The Tablet
iTeach, Special Feature: Teacher Pulse Check
Teacher Pulse Checks
Surveys were distributed to over 50 schools across our K12 network of schools. Survey 1 was circulated in four cohorts between 8/24/15 – 9/14/15 and Survey 2 was distributed to all schools on 11/2/15.
This is the first school year we have attempted to glean your thoughts and comments at the onset and throughout the year. We can't thank you enough for your time, feedback and candor in this survey. While there is much I'd like to share about these surveys; I will keep it short. We asked and you shared. We are listening.
Pulse Check Survey Overview
From a national perspective, averaging both Survey 1 & Survey 2 results, teachers share:
- When reflecting on your experience with your school this year, 54% of teachers indicated they were very satisfied or satisfied with teaching at their school.
- 54% of teachers indicate that they agree/strongly agree with the statement that they have been provided the training necessary to perform their job effectively.
- Regarding materials and equipment, 60% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that they have materials and equipment needed to do their job right.
- 55% of teachers strongly agreed and agreed with the statement: I know what is expected of me this year as a teacher.
- When teachers were asked about how well prepared for school their students and their learning coaches were, 20% of teachers believed students and learning coaches were prepared or very prepared.
- 35% of teachers rated the teacher morale at their school as very high or high.
- In Survey 1, 34% of teachers were spending less than one hour onboarding students. By Survey 2 this percentage increased to 60%.
- Finally, when asked about how much time teachers were spending to support students and their learning coaches with non-academic issues, 33% of teachers indicated up to one hour per day and by Survey 2 that number increased to 44%.
Survey Participation
Participation Results
Survey 1: 59 Schools; 4 cohort groups
1611 Respondents; 46% participation rate
Survey 2: 59 Schools; 1 cohort group
1840 Respondents; 48% participation rate
High Level Data Observations
Overview:
–Participation improved 2% from Survey 1 (S1) to Survey 2 (S2)
–New teachers had greater participation and rated their experiences higher in most categories in both S1 & S2
–Lowest ratings were scattered among regions and subgroups
–Open-ended comment themes remained fairly consistent between S1 & S2
Good News:
–Congratulations to Southern Region; this region had the highest ratings in the most areas for both surveys
–Time spent on onboarding & non-academic and academics decreased significantly in S2
Challenge:
–Satisfaction, Training, Preparedness and Morale all declined in S2
National Data
Sub Group Data
Open-Ended Comments
What's Next?
Data from each survey has been released locally to each school, and a number of actions and implementations have taken place as a result of your feedback. Specifically, I'd like to share with you how this feedback has impacted our work on a national scale:
- Reinforced work and planning on addressing total compensations awards; In December nine schools announced more summer time off for teachers. In the months to come an announcement is expected to be made for another ten schools who are working on plans for additional summer time off for teachers.
- Accelerated the need for quicker support and response on the National Online High School (NOHS) Platform implementations.
- Influencing iLead planning and support for school leaders; and
- Generated planning for a teacher work time study to understand better the teacher needs and pain points.
Leslye Moraski Erickson Director, School Services
I have worked for over a decade as a Head of School and have had the privilege of hiring and working with over a hundred virtual school teachers over the years. I know how hard each of you work and the value you bring to our students and families.
In my new role, I'm working to champion the needs of teachers to improve your experience and increase your effectiveness in our schools. Help me help you!
Email: iTeach@k12.com
Website: www.k12.com
Phone: 920.737.8741
iTeach
iTeach@k12 is an initiative that elevates our commitment to develop a culture of excellence around our teachers and intends to enhance our k12 teachers’ experience and practice. Our ultimate vision is to become a world-class employer of teachers; essentially the place where the best teachers want to work, where they chose to stay and where they are national contributors in online education.
Questions or Feedback? Reach out at iTeach@k12.com.