West Ed - Principals Survey

8/3/2019 West Ed - Principals Survey

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The STaTuS of The Teaching ProfeSSion 2011

Research conducted by SRI International


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The Status o the Teaching Proession 2

DiminisheD OppOrtunity, DiminisheD CapaCity

I the quality o Caliornias uture rests to a

large degree on how well it educates its youth,

that uture looks grim.

Through deep and continuing cuts in education

spending over recent years, Caliornia has steadi-

ly reduced students opportunities to succeed

in an increasingly competitive world. Education

budget cuts have played out in multiple ways

that undermine the capacity and eectiveness o

our schools. Proessional development programs

designed to ensure that teachers and princi-

pals have the necessary knowledge and skills

to help students reach todays higher academic

standards have been largely dismantled even as

cost-cutting measures in school districts across

the state have made the work environment ever

more challenging: Teachers are being laid o orreassigned, class sizes are increasing, support

sta are being let go, and textbook and supply

purchases are delayed. 1

This erosion o resources has been taking place at

a time when Caliornias K-12 schools are being

asked to do more, not less. Chiefy, they are ex-

pected to prepare all students or success in high-

er education and in an economy that, in Caliornia

and elsewhere, increasingly rewards workers

knowledge and analytic skills. While Caliornia has

seen some improvement over the past severalyears in student scores on statewide assessments,

much remains to be done, including upcom-

ing implementation o the Common Core State

Standards. Meanwhile, education attainment in

the state as a whole continues to compare poorly

to that in other states, just as education attain-

ment in the United States as a whole compares

poorly to that o many other countries. 2,3

In this challenging high-stakes environment,the current emphasis on ensuring teacher eec-

tiveness is intense. With it comes wide-ranging

discussions about the need or better teacher

evaluation and proessional development, as

well as the need to develop an easier exit strat-

egy or ineective teachers who ail to improve

even with the best o support.

Oten lost in the discussion about teacher eec-

tiveness is the vital role the principal plays in con-

tributing to classroom success. Research shows

that students are more successul in schools that

have strong principals who provide instructional

leadership or their teachers. Those who see on-

the-job teacher development as a central strategy

or improved teaching and learning in the class-

room recognize the need to bring principals into

the mix. Yet, despite the considerable pressure

on principals to improve teacher eectiveness

and raise student achievement in their schools,

little data is available on the principal workorce,including the conditions that help or hinder

them in carrying out their own jobs eectively.

With that in mind, this year, in its 13th annual

1 For relevant citations or these and other data rom our research,please reer to the ull report, The status of the teaching profession 2011:http://www.ctl.org/Our_Publications.htm.2 National Center or Education Statistics.(2011). The nations report card: Mathematics 2011 (NCES 2012458).U.S.Department o Education,National Center or Education Statistics.Washington,DC: U.S.Government Printing Oce.3 Fleischman,H.L.,Hopstock,P.J.,Pelczar,M.P.,and Shelley,B.E.(2010).Highlights from PISA 2009: Performance of U.S.15-year-old students in reading,mathematics,and science literacy in an international context(NCES 2011-004).U.S.Department o Education,National Center or

Education Statistics.Washington,DC: U.S.Government Printing Oce.


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report on the state o the Caliornia teacher workorce,

the Center or the Future o Teaching and Learning at

WestEd (CFTL) has broadened its own ocus to includethe state o the principal workorce in Caliornia.

