You are invited to take part in the VISTA survey. The purpose of this survey is to provide ESE your feedback on your district and the state’s programs to support statewide reform efforts. The survey is divided into five main modules, plus a small number of demographic questions:

i. Demographic questionsA. State Curriculum FrameworksB. Role of Evaluation in Supporting Educator Growth and DevelopmentC. Educator Pipeline Development: Preparing, Hiring, and Retaining Educators D. Social and Emotional Learning, Health, and SafetyE. ESE Overall Support

The survey should take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

You may wish to have a designee from your district staff complete one or more of the five modules. If you do so, you will need to provide them with your link to the survey. If you are unsure about a question, please respond in a manner that most closely reflects your experiences or seek information from others (e.g., Curriculum Directors) to provide an answer.

Taking part in this study is completely voluntary. You can withdraw from the study at any time by discontinuing the survey and you may choose not to respond to any question within the survey (except the required demographic questions in the first section). There are no known risks or discomforts associated with this survey. Although you will receive no direct benefits for completing the survey, doing so will provide information that may be useful to improve teaching and learning.

Your responses will be kept confidential and stored in secure electronic files. Any report of this research that is made available to the public will not include your name or any other individual information by which you could be identified. No individual responses will be reported.

If you have questions or want a copy or summary of this study’s results, contact Laura Egan, Westat VISTA Project Director, at lauraegan@westat.com. If you have questions about your rights and welfare as a research participant, please call the Westat Human Subjects Protections office at 1-888-920-7631. Please leave a message with your full name, the name of the research study that you are calling about (the VISTA study), and a phone number beginning with the area code. Someone will return your call as soon as possible. Please feel free to print a copy of this consent page to keep for your records.

Clicking the “Next” button below indicates that you are 21 years of age or older and indicates your consent to participate in this survey.

VISTA 2018 District Survey 1

i. DEMOGRAPHICS i1. What grade levels does your district serve? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

0 □ All Grades, Pre-K–12

1 □ All Grades, K–12

2 □ Kindergarten

3 □ Grade 1

4 □ Grade 2

5 □ Grade 3

6 □ Grade 4

7 □ Grade 5

8 □ Grade 6

9 □ Grade 7

10 □ Grade 8

11 □ Grade 9

12 □ Grade 10

13 □ Grade 11

14 □ Grade 12

15 □ Grade 13 (students aged 18–22)

i2. Including the current school year (2017–18), how long have you worked as a district-level and/or school level administrator? Please do not include student practicum.

Years

a.Total amount of time as a district-level administrator | | |

b.Total amount of time as a district-level administrator in current district | | |

c. Total amount of time as a school-level administrator | | |

VISTA 2018 District Survey 2

i3. Since September 2011, how many different people have served as Superintendent (or acting/interim Superintendent) in your district? Please include the current superintendent.

_ _ Number of Superintendents since September 2011

i4. Are you a leader of a charter school/district?

1 □ Yes

2 □ No

VISTA 2018 District Survey 3

A. STATE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKSThis module asks for your views on the alignment, support and implementation of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks (English Language Arts & Literacy, Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering) in your district.

A1. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about the 2017 Massachusetts English Language Arts (ELA) & Literacy Curriculum Framework.

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewha

t

Agree Somewha

tAgree

StronglyDon’t Know

a. The 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework sets appropriate expectations for student learning at each grade level.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. The 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework positively affects the degree to which students are prepared for college or career.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. Teachers have made instructional shifts over the last year to ensure students meet the expectations of the state’s current 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. State assessments provide useful information about students’ progress mastering the expectations set in the 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

A2. Please indicate the degree to which you think the following district or school resources are aligned to the 2017 Massachusetts English Language Arts (ELA) & Literacy Curriculum Framework.

Not At All Aligned

Somewhat Aligned Aligned

Strongly Aligned

Don’t Know

a. District-wide ELA/Literacy common assessments

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □b. ELA/Literacy assessments created or

selected by teachers 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. ELA/Literacy texts used in your schools 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □d. ELA/Literacy curriculum selected or

developed by your district 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. Professional development activities in this school year 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

4

A3. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about the 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework.

