIFY) .................................................................................. 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
c. Technical assistance and/or support such as making technical
experts in systems or networks available to schools or making
data analysis experts such as data coaches available to
schools (SPECIFY) ..................................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
d. Professional development or training such as training on how to
analyze student achievement or how to use data to change
instructional practice (SPECIFY) ................................................ 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
e. Something else? (SPECIFY) ...................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 5 11/2/11
DA6. Referring again to the list of study schools, during this school year, have
district staff met with principals and/or other school leaders such as assistant
principals or department heads in some, most, all, or none of these schools to
review student performance data?
CODE ONE ONLY
SOME .......................................................................... 1
MOST .......................................................................... 2
ALL .............................................................................. 3
NONE .......................................................................... 0 SKIP TO DA8
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO DA8
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO DA8
DA7. On average, how often did district staff meet with principals and/or other
school leaders in each of these schools this school year to review student
performance data? Would you say . . .
CODE ONE ONLY
Daily, ........................................................................... 1
Weekly, ....................................................................... 2
Monthly, ...................................................................... 3
A few times per year, or............................................. 4
Once per year? ........................................................... 5
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
DA8. This school year, has your district provided any supports to the study schools
included in the list that we sent you ahead of this interview to help them
access and use data related to English language learners?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO DA10
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO DA10
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO DA10
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 6 11/2/11
DA9. Which of the following supports did your district provide to these study
schools to help them access and use data related to English language
learners?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Supports to help schools use data to track the performance of
English language learners ............................................................. 1 0 d r
b. Supports to help schools use data to improve or differentiate
instruction for English language learners ...................................... 1 0 d r
c. Other supports to help schools use data about English language
learners (SPECIFY) ....................................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 7 11/2/11
Use of Data in Your District
I would now like to ask you about the use of data in your district.
DA10. For which of the following purposes do district staff currently use data from
either the state longitudinal data system or a district data system, or both?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. To track overall school performance and identify areas for
improvement ................................................................................ 1 0 d r
b. To evaluate instructional programs, for example, measure
program effectiveness ................................................................. 1 0 d r
c. To guide development and implementation of academic supports
or enrichment programs, for example, identify how many and
which students need academic support or enrichment, assign or
reassign students to classes ....................................................... 1 0 d r
d. To guide development and implementation of nonacademic
supports or enrichment programs, for example, identify how many
and which students need counseling .......................................... 1 0 d r
e. To track student progress toward graduation, for example, credits
earned, required courses taken ................................................... 1 0 d r
f. To track students’ postsecondary enrollment and progress, such
as credits earned ......................................................................... 1 0 d r
g. To inform professional development offerings for teachers,
principals, or other school leaders, for example, identifying
specific content or skills in which teachers need assistance or
support ......................................................................................... 1 0 d r
h. To evaluate the success of professional development offerings
for teachers, principals, or other school leaders .......................... 1 0 d r
i. To inform other decisions regarding individual teachers,
principals, or other school leaders, for example, tenure, retention,
or bonuses ................................................................................... 1 0 d r
j. To inform resource allocation to improve instruction, for example,
which schools/students receive which programs, which staff work
with which students ..................................................................... 1 0 d r
k. For other purposes (SPECIFY) ................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 8 11/2/11
DA11. For which of the following purposes do district staff currently use data
specifically on English language learners from either the state longitudinal
data system or a district data system?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. To make decisions about students’ entry into and/or exit from
English language learner status .................................................... 1 0 d r
b. To place English language learners into specialized programs
and classes .................................................................................... 1 0 d r
c. To track the progress of current English language learners ......... 1 0 d r
d. To track the progress of former English language learners .......... 1 0 d r
e. To inform/improve/differentiate instruction for English language
learners .......................................................................................... 1 0 d r
f. To identify professional development needs for teachers of
English language learners ............................................................. 1 0 d r
g. To assess teacher effectiveness with English language
learners .......................................................................................... 1 0 d r
h. For other purposes (SPECIFY) ..................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
DA12. Thinking again about the list of schools we sent you before this interview, how
often do district staff meet to discuss data on the progress of students in
these schools? Would you say . . .
CODE ONE ONLY
Once a year, ............................................................... 1
A few times a year, ..................................................... 2
Monthly, or ................................................................. 3
Weekly? ...................................................................... 4
Other (SPECIFY)......................................................... 99
(STRING (NUM))
NEVER ........................................................................ 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 9 11/2/11
DA13. Which of the following would you say are the top three barriers to the use of
data to make instructional improvements within your district? Please indicate
1 for the most significant barrier, 2 for the second most significant barrier, and
3 for the third most significant barrier.