In each o its teacher workorce reports over the

past dozen years, CFTL has combined solid research,

thoughtul analysis, and plain language to describe

who is teaching Caliornias 6.2 million students. This

year we have expanded that ocus to include the

Caliornia principalship because o its important role

in supporting teacher eectiveness. Our 2011 report,

summarized in this publication, takes an extended

look at how Caliornias school principals perceive their

expanding role and how well prepared they are or

their key responsibility o helping their teachers in be-

coming more eective educators. The ull report drew

on secondary data; survey results rom a representa-

tive sample o over 600 Caliornia school principals;

and ollow-up interviews with a subset o principals

and a selected group o teacher leaders rom around

the state. The sidebar, A New Normal or CaliorniaEducators, describes the challenging context in which

principals and teachers alike are striving to improve

student outcomes.

a nw n c edts:rs xptts d dd sppt

Caliornia is one o 45 states and the District o Columbia that has adopted the Common Core State Standards in mathematics and

English language arts. Developed under the aegis o the National G overnors Association Center or Best Practices and the Council

o Chie State School Ofcers, the standards are intended as a ramework or better preparing students or success in college

and the workorce. A new set o rigorous tests to accompany the standards is being developed by a multi-state consortium thatincludes Caliornia and is expected to be in place in school year 2014-15.

The higher expectations embodied in the Common Core would be challenging even i Caliornia students were already meeting

current standards. They arent. Only about hal demonstrate profciency on the states standards-based tests. Approximately one

fth o students ail to graduate high school at all. Six in 10 o those who do graduate and go on to Caliornia State Universities

must take remedial courses beore they are considered qualifed to take college-level coursework.

Caliornia cannot be aulted or asking its educators and its students to do more. But, at the same time were asking them to step

up, were providing them with ewer resources and less support. Consider these continuing trends:

Over the last 4 years, Caliornia has cut school spending by 23 percent and has cutmore

dollars per student $1,414 than any other state. Looked at another way, spending or each classroom o 30 students has been cut by more

than $42,000. 4

Caliornias teachers now have more students in their classes than they did 3 years ago: The average class size in grades K-3

rose to 25 students during the 2010-11 school year, compared with approximately 20 students during the 2008-09 school

year. Nine o the states 30 largest districts had class sizes in excess o 30 students or some or all o grades K-3.

The Caliornia teaching orce has been cut signifcantly. Between 2009-10 and 2010-11, the size o the student population

increased, but there were nearly 13,000 ewer teachers serving that population.

Although we expect students to learn more, in 2011 many districts have cut the number o school days in the school year.

I the state makes expected mid-year budget cuts, Caliornia schools could have among the lowest required instructionaldays o any state in the nation at 168 days, down rom the standard 180 days.

State-unded proessional development programs or educators have been drastically reduced. With more districts

spending categorical unds intended or teacher development on other purposes, the amount o total unds dedicated

to proessional development has gone down despite pressure on teachers to implement the new Common Core State

Standards within the next ew years.

4 Oli,P.& Leachman,M.(2011).New school year brings steep cuts in state funding for schools.Washington,DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.


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The california PrinciPal in 2011

The majority o the states principals are rela-

tively new to their role, with 51 percent hav-

ing been a principal or no more than 5 years

and 53 percent having been the principal at their

current school or no more than 3 years. Those in

charge o the states highest perorming schools

tend to have more experience at their current

school than do those in lower perorming schools.Nearly 90 percent o the states principals secured

their administrative services credential through a

proessional preparation program.

Almost three quarters o principals sur-

veyed reported having served as an

assistant or vice principal immediately

prior to assuming the role o princi-

pal. They come to this role with a wide

range o content expertise. Thirty-threepercent have a background in English,

24 percent in history/social science, 20

percent in mathematics, and 15 percent

in science.

We expect a lot rom our school leaders. This years

annual report concludes that todays Caliornia

principals have more to do, less time to do it, and

ewer sources o support, even as they and their

teachers and the students they serve contend

with higher stakes. One experienced middle school

principal interviewed or the study put it this way:

In todays world, principals are asked to be masterteachers, curriculum directors, technology direc-

tors, chie budget ocers, nurses, athletic directors,

crisis negotiators and managers, community liai-

sons, and undraising wizards. Not surprisingly,

then, our principals report working long hours: 61

hours per week on average or high school princi-

pals, 58 hours or middle school principals, and 57

or elementary school principals.