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. The 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework sets appropriate expectations for student learning at each grade level.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. The 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework positively affects the degree to which students are prepared for college or career.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. Teachers have made instructional shifts over the last year to ensure students meet the expectations of the state’s current 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. State assessments provide useful information about students’ progress mastering the expectations set in the 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

A4. Please indicate the degree to which you think the following district or school resources are aligned to the 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework.

Not At All Aligned

Somewhat Aligned Aligned

Strongly Aligned

Don’t Know

a. District-wide mathematics common assessments

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. Mathematics assessments created or selected by teachers

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. Mathematics textbooks used in your schools 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □d. Mathematics curriculum selected or developed

by your district1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. Professional development activities in this school year

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

5

A5. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about the 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Curriculum Framework.

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. The 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Curriculum Framework sets appropriate expectations for student learning at each grade level.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. The 2016 STE Curriculum Framework positively affects the degree to which students are prepared for college or career.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. Teachers have made instructional shifts over the last year to ensure students meet the expectations of the state’s current 2016 STE Curriculum Framework.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. State assessments provide useful information about students’ progress mastering the expectations set in the 2016 STE Curriculum Framework.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

A6. Please indicate the degree to which you think the following district or school resources are aligned to the 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Curriculum Framework.

Not At All Aligned

Somewhat Aligned Aligned

Strongly Aligned

Don’t Know

a. District-wide STE common assessments 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □b. STE assessments created or selected by

teachers 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. STE textbooks used in your schools 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □d. STE curriculum selected or developed by your

district 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. Professional development activities in this school year 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

6

A7. Prioritize the guidance needed to successfully implement the 2017 English Language Arts (ELA) and Literacy Curriculum Framework.

ELA/Literacy framework implementation guidance on…

No Need

Low Priority

Moderate Priority

High Priority

Don’t Know

a. which curricula are best aligned 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. developing curriculum that is well aligned 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. how to support English learners in mastering the expectations 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. how to support students with disabilities in mastering the expectations 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

A8. Prioritize the guidance needed to successfully implement the 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework.

Mathematics framework implementation guidance on…

NoNeed

Low Priority

Moderate Priority

High Priority

Don’t Know

a. which curricula are best aligned 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. developing curriculum that is well aligned 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □c. how to support English learners in mastering the

expectations 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. how to support students with disabilities in mastering the expectations 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

A9. Prioritize the guidance needed to successfully implement the 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Curriculum Framework.

Science and Technology/Engineering framework implementation guidance on…

NoNeed

Low Priority

Moderate Priority

High Priority

Don’t Know

a. which curricula are best aligned 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. developing curriculum that is well aligned 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □c. how to support English learners in mastering the

expectations 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. how to support students with disabilities in mastering the expectations 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

7

A10. Thinking of all three Curriculum Frameworks (English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering), prioritize the guidance needed to successfully implement them for the following factors.

For all three curriculum frameworks, implementation guidance on…

NoNeed

Low Priority

Moderate Priority

High Priority

Don’t Know

a. identifying professional development providers to support implementation of curricula 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. how to embed students’ social and emotional learning into the district’s curricula 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. Other (specify):

_____________________1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

8

B. ROLE OF EVALUATION IN SUPPORTING EDUCATOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENTThe Role of Evaluation in Supporting Educator Growth and Development section (Module B) asks for your views on the role of evaluation in supporting educator growth and development in your schools or district. It first asks for your views on the role of evaluation in supporting principal growth and development. It then asks for your views on the role of evaluation in supporting teacher growth and development in your school or district.

B1. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about the principal evaluation system used in your district.

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

a. The principal evaluation system is effective in identifying outstanding school leaders. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

b. The principal evaluation system is effective in identifying school leaders who are struggling. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

c. Overall, the evaluation system used in my district for assessing administrators generates fair results.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

B2. Over the course of the school week, approximately what percent of your time do you, on average, spend supporting your building administrators, versus other administrative duties? 

__________(Please enter number)

9

This next series of questions asks your views on the role of evaluation and evaluation resources in supporting teacher growth and development in your district.

B3. Please evaluate the usefulness of the following ESE resources during this school year.