MARK TOP
THREE
BARRIERS
a. Time—Lack of time to analyze data and develop plans ........................................ _______
b. Technology—Not enough computers, poor internet or network connections,
lack of technical skills............................................................................................. _______
c. Usability of data—Data are difficult to navigate and manipulate as needed ......... _______
d. Systems complexity—Data are available in too many different systems; not
sure where to access right data ............................................................................. _______
e. Understanding of data—District and/or school staff are not sure how to
accurately use or interpret data ............................................................................. _______
f. Data quality—Unreliability or inaccuracy of data ................................................... _______
g. Collaboration/trust—Lack of a practice of collaboration and environment of
trust around data use ............................................................................................. _______
h. Leadership—Lack of district leadership/support for data-driven decision
making ................................................................................................................... _______
i. Timeliness of data—Data are not available on a time cycle useful for
decision making at the school level ....................................................................... _______
j. Type of data available—Do not have the right data .............................................. _______
k. Access to data—The right people do not have access to data they need ............ _______
l. Resources to act upon data—Can analyze and interpret data, but no
funding or programs available to meet needs or successes identified .................. _______
m. Knowledge of how to act upon data—Can analyze and interpret data, but
lack information on how to effectively respond to the needs identified, for
example, need information about specific instructional strategies or
programs that are designed to address identified needs ....................................... _______
n. Flexibility to act upon data—Can analyze and interpret data, but constrained
by policies or procedures from acting upon data as desired ................................. _______
o. Other (Please specify) ........................................................................................... _______
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 10 11/2/11
TEACHERS AND LEADERS MODULE
Evaluation of Teachers in the District
This next set of questions is about your district’s teacher evaluation policies or
approaches to teacher evaluation.
TL1. Is your district currently required to use a state-developed teacher evaluation
model, a district-developed teacher evaluation model based on a set of state-
specified requirements, or neither?
CODE ONE ONLY
REQUIRED TO USE A STATE-DEVELOPED
TEACHER EVALUATION MODEL ............................... 1 SKIP TO TL3
REQUIRED TO USE A DISTRICT-DEVELOPED
TEACHER EVALUATION MODEL ............................... 2 SKIP TO TL3
NEITHER (SPECIFY) .................................................. 0
(STRING (NUM))
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL2. Currently, are all schools in your district required to use the same teacher
evaluation model? This can be an evaluation model with specific
characteristics that your state requires all districts to use or a model that your
district has decided to use with all its schools and teachers.
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 11 11/2/11
TL3. Currently, does your district require that schools use student growth as one
measure when evaluating all teachers, some teachers, or no teachers?
CODE ONE ONLY
SOME TEACHERS (PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH
TYPES OF TEACHERS).............................................. 1
(STRING (NUM))
ALL TEACHERS .......................................................... 2 SKIP TO TL5
NO TEACHERS ........................................................... 3 SKIP TO TL8
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TL8
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TL8
TL4. Currently, does your state or district specify the extent to which student
growth must factor into the overall teacher evaluation? For example,
regulations may call for student growth to be a “significant” factor in
evaluations or call for student growth to have a specific weight (such as 20
percent) in the overall teacher evaluation. If this is specified in state or district
regulations, please describe those specific regulations.
(STRING (NUM))
DESCRIPTION
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 12 11/2/11
TL5. Are any of the following measures used to assess student achievement growth
for teacher evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. State test scores ........................................................................... 1 0 d r
b. Scores on assessments other than state tests ............................. 1 0 d r
c. Some other measure of achievement? (SPECIFY) ...................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TL6. For which of the following subject areas is student achievement growth
measured for teacher evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Reading/language arts .................................................................. 1 0 d r
b. Mathematics .................................................................................. 1 0 d r
c. Something else (SPECIFY) ........................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TL7. In the current school year, has your district received technical assistance or
support from the state around how to develop, use, or interpret student growth
estimates?
YES (SPECIFY SUPPORT) ......................................... 1
(STRING (NUM))
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 13 11/2/11
TL8. Currently, does your district have a probationary period for all teachers, some
teachers, or no teachers?
CODE ONE ONLY
ALL TEACHERS .......................................................... 1
SOME TEACHERS (PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH
TYPES OF TEACHERS HAVE A
PROBATIONARY PERIOD) ......................................... 2
(STRING (NUM))
NO TEACHERS ........................................................... 3 SKIP TO TL12
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TL12
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TL12
TL9. What is the duration of this probationary period? (SPECIFY)
(STRING (NUM))
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL10. How often are teachers who are in their probationary period evaluated? Every
six months, every year, every other year, or at some other interval?
EVERY SIX MONTHS ................................................. 1
EVERY YEAR .............................................................. 2
EVERY OTHER YEAR................................................. 3
SOME OTHER INTERVAL (SPECIFY) ........................ 4
(STRING (NUM))
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 14 11/2/11
TL11. How often are teachers who are in their non-probationary period evaluated?
Every six months, every year, every other year, or at some other interval?