Principal as site manager. As the national and

state conversation has turned to teacher eective-

ness, principals are being asked to assume an in-

creasingly prominent instructional leadership role.

Yet many Caliornia principals reported

that their ability to carry out this impor-

tant aspect o their work is hindered by

the time and eort needed in another

area o responsibility or which they eel

ar less prepared: site management. More

than hal o the principals surveyed re-ported having had no prior experience, or

minimal experience, in key job unctions

related to site management, such as

In todays world, principals are asked to

be master teachers, curriculum directors,

technology directors, chie budget ofcers,

nurses, athletic directors, crisis negotiatorsand managers, community liaisons, and

undraising wizards.


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managing a school site budget (66%) or, even, just

participating in the development o such a budget

(59%). See Figure 1.

Compounding this lack o prior management-

related experience have been budget-driven cuts

in school support sta and in resources or training

principals or providing them with mentors. Cuts

have also reduced the number o other personnel

assistant principals, instructional coaches, and

other administrative sta who, in the past,

might have assisted with instructional leader-

ship responsibilities or administrative duties,all o which now all to the principal. A majority

o principals reported, too, that other support

sta counselors, librarians, instructional aides,

and custodians had been eliminated at their

school. A majority also reported rising class sizes

or their teachers.

Principal as teacher evaluator. Few disagree

that teachers should be evaluated regularly.

Agreement about method and purpose remainsmore elusive. Should evaluation results be used

to strengthen practice, to root out poor perorm-

ers, or both? Should students academic progress

be measured as part o their teachers evaluation

and, i so, how and to what end? Are principals

qualied to be eective classroom observers or

ormative or summative evaluation purposes?

Caliornias relatively new principals bring varied

experience in conducting teacher evaluation. Sixin 10 survey respondents reported having had

moderate or signicant experience with ormally

evaluating teachers prior to becoming a principal.

This leaves 4 in 10 with little or no experience.

See Figure 2.

In Caliornia, like elsewhere in the nation, two

evaluation methods are generating discussion

and debate: the value-added approach, which

attempts to measure a teachers contribution

to students academic growth over the year, and

meaningul classroom observation carried out

by principals (or other instructional leaders).

Six in 10 survey respondents reported that they

Principals Prior Experience with Site Management

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Managing a school site budget

Participating in the development

of a school site budget

Developing a school's master schedule

Managing school facilities

Raising funds for programs/services

34%

66%

41% 59%

45% 55%

48% 52%

48% 52%

Percentage of principals

None or minimal experienceModerate or significant experience

1Figure


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always review student results on state tests when

evaluating teachers; this suggests that 40 percent

o principals do not typically consider state test

results in teacher evaluation, in spite o state lawrequiring them to do so.

Asked about their experience with conducting

classroom observations to see teachers in

action, nearly three quarters o responding

principals reported having had moderate or sig-

nicant experience conducting such observa-

tions. While having such experience may be better

than not having any, experience alone does notnecessarily translate into eective observation or

evaluation. Once on the job, only about a third o

principals reported that they received proessional

development to any great extent in either evalua-

tion or in how to conduct classroom observations.

Nonetheless, many principals expressed con-

dence in their ability to evaluate their teach-

ers even when they did not have expertise

in the subject matter being taught by a teacher. See Figure 3.Our interviews with teachers indicate,

however, that teachers wish they could receive

eedback and support rom content experts that

would help them to improve their practice.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Formally evaluating teachers

