SURVEY. A high school uses student surveys in every class to gather instructional feedback for teachers.

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1 SURVEY A high school uses student surveys in every class to gather instructional feedback for teachers. Data from multiple formative surveys and online endof-course surveys combine to help teachers improve their practice. Students and teachers also complete surveys regarding administrators performances. ata, data, and more data. Almost every article on education leadership that has been published in the last few years contains the opinion that 21st century leaders must make data-driven decisions. When we, the new principal and assistant principal of North Oconee High School in Bogart, GA, thought about that, a number of questions came to mind: n What data are available to us? n Are the data that we have reliable? n Can the data help our school move forward? n Are the data valuable and up-to-date? n Which data do we need to review? n How often do we need to review those specific data? n Are the data important for the school improvement process? Like educators everywhere who constantly examine data in an attempt to make decisions to help improve their schools, we looked for ways to lead school improvement instead of just pointing out flaws. The pace of school improvement depends on a variety of factors, but our desire was to focus on continued improvement and ensure that we could sustain our efforts. We wanted our school to improve, but we wanted that improvement to be the result of a collective effort by the students, the faculty members, and the administrators. Because North Oconee was viewed as an extremely high-achieving school, we knew that any attempt to change current practice might be met with resistance, depending on our delivery and timing. We understood that we needed to build trust along with collective accountability, so we decided to ask our students to help by highlighting areas of strength and areas that needed improvement within each classroom. 34 Principal Leadership March 2013

2 SAYS Philip Brown and Debi McNeal March 2013 Principal Leadership 35

3 North Oconee High School Bogart, GA Grades: 9 12 Enrollment: 1,065 Community: Suburban Demographics: 83% White, 7% Hispanic, 4% Black, 4% Asian, and 2% multiracial; 20% free and reduced-price lunch eligible Administrative team: 1 principal, 3 assistant principals Part of the process included establishing ground rules. We told teachers that this should be considered a growth process and told students that we expected the feedback to be honest but respectful. A New Data Source Often educators fall into the trap of using standardized test scores as the only measure of teacher effectiveness. We wanted the entire faculty to receive feedback from the student body specifically about their performance in the classroom. The effectiveness of feedback often depends on the readiness of the receiver and the provider of the feedback. We felt that student feedback should and would be valued more than the opinions of two new administrators. We also wanted to show the students and parents that we value students input as a means for improving the school. During preplanning, we asked the members of the leadership team what they thought about surveying students at various times throughout the school year about instructional practices in their classrooms. The team members supported the idea, so we asked our teachers to have their students fill out short surveys at the 4- and 12-week marks to gather formative feedback and planned summative surveys at the end of the semester. To help relieve the burden on teachers, the school leadership team composed of the department heads, the head counselor, and the administrators developed the formative and summative surveys and gave them to the teachers during preplanning. We told the faculty that the goal for this exercise was to help each of them hear about students classroom experiences. We wanted teachers to look at the surveys as formative assessments and feedback from their most important resource: the students. Teachers were expected to use the data to reflect on their practice in the same way that they were expected to use the results from a formative assessment. Our hope was that teachers would reflect and possibly revise their instructional practice in an attempt to continuously improve it. Soliciting the Feedback We asked the students to be honest with the teachers, and individual teachers were the only ones who reviewed the data. Teachers did not have access to the data for other teachers students. We thought that it was important that we did not look over the formative data either, but that teachers had the freedom to work with students to correct any misconceptions or potential issues. At the end of the semester break, students completed an anonymous summative course evaluation (see Figure 1) in each of their classes using Moodle (Modular Object- Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment). We decided to make the surveys electronic so that students wouldn t be afraid that teachers could use students handwriting to determine which student wrote what. We also loved the flexibility and options that electronic data gave us compared with those of pencil-and-paper assessments. Students completed the surveys on the last day of the semester. The data were exported into Excel, and Adobe PDF documents were created for each teacher. Part of the process included establishing ground rules. We told teachers that this should be considered a growth process and told students that we expected the feedback to be honest but respectful. We laid out those expectations during a schoolwide assembly in the middle of the semester. Because we established the ground rules, the students looked at filling out the surveys as a privilege. We also met with the senior class officers to ensure that they understood the reasoning behind the surveys and our expectations and asked them to speak with the student body throughout the school year to emphasize the seriousness of the surveys and the expectations that accompany this type of activity. Differing from the formative feedback that we asked teachers to collect, the administra- 36 Principal Leadership March 2013

4 Figure 1 Course Evaluation, Summative Course Title Teacher Date Read each statement, and respond using the following scale: 1 Completely Disagree 2 Disagree Somewhat 3 Agree Somewhat 4 Completely Agree For any statement you mark 1 or 2, please provide additional comments that you feel would help me improve this course or the instruction provided. Classwork and homework helped me better understand Classroom instruction prepared me for quizzes and tests The classroom environment was orderly and promoted learning The teacher regularly provided feedback on assignments I was able to get extra help with assignments when needed A variety of technology was used throughout this course The teacher was well organized and prepared for class The teacher presented the material in a way that helped me learn This was a challenging class that encouraged me to think and apply what I learned. I studied regularly for this class I completed all assignments for this class My course grade is reflective of what I know and can do regarding this content. How many hours per week did you devote to studying for this class outside of school? o Less than 1 hour o 1 3 hours o 3 5 hours o More than 5 hours What is your current grade in this class? o o o o Less than 70 How often did this teacher have to correct your behavior? o Never o Sometimes o Always As a student, what could you have done to make this class better? One of the best things about this course was One of the worst things about this course was One recommendation I would make for the future of this course would be March 2013 Principal Leadership 37

5 North Oconee students hurry to classes that they help shape. Photo courtesy of school tors read through each one of the summative evaluations to review the comments and feedback before passing it back to the teachers. We omitted any attacking comments or inappropriate language. Disseminating the Results Now the question that usually comes up after describing this practice is, What did you use the data for? The power in the data came from the people delivering the information. At the conclusion of the school year, a member of the administrative team met individually with each faculty member to give him or her feedback that was based on the team s observations. In each case, the student body had provided similar feedback. For example, students in one class said that the worksheets were out of control and more labs were needed in the class. The administrative team noted a similar issue with the teacher. In other classes, students mentioned the lack of variety in classroom activities, the need for more classroom control and management strategies, the difference between the planned lessons and the improvised ones, the lack of connecting the content to the real world, the desire for an updated web presence, the inconsistency in feedback and grades, and the teacher s practice of playing favorites. Students also praised teachers for their dedication, the extra time they spend personalizing feedback on student work, their love for the school, and the help teachers gave before or after school. By no means are we saying that every student provided similar feedback or even accurate feedback for every teacher, but on the whole, the feedback that teachers received from their students mirrored the administrative team s perception of each teacher s performance. We explained to teachers that the format allowed for outliers but that we wanted them to focus on the feedback as a whole, not simply the response of one student who was reacting to a bad grade or a discipline referral. We also told them to develop thick skin and accept student feedback as a means for growth. The administrative team asked the student body to fill out a similar survey for the administrators and asked the faculty and staff members to complete a survey on each school administrator. This was our way of practicing what we had been preaching to the faculty. Conclusion The survey on our practice as administrators was completed at the end of the first semester as well as at the end of the school year. The feedback we received from the faculty changed some of our practices and helped us grow as administrators and leaders. It was not always easy to hear, but listening to the feedback showed our willingness to be transparent and accountable. Ultimately, we hope that all teachers and administrators at North Oconee will use the feedback to perfect our practice. If each of us improves each year, then ultimately the process of school improvement takes care of itself. It only took a little planning, thick skin, and belief in the continued opportunity that we must grow as educators to make this a successful endeavor. PL Philip Brown (pbrown@oconeeschools.org) is the principal of North Oconee High School in Bogart, GA. Debi McNeal (dmcneal@oconeeschools.org) is the assistant principal for instruction at North Oconee. 38 Principal Leadership March 2013