Never Heard of

This Resource

Heard of Resource

but Haven’t Used It

Used Resource but Found

It NOT Useful

Found Resource

Useful

Found Resource

Very Useful

a. Calibration Video Library (42 classroom instruction videos) 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

b. Transforming Educator Evaluation in Massachusetts (TEEM) Video Series 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

c. ‘What to Look For’ Observation Guides 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

d. Model Feedback Surveys 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □e. Writing Standards In Action 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □f. Quick Reference Guides for the

Curriculum Frameworks 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

g. Instructional Support Networks 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □h. Guidebook for Inclusive Practice 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □i. Center for Instructional Support

Newsletter 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

j. Teachers’ Top 3 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □k. Other (specify)

_____________________1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

10

B4. Below is a series of statements about the teacher evaluation system used in your district. To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. The evaluation system used in my district is effective in identifying outstanding teachers.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. The evaluation system used in my district is effective in identifying teachers who are struggling.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. The district’s evaluation staff has the appropriate content knowledge to evaluate teacher performance.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. The evaluation system used in my district is an effective tool to support teacher growth and development.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. Overall, the evaluation system used for assessing teachers generates fair results.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

B5. These statements relate to student and staff feedback that is used in your district’s evaluation system. Please estimate the percentage of educators within your district who do the following.

Please enter a whole percent number Don’t Know

a. Teachers in my district who collect student feedback (e.g., surveys, exit tickets, group discussions) as evidence in their evaluation process

| | | | -1 □

b. Teachers in my district who use ESE’s model student feedback surveys | | | | -1 □

c. Administrators in my district who collect staff feedback as evidence in their evaluation process

| | | | -1 □

B5.2. How does your district want teachers to use student feedback?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

1 □ For self-assessment/self-reflection

2 □ To inform goal-setting

3 □ For formative assessment

4 □ To inform summative ratings

5 □ As evidence of practice in the evaluation process

11

B6. Please indicate the percentage of educators within your district who have common assessments that are used as evidence in the district’s educator evaluation system.

Please enter a whole percent number Don’t Know

a. Teachers who use district common assessments as a part of their educator evaluation process

| | | | -1 □

b. Teachers who use educator-chosen classroom assessments as a part of their educator evaluation process

| | | | -1 □

c. Teachers who set a goal for student performance before administering a common assessment

| | | | -1 □

12

C. EDUCATOR PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT: Preparing, Hiring and Retaining EducatorsThe Educator Pipeline Development section (Module C) asks for your views on developing, hiring and retaining effective educators in your schools or district.

C1. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements.

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

a. In general, I believe that it is possible for first-year teachers to positively impact student learning from their first day in the classroom.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

b. I have strategic partnerships with teacher and principal preparation providers that help ensure I can meet my hiring needs.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

c. My district’s processes and timelines for hiring support my ability to recruit and hire top talent. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

d. First-year teachers in my district receive induction and mentoring support that positively impact retention.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

C2.1. Please tell us the number of first-year principals you have in your district now, and in the past.

Please enter number Don’t Know

a. Number of first-year principals currently | | | | -1 □b. Number of first-year principals you have hired

in the last 3 years (include current in your total)

| | | | -1 □

13

C2.2. For this current school year, please indicate the number of first-year principals within your district that met each level of readiness.

Readiness level Please enter number

a. Fully ready (immediately impactful in leading a school)

______________

(Enter number)

b. Mostly ready (able to successfully lead in most key areas)

______________

(Enter number)

c. Moderately ready (needed additional support, training and/or coaching to be successful)

______________

(Enter number)

d. Minimally ready (limited success meeting the needs of the school and improving outcomes)

______________

(Enter number)

e. Not ready (unable to meet the needs of the school)

______________

(Enter number)

14

C3. When hiring a new principal, which of the following attributes are the most important when making the decision to hire? Please select the three most important attributes.

The new principal: Most Important Attribute

Second Most Important Attribute

Third Most Important Attribute

a. uses data to make informed decisions. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □b. facilitates professional learning that

improves instructional practice. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

c. provides high-quality feedback through the observation and evaluation process. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

d. manages daily operations of a school effectively. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

e. engages families and communities in support of student needs. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

f. fosters collaborative environment that reinforces a school’s vision. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

g. is culturally competent. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □h. has the dispositions necessary for

engaging effectively with students and adults.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □

i. Other (specify):

_____________________1 □ 2 □ 3 □

C4. How frequently are you unable to hire an ideal candidate for a principal vacancy?