Supporting teachers in using multipleassessments to inform instruction

Participating in the development of aschool site staff development plan

Conducting classroom observationsor walk-throughs

63%

37%

64% 36%

74% 26%

69% 31%


Principals Prior Experience with Instructional Leadership

None or minimal experienceModerate or significant experience

Visual and performing arts

Foreign language

Physical education

Science

Math

History/social science

English

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%


33%

73%

24%

63%

20%

59%

15%

53%

13%

44%

11%

19%

10%

33%

Principals Content Expertise and Confdence

in Evaluating Teachers Content Expertise

Very confident evaluatingContent expertise

3Figure2Figure


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Survey results make it clear that Caliornia princi-

pals want more time to evaluate their teachers and

would like additional training in order to become

more eective evaluators. Its also clear that many

do not nd their current approach to evaluationto be useul. Only about a third o respondents re-

ported using results o such evaluations to inorm

to a great extent either teachers proessional

development plans or schoolwide proessional

development goals.See Figure 4.5 Just under hal re-

ported that teacher evaluation results inorm to a

great extent whether or not a teacher is retained.

Nearly 2 in 5 principals reported that, when ateacher is not perorming satisactorily, they tend

to handle the matter outside o the ormal teacher

evaluation system.See Figure 5.

When asked about perceived barriers to improv-

ing teaching quality, nearly hal the principals

identied the infuence o teacher seniority on

stang decisions as a serious barrier; nearly

three quarters also identied as a serious bar-rier cumbersome procedures to remove a teacher

who has been identied as unsatisactory.

5 Percentages in Figures 4 and 5 do not add up to 100% because not all response choices are shown.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The formal teacher evaluation process resultsin the removal of ineffective teachers

When I feel a teacher is not performing satisfactorily, I tend tohandle the matter outside the formal teacher evaluation system

The formal teacher evaluation system supports all teachers

in continuously improving their instructional practices16%

53%

11% 27%

5 29%


Principals Perspectives on the Use o Formal Evaluations

AgreeStrongly agree

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Determining whether or notthe teacher is retained

Determining whether or nota mentor is assigned

Allocation of school site resources tostrengthen areas of weakness

Development of a teachers professionaldevelopment plans for the next year

Development of school-wide professionaldevelopment goals for the following year

34%

44%

36% 40%

28% 47%

45% 20%

37% 34%


Extent to Which Formal Perormance Evaluations

Inorm Activities to Improve Teaching Quality

Moderate extentGreat extent

4Figure 5Figure


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The california Teacher in 2011

The states teacher workorce is shrinking.

Given the amount o press about budget-

driven reductions in teaching positions, it

shouldnt be surprising to learn that there has

also been a large drop in the number o prospec-

tive teachers being trained in the states colleges

and universities. Enrollment in both private and

public teacher preparation programs declinedby over 50 percent between 2001-02 and 2009-

10, dropping rom 77,700 to 36,600. In addition,

the state has been issuing ar ewer credentials

to new teachers. In the 6 years rom 2003-04 to

2009-10, the number o new credentials issued

declined by over 40 percent, dropping rom

27,150 to 16,150. At the same time, the number o

Caliornias educators who are retiring each year

has been steadily climbing, rom 8,700 in 2000-01

to 15,500 in 2009-10.

I Caliornia principals

are relatively new to

their respective role, the

teachers with whom

they work are not.

The number o novice

teachers that is, rst

or second year teachers was very high a

decade ago and has

shrunk signicantly since,

dropping rom nearly

46,000 to just over 18,000 in 2009-10. This is

largely related to budget constraints since,

in almost all Caliornia school districts, teach-

ers with the least experience are the rst to be

laid o. Our research reveals that 80 percent o

teachers now working have more than 5 years o

experience in the proession, and more than 50

percent have more than a decade o experience.


