Massachusetts Teaching, Learning and Leading Survey (MassTeLLS)

What is MassTeLLS?
The Massachusetts Teaching, Learning and Leading Survey (MassTeLLS) is an online, anonymous survey of all public school educators in Massachusetts. The survey will be available for educators to complete between February 11 and March 18, 2008.

MassTeLLS is a unique opportunity to gather information about school climate from those whose views matter most—practicing educators. The purpose of the survey is to support sound educational policies and practices based on the views of teachers, principals and other professional educators in our public schools. The respondents will be asked for their opinions on a variety of issues related to student achievement and teacher retention, including the adequacy of facilities and resources, time, empowerment, leadership, mentoring and induction services, and professional development.

The results of this survey will provide local school and district educators and state policymakers with guidance on what is working well, and what could be working better, in our schools.

Who will take the survey?
All public school-based licensed educators should take the survey. There are two parts to the survey: Teacher Questions and School Leader Questions.

Teacher Questions will be answered by teachers and licensed non-classroom professionals.

All classroom teachers, even those who working under a waiver as a teacher of record, including PreK-12 classroom teachers, vocational-technical teachers, special subject teachers, and iterant teachers who work in multiple buildings.
All licensed non-classroom professionals, including guidance counselors, school adjustment counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and special education team leaders.

School Leader Questions will be answered by all school-based administrators, including principals, assistant principals, department heads, and school-based curriculum leaders.

Who is conducting the survey?
MassTeLLS is being conducted by a coalition of education, government, foundation and business organizations and individuals, all of whom believe that it is critically important to listen to educators' views when shaping school improvement strategies.

The coalition members are: Governor Deval Patrick, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the American Federation of Teachers - Massachusetts, the National Education Association, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association, the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, The Boston Foundation, and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

Funding is being provided by the coalition members and by the Massachusetts Legislature, which included an appropriation for this effort in the fall of 2007.

Who is administering the survey?
The New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz (NTC) is a national organization dedicated to supporting the development of a high-quality teaching force. NTC has conducted similar surveys in other states and provides induction and professional development for teachers and principals across the country.

How long is the survey?
The survey should take about 20 minutes. Participants will be asked to rate their opinions on a scale of one to five on a series of questions. Participants may preview the survey online prior to taking it at www.masstells.org. It is important to know that the survey can NOT be saved for completion at a future time once it has been started. Participants should not begin the survey unless they have about 20 minutes to devote to completing it.

How is my anonymity protected?
The New Teacher Center has developed a system for guaranteeing the confidentiality of the respondents.

Educators will receive a randomized and unique six-digit security code to enter at the start of the survey. The security code makes it possible for each participant to submit the survey only once. The participant's name is not matched to the security code. An educator may trade his or her code with another educator in the same school building, since the codes are only used to identify the school, not the individual. The survey may be taken on a computer at school, home, or any other location that has Internet access.

The database is managed by NTC and cannot be accessed by school administrators or any coalition members. There is NO way to track a code to an individual, even at NTC. The database does not include any names of individuals.

Confidentiality has never been breached in any of the other participating states or districts.

How do I get an access code to take the survey?
Each participant will receive a personal security code along with an invitation to take the survey between February 11 and March 18, 2008. Code cards will be distributed at the school level by the building representative from the teachers' association/union and/or the school principal. These will be sent directly from NTC to the building representatives. A package of access codes has been sent to every school addressed to both the principal and the local association/union representative. If the school does not receive the access codes, please email the Mass TeLLS Help Desk at helpdesk@masstells.org

What if I lose my code or have problems taking the survey?
Starting February 11th, The MassTeLLS Help Desk is available by email at helpdesk@masstells.org anytime. The help desk will be able to provide a new access code to those who lose their cards and to answer any questions about the initiative.

How will the TEACHER responses be reported?

Statewide results from the teacher responses will be aggregated and reported to the public at the end of March 2008.
Teacher responses at the school and district level will be reported to the public in November 2008.
During this six-month period, however, all school professional staff will have access to their school's teacher responses through a password-protected process.
In addition, during this six-month period, district and association/union leaders will have access to their district's teacher responses through a password-protected process.

How will the LEADER responses be reported?

Statewide results from the leader responses will be aggregated and reported to the public at the end of March 2008.
To protect the confidentiality of respondents, no school or district level responses will be available.

How will the results be used?
At the school and district levels, MassTeLLS data can be used to promote discussions about instruction, planning time, professional development, and school improvement.

At the state level, the data will be useful to legislators and other policymakers who are committed to listening to the voices of educators as they develop and implement education reform policies. One particular use of the survey in the coming year will be to help shape the recommendations related to these issues in Gov. Deval Patrick’s Readiness Project.

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Where else has this been administered?
Similar surveys have been completed by more than 250,000 professional educators in eight states, including Arizona (www.aztwc.org), North Carolina (www.ncteachingconditions.org), Kansas (www.kantell.org), Ohio (www.ohiotlc.org) and Nevada (www.nvtlc.org). Many other states are planning surveys with NTC, including Maine (www.tellmaine.org), Alabama (www.take20Alabama.org), West Virginia (www.wvtlc.org), and Illinois.

Each survey includes a common set of questions and additional questions specific to the state or district.

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How have the results been used elsewhere?
The results are being used in various ways in the different states and districts, perhaps most extensively in North Carolina. North Carolina was the first state to launch a survey in 2002 under the leadership of Gov. Mike Easley. The NC survey focused on teacher working conditions. All of the surveys to date have focused on working conditions, recruitment and retention because teacher working conditions are student learning conditions, and because teacher recruitment and retention is so critical to school improvement.

Schools and districts have acted on the information locally in different ways depending on the results. For example, the results have been used in support of a bond initiative and for the development of better school improvement teams. At the state level:

Survey results central to education reform efforts The survey has been administered every two years starting in 2002. The results are analyzed and recommendations based on them are made by the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Advisory Board.
Positive working conditions promoted The state has rewritten principal standards to incorporate teacher recruitment, retention and administration. Additionally, all new principals are required to take professional development funded by the state on creating positive working conditions.
Investments made in support of good educational practices Funding was allocated to create a blueprint for School Improvement Teams in integrating survey results into school improvement planning, and conducting a state conference to share best practices. The Teacher Academy receives $2 million annually to provide professional development in high poverty school. Turnaround plans are being analyzed in low-performing high schools to ensure survey data is incorporated in reform strategies.

Still have questions?
Go to www.MassTeLLS.org or contact the Mass TeLLS helpdesk by email at helpdesk@masstells.org anytime.