EVERY SIX MONTHS ................................................. 1
EVERY YEAR .............................................................. 2
EVERY OTHER YEAR................................................. 3
SOME OTHER INTERVAL (SPECIFY) ........................ 4
(STRING (NUM))
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL12. Other than student growth, which of the following other measures of teacher
performance are currently required by your district for teacher evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Classroom observations conducted by the principal .................... 1 0 d r
b. Classroom observations conducted by someone other than the
principal, such as a peer or mentor teacher ................................. 1 0 d r
c. Self-assessment ........................................................................... 1 0 d r
d. Portfolios or other artifacts of teacher practice ............................ 1 0 d r
e. Student work samples .................................................................. 1 0 d r
f. Student surveys or other feedback ............................................... 1 0 d r
g. Parent surveys or other feedback................................................. 1 0 d r
h. Something else? (SPECIFY) ........................................................ 1 0 d r
(STRING)
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 15 11/2/11
TL13. Currently, which of the following measures of teacher performance are
required by your district for evaluating teachers of non-tested subjects,
non-tested grades, or other special circumstances such as team-teaching?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Classroom observations conducted by the principal ............... 1 0 d r
b. Classroom observations conducted by someone other than
the principal, such as a peer or mentor teacher ...................... 1 0 d r
c. Self-assessment ...................................................................... 1 0 d r
d. Peer assessments ................................................................... 1 0 d r
e. Student work samples ............................................................. 1 0 d r
f. Student surveys or other feedback .......................................... 1 0 d r
g. Parent surveys or other feedback............................................ 1 0 d r
h. Something else? (SPECIFY) ................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING)
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 16 11/2/11
TL14. How many rating categories or levels, such as highly effective, effective, and
needs improvement, are used in your district when evaluating overall teacher
performance?
| | | NUMBER OF RATING CATEGORIES (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL15. In the 2009–2010 school year, were all schools in your district required to use
the same teacher evaluation model? This could have been an evaluation model
with specific characteristics that your state required all districts to use or a
model that your district decided to use with all its schools and teachers.
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL16. In the 2009–2010 school year, which of the following measures were required
for evaluating the performance of teachers in your district? If this varied
depending on whether the teacher was teaching a grade and/or subject in
which students are administered standardized tests, please focus on the
requirements for teachers in tested grades and/or subjects.
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Student growth measures ...................................................... 1 0 d r
b. Classroom observations conducted by the principal ............. 1 0 d r
c. Classroom observations conducted by someone other than
the principal, such as a peer or mentor teacher .................... 1 0 d r
d. Self-assessments .................................................................. 1 0 d r
e. Student work samples ........................................................... 1 0 d r
f. Student surveys or other feedback ........................................ 1 0 d r
g. Parent surveys or other feedback.......................................... 1 0 d r
h. Something else? (SPECIFY) ................................................. 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 17 11/2/11
Evaluation of Principals in the District
Now I’d like to ask you about how principals are evaluated in your district.
TL17. Are you mandated by the state to use a principal evaluation model with a
specified set of characteristics with all schools and principals in your district?
YES ............................................................................. 1 SKIP TO TL19
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL18. Currently, are all schools in your district required to use the same principal
evaluation model? This can be an evaluation model with specific
characteristics that your state requires all districts to use or a model that your
district has decided to use with all its schools and principals.
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL19. Currently, does your district require that schools use student growth as one
measure when evaluating all principals, some principals, or no principals?
CODE ONE ONLY
ALL PRINCIPALS ........................................................ 1
SOME PRINCIPALS (PLEASE SPECIFY WHICH
PRINCIPALS) .............................................................. 2
(STRING (NUM))
NO PRINCIPALS ......................................................... 3 SKIP TO TL21
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TL21
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TL21
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 18 11/2/11
TL20. Which of the following measures are used to assess student achievement
growth for principal evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. State test scores ............................................................................ 1 0 d r
b. Scores on assessments other than state tests .............................. 1 0 d r
c. Some other measure of achievement? (SPECIFY) ....................... 1 0 d r
(STRING)
TL21. For which of the following subject areas is student growth measured for
principal evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Reading/language arts .................................................................. 1 0 d r
b. Mathematics .................................................................................. 1 0 d r
c. Some other subject? (SPECIFY) ................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TL22. Apart from the student growth measures that we just discussed, which of the
following other measures are currently required in your district for principal
evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Self-assessment (SPECIFY) ..................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
b. District administrator input (SPECIFY) ...................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
c. Staff input (SPECIFY) ................................................................ 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
d. Student input (SPECIFY) ........................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
e. Something else (SPECIFY OTHER REQUIRED COMPONENTS
AND IF SOME PRINCIPALS IS CHECKED, ALSO SPECIFY
PRINCIPALS FOR WHOM COMPONENT IS REQUIRED) ..... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 19 11/2/11
TL23. How many rating categories or levels, such as highly effective, effective, and
needs improvement, are used in your district when evaluating principal
performance?
| | | NUMBER OF RATING CATEGORIES (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL24. In the 2009–2010 school year, were all schools in your district required to use
the same principal evaluation model? This could have been an evaluation
model with specific characteristics that your state required all districts to use
or a model that your district decided to use with all its schools and principals.