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While other large states, such as Florida,

Texas and Illinois, are establishing so-

phisticated state-level data systems

that give policymakers clarity about the status o

their pool o prospective and existing teachers,

Caliornia has recently reversed course on its com-

mitment to the Caliornia Longitudinal Teacher

Integrated Data Education System (CALTIDES).Under development since 2006, CALTIDES was

intended to add inormation about teacher cre-

dentialing to the states existing teacher-related

inormation in order to better understand and,

thus, to strengthen the teaching orce. For state

policymakers, eliminating CALTIDES is a bit like

turning o the instruments on an airplane while

fying through og. Without a comprehensive

data system that includes the data that would

have been housed in CALTIDES, we are let with

a ragmented system that does not acilitate

easy access to inormation crucial or making in-

ormed decisions and evaluating the impact o

many state-sponsored reorm eorts. CALTIDES,

coupled with the Caliornia Longitudinal Pupil

Achievement Data System (CALPADS), was in-

tended to be a robust system o teacher and stu-

dent data designed to provide a clearer picture o

teaching and learning in Caliornia.

It shouldnt simply be a game o chance as to

whether students get a good teacher, particularly

a game in which the odds increase only with

amily income. Schooling in Caliornia happens

locally but the state is ultimately responsible or

ensuring that all students, regardless o their zip

code, get an excellent educa-

tion. Yet, or years our reports

have examined the data show-

ing that Caliornias poorest

children the ones arguablyin need o the best teachers

routinely get those teach-

ers who are least prepared.

Now, in the absence o CALTIDES, there is a lack

o solid teacher workorce data at the state level,

making it hard to know whether or not Caliornia

is making progress in more equitably distribut-

ing teachers. Although local districts may be able

to examine their own data with a lens on equity,

the state appears to have lost the capacity to look

closely at this important issue.

The DaTa gaP

Schooling in Caliornia happens locally

but the state is ultimately responsible orensuring that all students, regardless o

their zip code, get an excellent education.


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concluSion

Todays teachers make up the most experi-

enced teacher workorce Caliornia has seen

in at least a decade. In their work, many are

encountering increased class sizes, reduced in-

structional days, and ewer resources to pay or

materials and equipment. In addition, they and

their students receive less general support out-

side the classroom than in the past, with ewer

counselors, instructional aides, librarians, sec-

retaries, and custodians at their schools. Finally,

with less teacher development unding available

rom the state, and with districts able to be more

fexible in how they deploy what teacher devel-

opment unds they do have, many teachers are

not receiving the proessional development that

could help them improve or rene their practice.

While teaching conditions have become morechallenging, the expectations or what this work-

orce will achieve are higher than ever. They must

prepare their students or a rapidly changing and

increasingly knowledge-

based economy. These

teachers must also be-

come prepared them-

selves to teach to the

new Common Core State

Standards and aligned

assessments. Principalshave a key role to play

in providing or ensur-

ing that these veteran

educators receive tar-

geted proessional devel-

opment and strategic support that builds on their

extensive classroom experience.

Yet principals and teachers alike report a wide

range o impediments to improving teachingquality, including substantial deciencies in the

current system o teacher development, support,

and evaluation. Among these is the amount o

time or lack thereo available or principals

to conduct ormative classroom observations so

as to understand how a teacher is doing and what

he or she might need in order to become more e-

ective and to develop improvement strategies. I

Caliornia is serious about implementing a mean-

ingul evaluation system that supports teachers

in improving their practice throughout the year,


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policymakers must acknowledge that principals

need additional time to attend to that responsi-

bility. With the typical principal already workinga 60-hour week, it would be dicult or principals

to work even more hours to ulll this expecta-

tion. This means that additional administrative

supports are needed or our schools just the

opposite o whats currently happening with sup-

port positions being eliminated due to the bud-

get crisis.

A ocus on principals is critical, because studies

show that the infuence o the principal on stu-dent learning and achievement is second only

to that o the classroom teacher.6 And, like their

classroom counterparts, todays principals are ex-

pected to simultaneously manage a tremendous

number and range o responsibilities. Caliornias

principals, most o them relatively new to their

role, have only limited experience in many o the

management and budgeting responsibilities that

consume much o their time time that is alsoneeded to more directly support teaching and

learning. Student achievement and school quality

are infuenced by the principals ability

to promote and participate in teacher

learning and development, as wellas to plan, coordinate, and evaluate

teaching and the schools instruction-

al program. Todays principals have

more to do, ewer people to help, and

higher stakes with which to contend.

