STATE OF ALABAMA

GOVERNOR’S COMMISSION ON TEACHER QUALITY

Report on the Spring 2000 Survey of First- and Second-Year Teachers:

Subject Areas in Which Alabama Teachers Obtain Assistance,

and the Professional Sources from Which They Receive It

December, 2000

    In 1999, the Governor of Alabama appointed a Commission on Teacher Quality. The goals of this Commission are to improve the skills and abilities of Alabama teachers, particularly new teachers and teachers who work in high-need areas, and to enhance collaboration, coordination, and alignment within K-12 schools. As a part of this effort, the Commission developed a survey questionnaire for all first- and second-year teachers in Alabama’s public schools. Administered during the spring of the 2000 school year, the survey asked these teachers to identify:

    For each subject and source included in the survey, teachers were asked whether they "received assistance," "did not receive assistance but would have liked it," or "did not need assistance." Thus, the results do not tell us about specific teacher requests for assistance and whether they are fulfilled or not, but rather more generally about teacher preferences and whether they are satisfied or not. This means that the findings should be used to build relationships and seek improvement in the quality of assistance to teachers rather than to evaluate the performance of those providing such assistance.

    Two key findings about the subject matter of teacher assistance emerge from the survey results. First, these new teachers report a high need for, but a low rate of success in obtaining, assistance in two subject areas --- understanding laws and regulations, and using technology in the classroom. Second, teachers with predominantly low-income students are the least likely to receive assistance in the subjects covered by the survey.

    Two key findings about the sources of teacher assistance emerge from the survey results. First, while mentor teachers are among the top four sources from whom new teachers would like to receive assistance, they are mentioned least often among those top four sources in terms of actually providing assistance. Second, higher education representatives are not seen by new teachers as a top source of assistance, and they are the least-mentioned source of actual assistance in the survey.

    Surveys were distributed through the schools, and teachers were asked to complete the survey anonymously. Altogether, 1,364 first-year and 1,492 second-year teachers responded. These teachers identified the grade levels in which they taught as well as the income level of the majority of their students. This report discusses the survey results in terms of the following categories of analysis:

 

Subject Areas of Assistance

Professional Sources of Assistance

1st-Year Teachers:

    

In Total

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In Grades P-3

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In Grades 4-12

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By Student Income Level

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2nd-Year Teachers:

    

In Total

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In Grades P-3

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In Grades 4-12

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By Student Income Level

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Subject Areas of Assistance

    Teachers were asked about the subject matter areas in which they want to receive assistance. They also were asked whether they actually receive assistance in each of the subjects. The questionnaire listed the following ten subject areas:

    1. Establishing collegial relationships with other teachers and administrators.
    2. Following state and local curriculum guidelines.
    3. Developing goals and objectives in planning lessons.
    4. Promoting cooperation with parents/guardians and the community.
    5. Identifying and using various instructional strategies in lessons.
    6. Monitoring and assessing student performance.
    7. Managing student behavior.
    8. Managing class time.
    9. Understanding federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
    10. Using technology in the classroom.

The survey results for subjects of assistance were plotted on five charts:

    More than 75 percent of all responding teachers want assistance in understanding laws and regulations, making this the most sought-after subject among the ten included in the study. Two-thirds of responding teachers also want help in three other subject areas – using technology, following state and local curriculum guidelines, and identifying and using instructional strategies. At the other end of the distribution, about half of responding teachers want help in managing class time and establishing relationships with colleagues, making these the least sought-after subjects for assistance. Chart 1, below, shows these results.

    Just over half of responding teachers report receiving assistance in two subjects -- following curriculum guidelines, and identifying and using instructional strategies. More than forty percent of teachers report receiving help in six other subjects on the list, while less than forty percent said help was obtained in the remaining two subjects -- establishing relationships with colleagues and managing class time. (As the appendices to the report show, first-year teachers were more likely to report receiving assistance than second-year teachers.) Chart 2, below, shows these results.

 

    The highest "satisfaction ratios" for assistance were recorded in the areas of following curriculum guidelines, establishing relationships with colleagues, and developing goals and objectives in lesson plans. Eight of every ten teachers who want help in these subjects report that they receive it. This "satisfaction ratio" is determined by combining the percent of those wanting help with the percent who obtain it (i.e., if 80 percent of responding teachers want help in a subject and 80 percent of those same teachers obtain it, the success ratio would be 64 percent (80% X 80% = 64%)). On the other hand, the lowest satisfaction ratios were recorded for using technology and understanding laws and regulations. Assistance in these subjects was highly sought by teachers, and their low satisfaction ratios should be a matter of great concern. Chart 3, below, shows these results.

 

    Teachers whose students are predominantly low-income are less likely to receive the help they want in every subject-matter area. The clearest examples of this differential are in the areas of establishing relationships with colleagues, promoting cooperation with parents and community, managing student behavior, and managing class time. This, too, is a matter of great concern because students in low-income areas tend to score lower on statewide tests. The finding should prompt consideration of a systematic method for providing teacher assistance in Alabama. Chart 4, below, shows these results.