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TL25. In the 2009–2010 school year, which of the following measures were required
in your district for principal evaluations?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Student growth measures ........................................................... 1 0 d r
b. Self-assessment ......................................................................... 1 0 d r
c. District administrator input .......................................................... 1 0 d r
d. Staff input .................................................................................... 1 0 d r
e. Student input............................................................................... 1 0 d r
f. Something else (SPECIFY) ........................................................ 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 20 11/2/11
Recruiting and Retaining Teachers and Principals in Low-Performing Schools
Now I’d like to ask about the strategies that your district uses to help recruit and retain
effective teachers and principals at the study schools we spoke about earlier (from the
list I emailed to you previously).
TL26. Currently, does your district offer financial incentives to help recruit or retain
effective teachers and/or principals in study schools?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TL28
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TL28
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TL28
TL27. Currently, does your district offer any of the following types of financial
incentives to teachers and/or principals working in these study schools?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES, TO YES, TO
TEACHERS PRINCIPALS NO DK REF
a. Signing bonuses ................................................... 1 2 0 d r
b. Retention bonuses ................................................ 1 2 0 d r
c. Performance bonuses .......................................... 1 2 0 d r
d. Increased compensation ...................................... 1 2 0 d r
e. Loan forgiveness .................................................. 1 2 0 d r
f. Tuition reimbursement .......................................... 1 2 0 d r
g. Housing (purchase or rent) assistance ................. 1 2 0 d r
h. Financial incentives targeted toward increasing
the number of staff with English language learner
expertise in these schools (DESCRIBE) .............. 1 2 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
i. Something else (SPECIFY) .................................. 1 2 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 21 11/2/11
TL28. Does your district currently use any of the following other strategies to help
recruit and retain effective teachers and/or principals for these study schools?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES, TO YES, TO
TEACHERS PRINCIPALS NO DK REF
a. Principal discretion or authority to decide which
staff to hire for these schools ............................... 1 2 0 d r
b. Modified teacher tenure rules that affect
placement in and removal from these schools
(DESCRIBE) ........................................................ 1 2 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
c. Retention or recruitment efforts targeted toward
increasing the number of staff with English
language learner expertise in these schools
(DESCRIBE) ........................................................ 1 2 0 d r
d. Increased the amount of induction support for
novice teachers with the goal of increasing
teacher retention in study schools
e. Something else (SPECIFY) ................................. 1 2 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TL29. Currently, can teachers in your district earn tenure or some other continuing
right to their job that could not be revoked without due process?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TL31
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TL31
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TL31
TL30. Currently, is a teacher in your district required to achieve a minimum level of
student growth to earn tenure or some other continuing right to their job that
cannot be revoked without due process? If so, what amount of student growth
is required? For example, at least one year of student growth in each year?
YES (SPECIFY) ........................................................... 1
(STRING (NUM))
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 22 11/2/11
TL31. Within the past year, has your district used any of the following strategies
specifically with the goal of improving working conditions for teachers in
study schools?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Provided additional professional development, mentoring, and/or
instructional coaching .................................................................... 1 0 d r
b. Improved opportunities for collaboration (e.g., common planning
time) ...............................................................................................
c Improved the quality of school facilities ......................................... 1 0 d r
d. Increased the availability of classroom supplies ........................... 1 0 d r
e. Enhanced safety measures in the building .................................... 1 0 d r
f. Increased access to technology for teachers ................................ 1 0 d r
g. Offered more flexible work conditions, for example, flexible
schedule ........................................................................................ 1 0 d r
h. Increased use of aides/paraprofessionals ..................................... 1 0 d r
i. Increased use of volunteers, for example, parents ....................... 1 0 d r
j. Something else (SPECIFY) ........................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 23 11/2/11
Supports for Principals and Other School Leaders in Low-Performing School
Now I’d like to ask about the professional development and other supports that your
district provides to principals and other leaders, for example, assistant principals or
department heads, at the study schools we spoke of earlier (from the list I emailed to you
previously).