At the same time, the systems in place to prepare,

support, develop and evaluate school principals

themselves are sorely lacking.

Finally, as the state examines its policy prioritiesor addressing programs and supports to ensure

that Caliornia has a highly eective and well

supported principal and teacher workorce, it

must make data collection and analysis a priority.

While CALPADS is a critical statewide data system,

important data gaps remain that, i closed, would

allow state and local policymakers to address

education equity, would enable more consistent

program evaluation, and would ensure greatertransparency about how the states education

system is perorming. Among the important

inormation gaps, or example, are data necessary

to ully understand, and thus be able to address,

the issues o preparation, development, and turn-

over in the principal workorce.

6 The research addresses in-schoolinfuences on student achievement.

Todays principals have more to do,

ewer people to help, and higherstakes with which to contend.


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The ollowing recommendations are oered as strat-

egies to support teachers, principals, and policymak-

ers to improve education outcomes or all students,

particularly as the state and local districts prepare

or delivery o the Common Core State Standards:

Reinvent evaluation and support forteachers

to focus on student learning, with the goal of

improving both teaching and learning.Evaluation should be conducted by well

trained principals or designees, and it should

be ormative in nature with the aim o

assisting teachers to rene their instructional

practice throughout the year. The process

should be a means o identiying teachers

strengths and challenges, and developing

strategies or continuously strengthening

teaching practice. To ensure that evaluation

systems meet these objectives, principals andteachers must be provided with adequate

time. A reinvented evaluation system must

also include streamlined procedures or

removing the small percentage o teachers

who continue to be identied as

ineective despite ongoing eedback

and support.

Reinvent evaluation and support

forprincipals to focus on improved

teaching and learning, as well as

improvement of their own practice.

Such evaluation systems, which

should not be one size ts all, would

include multiple measures o quality

leadership to refect the complexity

o their role and would be based on

research ndings about eective lead-

ership, organizations, and personnel evalua-

tion. Evaluation tools should be reliable and

valid, and evaluation systems should be based

on established standards o administrative

practice as well as on objective and measur-

able perormance goals or principals. Among

the types o support that could help principals

become more eective, or example, is ormal

mentoring rom more experienced and highly

eective school leaders.

Support bothprincipals and teachers in

transitioning to the newly adopted Common

Core State Standards.

This can be done by making available

locally or regionally designed and delivered

proessional development based on the

Common Core State Standards. As the state

introduces assessments aligned to these new

standards, instructional materials aligned to

the Common Core State Standards must also

recommenDaTionS


14/1612

be made available to districts. Local

school districts and boards should

begin working toward the transition

now by oering teachers time to

receive the guidance, support, and

development necessary to adapt their

practice to the new standards and to

make adjustments to instruction as

necessary. Districts should periodically

review data on the impact o changes

in practice that would enable them to

make mid-course corrections to the

implementation plan as appropriate.

Ensure that California has a trustworthy

and easily accessible data system for

teacher and principal information.State policymakers must take the

necessary steps, amending statutes

governing CALPADS as necessary, to

acilitate sharing o existing teacher

workorce data between the Caliornia

Department o Education and the

Commission on Teacher Credentialing

and to expand data collection to include

inormation on principals as well.

These actions should be designed, ata minimum, to ensure that both local

and state decision-makers have the

inormation they need to anticipate and

address principal and teacher turnover,

out-o-eld teaching, and potential

shortages in the teacher and principal

workorce.


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abouT ThiS DocumenTThis summary report and its companion materials are available or download on our website, www.ctl.org. For inormation on purchasing print

copies rom the Center, please email [email protected]. Discounts are available or bulk orders o single publications. The Center is pleased to have other

organizations and individuals share its materials with their constituents. To request permission to excerpt part o this publication, either in print or

electronically, please contact us.


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