 

    Dividing the results into four quadrants based on need for assistance versus satisfaction, it becomes clear that there are two high-need/low-satisfaction subjects – understanding laws and regulations and using technology. In both of these areas, high percentages of teachers want assistance, but low percentages of those teachers actually receive it. This finding from the survey should prompt consideration of what might be done to meet teachers’ desire for more help in these areas. In addition, the survey shows that there are three high-need/high-satisfaction subjects – following curriculum guidelines, identifying and using instructional strategies, and managing student behavior. Providers of teacher education and professional assistance should ensure that their efforts in these subject areas are maintained. Chart 5, below, shows these results. The numbers adjacent to the data points in the chart refer to the list of subject areas on pages 2 and 3 of the report, and readers may want to have a copy of that list before them when studying the chart.

    The following appendices present survey results related to subject areas of assistance for specific subgroups of teachers. Please click on the title to view the results for each subgroup:

Professional Sources of Assistance

    The survey also sought to identify the professional sources from which teachers want assistance, and to determine whether they actually receive assistance from each of those sources. The questionnaire listed the following eight sources of assistance:

    1. The principal or assistant principal in the teacher’s school.
    2. Other teacher(s) who teach in the same school.
    3. Professional development activities in the teacher’s area of need.
    4. A teacher assigned by the principal to serve as a mentor teacher.
    5. Other (blanks were provided for teachers to write in a source).
    6. A supervisor from the school system’s central office.
    7. Other administrator in the teacher’s school.
    8. A representative of a college or university.

The survey results for sources of assistance were plotted on five charts:

    More than ninety percent of all responding teachers want assistance from their principal or assistant principal and from other teachers in the school. More than eighty percent of all responding teachers want assistance from professional development activities and from an assigned mentor teacher. These four clearly are the most sought-after sources of professional help for new teachers. A majority of teachers also name others as sources of help (frequently mentioning a special education teacher or counselor) and seek help from central office supervisors. Fewer than half of the responding teachers seek help from other administrators or higher education representatives. Chart 6, below, shows these results.

 

    More than eighty percent of responding teachers report receiving assistance from their principal or assistant principal, and from other teachers in the school. Almost three-fourths of teachers report receiving help from professional development activities. Around sixty percent receive assistance from others (counselors, special education specialists, etc.), and from mentor teachers. Central office supervisors and other administrators provide assistance to less than forty percent of respondents, and representatives of higher education provide assistance to less than twenty percent. Chart 7, below, shows these results.

 

    The highest "satisfaction ratios" for sources of assistance are given to principals/assistant principals and other teachers in the school. More than ninety percent of teachers who want help from these sources report that they receive it. This "satisfaction ratio" is determined by combining the percent of those wanting help with the percent who obtain it (i.e., if 80 percent of responding teachers want help from a source and 80 percent of those same teachers obtain it, the success ratio would be 64 percent (80% X 80% = 64%)). Eighty percent or more of new teachers who want help from other sources such as counselors, from professional development activities, and from other administrators, report receiving it. The "satisfaction ratio" for mentor teachers and central office supervisors is about seventy percent. On the other hand, only about half the teachers who want assistance from higher education representatives say that they receive help from that source. The relatively low "satisfaction ratios" for mentors and higher education suggest that efforts should be made toward improvement. Chart 8, below, shows these results.

 

    Teachers whose students are predominantly low-income are less likely to receive the help they want from some sources. The clearest examples of this differential are in the assistance provided by mentors, central office supervisors, and principals. Chart 9, below, shows these results.

Need versus satisfaction.

    When the results are divided into four quadrants based on need for assistance versus satisfaction, it becomes clear that new teachers look to their principal, teaching colleagues, and professional development activities for assistance most often and also find the greatest success in receiving help from those sources. These three sources can be termed "high-need/high-satisfaction" sources of help for new teachers. Mentor teachers, on the other hand, might be classified as a "high-need/low-satisfaction" source of assistance, since teachers experience less success in receiving help from mentors. Part of the reason may be that a number of new teachers do not have access to a mentor program worthy of the name. This finding from the survey suggests that steps should be taken to develop mentor programs that provide dedicated teacher-to-teacher assistance for all of those who enter the teaching profession. In addition, the survey shows that teachers regard higher education representatives as "low-need/low satisfaction" providers of assistance – possibly indicating that they are less likely to turn to this source because there is no established process linking K-12 and higher education in this state. This suggests that teacher training institutions should consider taking steps to strengthen their ties with the public schools, improving their understanding of teachers’ on-the-job needs and their relevance as sources of help in overcoming the problems that new teachers encounter. Chart 10, below, shows these results. The numbers adjacent to the data points in the chart refer to the list of sources on page 8 of the report, and readers may want to have a copy of that list before them when studying the chart.

    The following appendices present survey results related to sources of assistance for specific subgroups of teachers. Please click on the title to view the results for each subgroup: