Governor Easleys Teacher Working Conditions Initiative

1
Governor Easleys Teacher Working Conditions
Initiative Presentation by Eric Hirsch, Director
of Special Projects, New Teacher
Center UNC-Wilmington - 3/11/08
2
Teacher Retention An Essential Issue

• Statewide teacher turnover in NC is 12.31 for
  2006-2007 school year.
• 22.2 leave to teach elsewhere
• 16.5 retire
• 13.4 resign due to family relocation
• 12.9 resign for unknown reasons
• School level turnover rate is much higher
• Prepare roughly 3,200 in NC for roughly 11,000
  positions in the state annually.
• 1 of 10 states that get more than 40 of teachers
  from out of state and exponential growth in
  lateral entry teachers

3
Factors Influencing Dissatisfaction of Teachers
Who Move to a New School
Source Ingersoll R. (2001). Teacher Turnover
and Teacher Shortages An Organizational
Analysis. American Educational Research Journal.
38, no. 3, 499-534.
4
Need for TWC Initiative

• NCES data from a random sample of teachers across
  country
• Each school and community is different with
  different resources, having embraced different
  reforms, and different concerns and priorities
• Need customized data from the voice of those who
  matter most to that particular community
• Build the profession and change the notion of
  what is meant by working conditions

5

• Surveys in 2008
• Maine survey in December and January at
  www.tellmaine.org
• Kansas survey in January at www.kantell.org
• Alabama survey in January at www.take20alabama.o
  rg
• West Virginia survey in February at
  www.westvirginiavital.org
• Massachusetts survey in February at
  www.masstells.org
• Fairfax County, VA survey in February at
  www.fcpstwcs.org
• North Carolina survey in March and April at
  www.ncteachingconditions.org
• Illinois voluntary survey in April at
  www.tellillinois.org
• NTC will survey approximately 400,000 educators
  in 2007-2008

6

• Teacher Working Conditions are Student Learning
  Conditions

7
Teachers on Which Working Condition is Most
Necessary to Improve Student Learning

8

• If I am allowed to utilize my teaching
  expertiseto draw from what I know will engage
  and stimulate my studentsthen students will
  achieve at levels no one could dream of. If I am
  hamperedthen I cant do what I do best.
• - Teacher, Published in Threshold Magazine
  article on teacher working conditions

9
TWC Questions by High School by Performance
10
Teacher Working Conditions are Student Learning
Conditions

• Six studies from five states demonstrate clear
  and significant connections between teaching
  conditions and student achievement and academic
  growth
• In North Carolina the models explained between
  68-71 percent of the difference in school
  achievement on the performance composite, up to
  20 25 percent of the differences in school
  achievement could be attributed to teaching
  conditions (particularly empowerment and
  leadership questions) at all levels
• Trusting environments with sufficient supports
  and materials were important to school success

11
(No Transcript)
12
Examples of the Impact of TWC on Student Learning
for NC High Schools

• A 0.5 estimated increase in the high school
  performance composite was found for every 10
  percent of educators who agree that the faculty
  is committed to helping every student learn, that
  school leadership clearly communicates
  expectations to parents and that teachers play a
  large role in devising instructional techniques
• High schools with positive responses to the set
  of leadership questions (3.90 domain average or
  above) were 2.2 times more likely to meet or
  exceed growth expectations

13

• Teacher Working Conditions Affect Teacher
  Retention

14
Teachers on Which Working Condition is Most
Important to Future Employment Plans

15

• 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.
• - Teacher, published in Threshold Magazine
  article on teacher working conditions

16
Working Conditions Influence Future Employment
Plans

17
Working Conditions by High School Turnover
Working Conditions by Performance Composite
Quartile
18

• Could not be modeled due to
  multicolinearity with other statistically
  significant leadership variables

19

• Teachers and Administrators View Working
  Conditions Differently

20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
Other Findings from the NC Report