1 □ All of the time

2 □ Most of the time

3 □ Some of the time

4 □ I am usually able to hire an ideal candidate

15

C5. When hiring a prospective principal, what components of the hiring process most influence your judgments? Please select the three most important components.

Component Most Important Component

Second Most Important Component

Third Most Important Component

a. Interviews 1 □ 2 □ 3 □b. Performance tasks 1 □ 2 □ 3 □c. Artifacts of practice

(e.g., portfolio) 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

d. Recommendations or referrals 1 □ 2 □ 3 □

e. Resume 1 □ 2 □ 3 □f. Site visits 1 □ 2 □ 3 □g. Current student achievement

and/or prior student performance data

1 □ 2 □ 3 □

h. Whether the individual was an assistant principal or administrative intern in my district

1 □ 2 □ 3 □

16

C6. How often do you use the following source(s) for new hires (both teacher and administrators) for your district?

Note: Sources are not mutually exclusive.

Source

None or Almost None A Few Some Most

All or Almost

All Don’t Know

a. Grow-your-own models 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □b. Traditional teacher/administrator

preparation providers 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □

c. Alternative teacher/administrator preparation providers 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □

d. Residency programs operating in our district 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □

e. Approved district-operated preparation program 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □

f. Individuals placed in our district for student teaching or as administrative interns 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □

g. General recruitment efforts (e.g. online job posting, job fairs, etc.) 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ -1 □

17

C7. Please indicate your agreement with the following statements about student teachers (individuals enrolled in a teacher preparation program who are completing their practicum) and induction/mentoring support for first year teachers/administrators.

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. Student teachers contribute to the outcomes of PK–12 students in the classrooms in which they work.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. Student teachers provide supervising practitioners (e.g. cooperating teachers) with a valuable professional growth opportunity.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. Student teachers are intentionally assigned classrooms that serve PK–12 students and the development of the student teacher equally well.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. New administrators are strategically assigned a mentor. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. Mentors in my school/district are outstanding, proven teachers/principals who consistently demonstrate exemplary practice.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

f. Serving as a supervising practitioner or a mentor is an effective strategy for retaining high-performing educators.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

18

D. SOCIAL and EMOTIONAL LEARNING, HEALTH, & SAFETY

This section (Module D) asks for your views on the social and emotional learning supports and resources in your district, and solicits your feedback on ESE’s 2017 school climate surveys.

D1. To help students master the Massachusetts’ state standards, to what extent could principals in your district benefit from support in the following?

Principals could benefit from strategies to… Not At All Minimal Extent

Moderate Extent Large Extent

a. support teachers as they integrate the development of students’ social and emotional competencies into their lesson content (e.g., self-awareness and management, social awareness and relationship skills, and responsible decision-making).

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

b. integrate the development of students’ social and emotional competencies into their instructional leadership and school-wide systems and structures.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

c. support students with different types of social and emotional learning needs within their school. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

19

D2. Thinking of your district’s student and staff support systems, to what extent do you agree with the following statements with regard to social and emotional learning (SEL)?

Resource is Not

AvailableDisagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

a. My district has a sufficient number of specialists (e.g., counselors, social workers) to address students’ social and emotional learning (SEL) needs.

0 □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

b. My district coordinates with community resources (e.g., psychological services, youth organizations, hospitals) to support students’ SEL.

0 □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

c. My district coordinates with students’ families to support students’ SEL needs. 0 □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

d. My district supports staff members’ social and emotional well-being. 0 □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

e. I am comfortable with my level of training and education in supporting students’ SEL needs. 0 □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

f. I am committed to supporting students’ SEL needs. 0 □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □

20

D3. Did your students participate in the 2017 MCAS Questionnaire measuring students’ perceptions of school climate?

1 □ Yes

2 □ No

D4. To what extent do you agree with each of the following statements regarding ESE’s reporting of the 2017 school climate pilot survey?

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. ESE’s district summary school climate report was useful. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. Principals found their individual school climate reports useful. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. The guidance documents (annotated sample report, school profile, interpretive guide, and two-page executive summary) accompanying the school climate data were useful.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. The district shared and discussed the school climate results with staff. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. The district shared and discussed the school climate results with students. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

f. The district shared and discussed the school climate results with parents. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

g. The 2017 school climate results will be used to inform school improvement across the district.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

h. ESE should expand the school climate survey by administering it in more grades. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

21

D5. To what extent do you agree with each of the following statements regarding your views on ESE’s administration of the 2017 school climate pilot survey?