TL32. During the current school year, has the district provided professional
development to principals or other leaders of these schools?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA1
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA1
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA1
TL33. Over the past school year, has the district provided professional development
to the principals or other leaders of study schools on any of the following
topics?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Aligning professional development with teacher evaluation
results ................................................................................................ 1 0 d r
b. Identifying and supporting effective instructional leaders .................. 1 0 d r
c. Using student performance data ....................................................... 1 0 d r
d. Working with parents ......................................................................... 1 0 d r
e. Integrating cultural sensitivity into the school environment ............... 1 0 d r
f. Supporting students with disabilities in the least restrictive
environment ....................................................................................... 1 0 d r
g. Ensuring that English language learners acquire the language
skills needed to master academic content ........................................ 1 0 d r
h. Organizational leadership and management ..................................... 1 0 d r
i. School finance and budget management .......................................... 1 0 d r
j. Instructional leadership ...................................................................... 1 0 d r
k. Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards ......................... 1 0 d r
l. Strategies for turning around a low-performing school...................... 1 0 d r
m. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING
(NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 24 11/2/11
SCHOOL TURNAROUND MODULE
Now I’d like to ask you about school turnaround efforts in your district.
TA1. In the current school year, are any schools in your district receiving School
Improvement Grant funds (or Race to the Top funds, if applicable) explicitly to
implement one of the four school improvement models specified by the
U.S. Department of Education (ED) in the guidance for School Improvement
Grants? These include the turnaround, transformation, closure, and restart
models. If yes, please specify the number of schools that received funds to
implement one of the four school improvement models.
YES (SPECIFY NUMBER OF SCHOOLS)................... 1
(STRING (NUM)
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA5
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA5
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA5
TA2. Which schools in your district are currently receiving School Improvement
Grant funds (or Race to the Top funds, if applicable), including continuation
and new grants, to implement one of the four ED-specified school
improvement models? For each school, please provide the grade span of the
school from lowest and highest grades; the school year the funding was
initially received; whether the funding was from School Improvement Grants,
Race to the Top, or both grant programs; and which of the four ED-specified
school improvement models is being implemented in that school.
School Year Source of Model (Turnaround,
Received Initial Funding Restart, Closure,
School Grade Span Funding (SIG, RTT, Both) Transformation)
SIG .................... 1 TURNAROUND ................ 1
| | | LOWEST GRADE RTT ................... 2 RESTART ......................... 2
(NUMBER RANGE) | | | | |
a. ____________________ BOTH ................ 3 CLOSURE......................... 3
SCHOOL YEAR
(STRING (NUM))
| | | HIGHEST GRADE (RANGE) TRANSFORMATION ........ 4
(NUMBER RANGE)
SIG .................... 1 TURNAROUND ................ 1
| | | LOWEST GRADE RTT ................... 2 RESTART ......................... 2
(NUMBER RANGE) | | | | |
b. ____________________ BOTH ................ 3 CLOSURE......................... 3
SCHOOL YEAR
(STRING (NUM))
| | | HIGHEST GRADE (RANGE) TRANSFORMATION ........ 4
(NUMBER RANGE)
SIG .................... 1 TURNAROUND ................ 1
| | | LOWEST GRADE RTT ................... 2 RESTART ......................... 2
(NUMBER RANGE) | | | | |
c. ____________________ BOTH ................ 3 CLOSURE......................... 3
SCHOOL YEAR
(STRING (NUM))
| | | HIGHEST GRADE (RANGE) TRANSFORMATION ........ 4
(NUMBER RANGE)
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 25 11/2/11
TA3. Which of the following factors did the district consider when selecting the
Tier I and Tier II schools it included in its School Improvement Grants
application? You’ll recall that these are the schools in which one of the four
ED-specified school improvement models must be implemented.
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. School Improvement Grants eligibility tiers (SPECIFY) .................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
b. School level (elementary, secondary) (SPECIFY) ............................ 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
c. Percentage of English language learners in the school .................... 1 0 d r
d. Schools with high poverty rates ......................................................... 1 0 d r
e. Other student demographic characteristics (SPECIFY) .................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
f. School commitment to implementing one of the four ED-specified
models ............................................................................................... 1 0 d r
g. School capacity for reform ................................................................. 1 0 d r
h. Previous academic achievement of the school ................................. 1 0 d r
i. Availability of funding from sources other than SIG .......................... 1 0 d r
j. Parent/community input ..................................................................... 1 0 d r
k. School interest in participating ........................................................... 1 0 d r
l. School desire to retain current principal ............................................ 1 0 d r
m. Existing, ongoing efforts to turn around the school(s) ....................... 1 0 d r
n. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 26 11/2/11
Selection of Intervention Models
For the schools that received School Improvement Grant funds (or Race to the Top
funds, if applicable) to implement one of the four ED-specified school improvement
models, I would like to ask about the process for selecting the school improvement
model.
TA4. Which of the following factors did the district consider when selecting the
improvement model to implement in any of the study schools? If a factor
applied to only some of the schools, but not all of them, please report yes for
that factor.