• In North Carolina, schools that used working
  conditions results as a tool for school
  improvement showed improvements in critical
  areas. For example, low TWC data use schools
  dropped from 63 percent to 42 percent agreement
  that there is an atmosphere of trust versus high
  use schools improved 2.2 percent (from 76 to 79
  percent) between 2004 and 2006
• Little variation in how individual educators
  viewed working conditions was found. But big
  differences existed across states in whether or
  not there was a teacher working conditions gap
  present in schools serving high poverty and high
  minority student populations. In North Carolina
  there were differences in leadership, empowerment
  and facilities and resources, but not
  professional development and time

23
High Schools Are Less Likely to Report That
Working Conditions are in Place
24
High Schools Report More Non-Instructional Time

• Less than half of NC teachers agree that the
  non-instructional time they receive during the
  school day is sufficient (but 59.5 percent of HS
  do vs. 37.2 percent of elementary)

25
But It is Time Spent Alone

• Almost half of high school teachers (44.6
  percent) report having no collaborative planning
  time and 88 percent had 3 hours or less in an
  average week, despite receiving significantly
  more non-instructional time than educators at
  other levels
• One-quarter of elementary educators in North
  Carolina report having, on average, no time
  available to them to plan with colleagues
  (compared with 14 percent at the middle school
  level) and 92 percent report having less than 3
  hours

26
Changes in State Policy to Improve Teacher
Working Conditions
27
State TWC Policies Passed in North Carolina

• Established TWC Survey as permanent part of
  budget
• TWC every 2 years as part of the budget
• Associated research and findings at both the
  statewide and school levels
• Established NC TWC Advisory Board to oversee
  implementation and dissemination of survey and
  the findings to school level as well as policy
  development
• Provides funding for SIT integration of working
  conditions data and the Real DEAL conference
• Evaluation of school principals
• SBE required to revise evaluation instrument for
  principal evaluation to include accountability of
  teacher retention, teacher support, and school
  climate

28
State TWC Policies Passed in North Carolina

• Revision of MSA standards (Masters in School
  Administration)
• SBE required to revise MSA program standards to
  focus on providing positive school climate,
  teacher support, and teacher retention
• Requires all new principals
• To complete the  Principals Executive Program
  (PEP) - focusing on TWC provides 125K 
• Creating 100 school-based family support teams -
  including school nurse and social worker at 100
  schools in need

29

• Planning time for teachers- HB 1151 passed-
  requiring all SIT to document a plan to provide
  planning time for every teacher (goal of 5 hours
  per week) , and a duty-free lunch
• Expansion of Learn and Earn and New Schools
  Project (Gov.'s 21st Century High Schools) - at
  the core of the design of these new high schools
  is the foundation of planning time for teachers
  to be able to do their work
• Unprecedented funding to support disadvantaged
  students and districts 112 Million in new
  dollars
• This includes the Low Wealth fund, DSSF monies
  to all 115 districts, and return of the
  discretionary reduction- new focus on teacher
  recruitment, retention, and support

State TWC Policies Passed in North Carolina
30
State TWC Policies Passed in North Carolina
Leandro districts provides continuation 2M of
custom professional development to DSSF schools/
districts based on TWC survey and ABC scores. 6M
in 2006 for literacy coaches in middle schools
with lowest reading scores Customized analysis
for original DSSF districts high schools in
Turnaround High Schools All high schools under
70 proficiency for last two years Best
Practices highlighted and shared through the Real
D.E.A.L. Award winning schools
31

• This is bigger than any individual and it will
  take more than any one individual to address
  these conditions
• This is about schools and school improvement
  planning, not accountability
• Works best when done as a faculty together given
  some of the disparities in perceptions identified
  between teachers and principals
• Not an event, its a process and needs to be a
  part of ongoing faculty conversations, not a
  one-time glance at the report

32

• First Word/Last Word
• What is one area of working conditions that you
  identified in looking at your data that you
  believe should be prioritized? (2 minutes)
• Go around the small group and offer an insight
  based on what is working in your school or other
  ideas you may have (2 minutes)
• Presenter end with ideas he/she thinks may work
  or clarifying questions (1 minute)

33
To take the survey, learn more about the
initiative, access data and more! www.ncteachingc
onditions.org