Administering the school climate survey along with the MCAS test…

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. is an efficient way (operationally) for districts to collect students’ perceptions of school climate.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. is a cost-effective way for districts to collect student perceptions of school climate. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. provides important comparative data for schools and districts. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. helps ensure that students take the survey seriously. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

D6. How did your district administer the 2017 school climate pilot survey?

1 □ We asked schools to administer it immediately after the last test session.

2 □ We asked schools to administer it after the last test session, but not immediately after (e.g., on a later day during the test window).

3 □ We asked schools to administer it before the last test session.

4 □ We administered it in most to all schools, but schools decided independently when to administer it.

5 □ We administered it in some schools, but schools decided independently when to administer it.

-1 □ Not sure

22

D7. To what extent do you agree with each of the following statements regarding ESE’s performance during the 2017–2018 school year relative to safe and supportive schools?

ESE… Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. provides resources (e.g., guidance, professional development) that help schools improve students’ social and emotional learning.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. communicates about the importance of developing students’ SEL competencies in order to help prepare students for success after high school.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. provides resources (e.g., guidance, professional development) that helps schools improve school climate.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. communicates about the importance of school climate in order to help prepare students for success after high school.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

23

E. ESE OVERALL SUPPORT

This section (Module E) asks for your views on ESE supports and resources.

E1. To what extent has ESE’s contact with your district focused on ensuring compliance as opposed to providing assistance?  Base your response on your district’s recent experience with ESE.

Predominantly Compliance

Predominantly Assistance

Don’t Know

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ 6 □ 7 □ 8 □ 9 □ -1 □

E2. To what extent do you agree with each of the following statements regarding ESE’s performance during the 2017–2018 school year relative to policies and programs?

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. ESE provides services in a coherent, well-coordinated fashion. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. ESE communicates in a coherent, well-coordinated fashion. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. ESE is effective in its efforts to improve the overall quality of public K-12 education. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. ESE consolidates planning requirements to make it easier for districts to work from a single district-wide strategic plan.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. ESE’s grant programs and applications encourage my district to connect grant-funded activities to our district strategic plan.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

f. ESE’s policies, programs, and grants encourage my district to use data and evidence in selecting interventions and initiatives.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

g. ESE’s policies, programs, and grants encourage my district to generate data and evidence about the implementation and impact of our work.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

h. ESE’s instruction-focused programs and services promote a coherent set of instructional practices that help students meet the standards included in the current Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.

(Examples of instruction-focused programs and services include ESE’s networks and Early Literacy grants from the Center for Instructional Support.)

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

24

E3. Please evaluate the usefulness of the following ESE data resources in informing your district’s planning and improvement work.

Never Heard of

This Resource

Heard of Resource

but Haven’t Used It

Used Resource but Found

It NOT Useful

Found Resource

Useful

Found Resource

Very Useful

a. Profiles (state data website) 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □b. DART (trends over time, comparisons

to similar districts/schools, graphs; now part of Profiles)

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

c. DART Detail: Success After High School 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

d. DART Detail: English Language Learners 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

e. DART Detail: Staffing and Finance 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □f. Early Warning Indicator System 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □g. RADAR (Resource Allocation and

District Action Reports) 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

h. Student Learning Experience reports 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □

E4. ESE is in the process of hiring a new commissioner. What would you suggest the new commissioner focus on early in his/her tenure?

Note: Text box allows a maximum of 3,500 characters (about 550 words).

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F. CHARTER SCHOOL LEADERS ONLY

F1. To what extent do you agree with the following statements about the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign (OCSSR)?

The Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign (OCSSR)…

Disagree Strongly

Disagree Somewhat

Agree Somewhat

Agree Strongly

Don’t Know

a. has an effective system for charter school accountability. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

b. uses reliable and valid evidence to support its renewal decisions (e.g., site visits, annual reports, financial statements).

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

c. facilitates engagement between districts and charter schools to ensure effective models and practices are shared.

1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

d. provides accurate information in response to my questions. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

e. communicates proactively when there are important policy or regulatory changes. 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ -1 □

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND COOPERATION.

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