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. State priorities and guidance (DESCRIBE) ....................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
b. Grade level of the school (i.e., elementary, middle, or secondary) 1 0 d r
c. Previous academic achievement of the school ................................. 1 0 d r
d. Availability of funding from sources other than SIG .......................... 1 0 d r
e. Parent/community input ..................................................................... 1 0 d r
f. School interest in and commitment to specific models...................... 1 0 d r
g. Percentage of English language learners in the school .................... 1 0 d r
h. Percentage of some other population of students in the school
(DESCRIBE) ...................................................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
i. School desire to retain current principal ............................................ 1 0 d r
j. Existing, ongoing efforts to turn around some of the eligible
schools ............................................................................................... 1 0 d r
k. District and/or school capacity (DESCRIBE) ..................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
l. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TA5. Have any schools in your district been closed under the School Improvement
Grants’ “closure” model? If yes, please specify the number of schools that
were closed.
YES (SPECIFY NUMBER CLOSED) ........................... 1
(STRING (NUM))
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA7
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA7
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA7
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 27 11/2/11
TA6. Please name the school(s) from your district that have been closed under the
School Improvement Grants’ “closure” model. In addition, please indicate the
grade span of the school, the month and year the school was closed, and the
factors considered when deciding to close each school.
Factors Considered When
Month and Year Deciding to
School Grade Span Closed Close School
| | | Academic underperformance ......1
| | | LOWEST GRADE MONTH
(RANGE) Parent/community input...............2
a. ____________________________ (NUMBER RANGE)
(STRING (NUM)) Declining enrollment ....................3
| | | | |
| | | HIGHEST GRADE Other (SPECIFY).........................99
YEAR
(NUMBER RANGE)
(RANGE) (STRING (NUM))
| | | Academic underperformance ......1
| | | LOWEST GRADE MONTH
(RANGE) Parent/community input...............2
b. ____________________________ (NUMBER RANGE)
(STRING (NUM)) Declining enrollment ....................3
| | | | |
| | | HIGHEST GRADE Other (SPECIFY).........................99
YEAR
(NUMBER RANGE)
(RANGE) (STRING (NUM))
| | | Academic underperformance ......1
| | | LOWEST GRADE MONTH
(RANGE) Parent/community input...............2
c. ____________________________ (NUMBER RANGE)
(STRING (NUM)) Declining enrollment ....................3
| | | | |
| | | HIGHEST GRADE Other (SPECIFY).........................99
YEAR
(NUMBER RANGE)
(RANGE) (STRING (NUM))
| | | Academic underperformance ......1
| | | LOWEST GRADE MONTH
(RANGE) Parent/community input...............2
d. ____________________________ (NUMBER RANGE)
(STRING (NUM)) Declining enrollment ....................3
| | | | |
| | | HIGHEST GRADE Other (SPECIFY).........................99
YEAR
(NUMBER RANGE)
(RANGE) (STRING (NUM))
District Policies and Supports for School Turnaround
Thinking more broadly about your district’s school turnaround efforts (not necessarily
just efforts related to School Improvement Grants or Race to the Top [if applicable]), I
would now like to ask you about district policies and supports related to school
turnaround.
TA7. Does the district currently have any organizational or administrative structures
in place that are specifically intended to support school turnaround efforts?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA9
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA9
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA9
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 28 11/2/11
TA8. Which of the following organizational or administrative structures are currently
in place in your district for this purpose?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Designated district office to support school turnaround ................... 1 0 d r
b. Contract with external consultant(s) to support school
turnaround ........................................................................................ 1 0 d r
c. Designated district staff with turnaround responsibilities (but not in
special office) .................................................................................... 1 0 d r
d. Something else (SPECIFY) .............................................................. 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TA9. In the 2009–2010 school year, did the district have any organizational or
administrative structures in place that were specifically intended to support
school turnaround efforts?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA11
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA11
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA11
TA10. In the 2009–2010 school year, which of the following organizational or
administrative structures were in place in your district for this purpose?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Designated district office to support school turnaround ................... 1 0 d r
b. Contract with external consultant(s) to support school
turnaround ........................................................................................ 1 0 d r
c. Designated district staff with turnaround responsibilities, but not in
special office ..................................................................................... 1 0 d r
d. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 29 11/2/11
TA11. Currently, does the district have any organizational or administrative
structures in place that are specifically intended to support school turnaround
efforts focused on English language learners?
(STRING (NUM))
PLEASE SPECIFY
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA12. Focusing again on the list of study schools we sent you, do study schools
have any additional flexibility with, or exemptions from, collective bargaining
agreements or policies that guide staffing in your district’s schools?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA14
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA14
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA14
TA13. Do study schools have additional flexibility with, or exemptions from, any of
the following aspects of collective bargaining agreements or district policies?
CODE ONE PER ROW
STUDY
STUDY SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS EXEMPT NO
HAVE FROM USUAL FLEXIBILITY
ADDITIONAL DISTRICT OR
FLEXIBILITY POLICY EXEMPTION DK REF
a. Procedures for assigning or
removing staff (SPECIFY) ................ 2 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
b. Requirements or policies related to
staff hours and responsibilities
(SPECIFY) ........................................ 2 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
c. Procedures related to the
distribution of effective staff
(SPECIFY) ........................................ 2 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
d. Some other type of flexibility or
exemption for study schools from
policies that apply to other district
schools (SPECIFY) ........................... 2 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 30 11/2/11
TA14. Currently, which of the following other laws or agreements relating to staff
negotiations apply to your district as a whole?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. State collective bargaining agreements or laws ................................ 1 0 d r
b. No-union state ................................................................................... 1 0 d r
c. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TA15. Continuing to focus on study schools, in the 2009–2010 school year, did study
schools have any additional flexibility with, or exemptions from, collective
bargaining agreements or policies that guided staffing in your district’s
schools?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA17
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA17
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA17
TA16. In that year, did study schools have additional flexibility with, or exemptions
from, any of the following aspects of collective bargaining agreements or
district policies?
CODE ONE PER ROW
STUDY
STUDY SCHOOLS NO
SCHOOLS HAD EXEMPT FROM FLEXIBILITY
ADDITIONAL DISTRICT OR
FLEXIBILITY POLICY EXEMPTION DK REF
a. Procedures for assigning or
removing staff ................................. 2 1 0 d r
b. Requirements or policies related to
staff hours and responsibilities ....... 2 1 0 d r
c. Procedures related to the
distribution of effective staff ............ 2 1 0 d r
d. Some other type of flexibility or
exemption for study schools from
policies that apply to other district
schools (SPECIFY) ......................... 2 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 31 11/2/11
TA17. In the 2009–2010 school year, which of the following other laws or agreements
relating to staff negotiations applied to your district?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. State collective bargaining agreements or laws ................................ 1 0 d r
b. No-union state ................................................................................... 1 0 d r
c. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TA18. Thinking specifically about your district’s persistently lowest-achieving
schools, does the state, the districts, or individual schools currently have
primary responsibility for setting the following policies?
CODE ONE PER ROW
STATE DISTRICT SCHOOL DK REF
a. Setting student discipline policies ....................................... 1 2 3 d r
b. Developing the school budget ............................................ 1 2 3 d r
c. Establishing the curriculum including core texts ................. 1 2 3 d r
d. Setting student assessment policies excluding state-
mandated tests ................................................................... 1 2 3 d r
e. Staff hiring, discipline, and dismissal .................................. 1 2 3 d r
f. Determining the length of the school day ........................... 1 2 3 d r
g. Determining the length of the school year .......................... 1 2 3 d r
h. Setting requirements for professional development ......... 1 2 3 d r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 32 11/2/11
TA19. Thinking specifically about the bottom five percent of schools in improvement
status in the 2009-2010 school year in your district, did the state, districts, or
individual schools have primary responsibility for setting the following
policies?
CODE ONE PER ROW
STATE DISTRICT SCHOOL DK REF
a. Setting student discipline policies ....................................... 1 2 3 d r
b. Developing the school budget ............................................ 1 2 3 d r
c. Establishing the curriculum including core texts ................. 1 2 3 d r
d. Setting student assessment policies excluding state-
mandated tests ................................................................... 1 2 3 d r
e. Staff hiring, discipline, and dismissal .................................. 1 2 3 d r
f. Determining the length of the school day ........................... 1 2 3 d r
g. Determining the length of the school year .......................... 1 2 3 d r
h. Setting requirements for professional development ........... 1 2 3 d r
TA20. Does the district currently have a district-wide curriculum in English language
arts?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA23
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA23
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA23
TA21. Is the current English language arts curriculum aligned to current state
standards?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 33 11/2/11
TA22. Do the study schools on the list we sent you currently have the option of using
a different English language arts curriculum?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA23. In the 2009–2010 school year, did the district have a district-wide curriculum in
English language arts?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA24. Does the district currently have a district-wide curriculum in math?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA27
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA27
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA27
TA25. Is the current math curriculum aligned to current state standards?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA26. Do study schools currently have the option of using a different math
curriculum?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 34 11/2/11
TA27. In the 2009–2010 school year, did the district have a district-wide curriculum in
math?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA28. Does the district currently follow a district-wide approach to providing
additional supports and programs to specific groups of students, for example,
English language learners or students with disabilities?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA30
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA30
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA30
TA29. For which groups does the district provide this additional district-wide support
and programs?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. English language learners .................................................................... 1 0 d R
b. Students with disabilities ...................................................................... 1 0 d R
c. Some other group (SPECIFY) .............................................................. 1 0 d R
(STRING (NUM))
TA30. Does the district currently mandate that a minimum amount of time be spent
each week on English language arts and/or math instruction? If yes, please
specify the minimum number of minutes per week required for elementary,
middle, and secondary grades.
Elementary Grades Middle Grades Secondary Grades
(STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM))
English/Language Arts minutes/week minutes/week minutes/week
(STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM))
Math minutes/week minutes/week minutes/week
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 35 11/2/11
TA31. In the 2009–2010 school year, did the district mandate that a minimum amount
of time be spent each week on English language arts and/or math instruction,
overall and/or by grade level? If yes, please specify the minimum number of
minutes per week required for elementary, middle, and secondary grades.
Elementary Grades Middle Grades Secondary Grades
(STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM))
English/Language Arts minutes/week minutes/week minutes/week
(STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM)) (STRING (NUM))
Math minutes/week minutes/week minutes/week
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA32. How many instructional days are there in the current school year?
| | | | NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA33. How many instructional days were there in the 2009–2010 school year?
| | | | NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA34. Does the district currently use interim or benchmark tests for English
language arts? By benchmark or interim assessments, we mean assessments
sponsored by the state, district, or school, that are administered periodically
throughout the school year, at specified times during a curriculum sequence,
to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills relative to an explicit set of longer-
term learning goals.
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA37
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA37
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA37
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 36 11/2/11
TA35. How many times per year does the district currently use interim or benchmark
tests in English language arts?
| | | NUMBER OF INTERIM TESTS PER YEAR (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA36. For which of the following purposes are data from these interim or benchmark
tests in English language arts currently used?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. To provide additional instruction to struggling students .................. 1 0 d r
b. To provide additional professional development to teachers with
struggling students .......................................................................... 1 0 d r
c. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................. 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TA37. In the 2009–2010 school year, did the district use interim or benchmark tests
for English language arts?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA38. Does the district currently use interim or benchmark tests for math?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO TA41
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO TA41
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO TA41
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 37 11/2/11
TA39. How many times per year does the district currently use interim or benchmark
tests in math?
| | | NUMBER OF MATH INTERIM TESTS PER YEAR (NUMBER RANGE)
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA40. For which of the following purposes are data from these interim or benchmark
tests in math currently used?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. To provide additional instruction to struggling students .................... 1 0 d r
b. To provide additional professional development to teachers with
struggling students ............................................................................ 1 0 d r
c. Something else (SPECIFY) ............................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
TA41. In the 2009–2010 school year, did the district use interim or benchmark tests
for math?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d
REFUSED.................................................................... r
TA42. Focusing again on study schools, this school year, has the district provided
any assistance or professional development to these schools (above and
beyond what was provided to all other district schools)?
YES ............................................................................. 1
NO ............................................................................... 0 SKIP TO END OF SURVEY
DON’T KNOW .............................................................. d SKIP TO END OF SURVEY
REFUSED.................................................................... r SKIP TO END OF SURVEY
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 38 11/2/11
TA43. Which of the following types of assistance or professional development did
the district provide to study schools this school year (above and beyond what
was provided to all other district schools)?
CODE ONE PER ROW
YES NO DK REF
a. Assistance with identifying or developing detailed curriculum
guides, frameworks, pacing sequences, and/or model lessons
aligned with state standards ......................................................... 1 0 d r
b. Assistance with identifying curricula, instructional strategies, or
school reform models that have been shown to be effective in
increasing students’ achievement ................................................ 1 0 d r
c. Professional development in curriculum or instruction ................. 1 0 d r
d. Coaching or professional development for the principal or other
school leaders such as assistant principals on strategies for
turning around a low-performing school ....................................... 1 0 d r
e. Something else (SPECIFY) .......................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM)) 1 0 d r
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 39 11/2/11
TA44. This school year, which of the following types of training and/or technical
assistance has the state provided to your district to support the improvement
efforts of the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the district? Please
report technical assistance provided directly by state staff as well as technical
assistance funded by the state but provided by someone other than state staff,
for example, an external consultant or staff from a regional office.
YES NO DK REF
a. Training on analyzing student assessment data to improve
instruction ................................................................................... 1 0 d r
b. Training on how to access data from data systems .................. 1 0 d r
c. Training on developing and implementing a school improvement
plan ............................................................................................. 1 0 d r
d. Training on identifying and implementing effective curricula,
instructional strategies, or school intervention models ............... 1 0 d r
e. Help aligning school curricula to state standards ....................... 1 0 d r
f. Training on identifying and implementing strategies to address
the needs of English language learners ..................................... 1 0 d r
g. Training on identifying and implementing strategies to address
the needs of students with disabilities ........................................ 1 0 d r
h. Assistance on improving the quality of professional
development ............................................................................... 1 0 d r
i. Assistance on analyzing and revising budgets to use resources
more effectively........................................................................... 1 0 d r
j. Assistance on developing strategies to recruit and retain more
effective teachers........................................................................ 1 0 d r
k. Something else? (SPECIFY) ...................................................... 1 0 d r
(STRING (NUM))
Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research and American Institutes for Research 40 11/2/11