Survey Says...

In my house, Family Feud was an after school staple. I loved watching the contestants try to read the minds of the surveyed viewers. Of course, now, as an adult with survey writing and analytic experience, I have all sorts of questions. How were respondents selected? Was it determined by geography? Age? Was it conducted over the phone? Through the mail? Was it anonymous? All of these demographics impact the results.

While we’ve been using surveys in education to garner feedback on educational programs for many years, we haven’t surveyed students in any systemic way to learn about their perceptions about teachers. The new Minnesota teacher evaluation law that went into effect in July requires that teachers be evaluated on student engagement. As a result, teachers are receiving feedback from students – often in the form of anonymous surveys. And inevitably, for even the teachers with great reputations and relationships with students and families, a student – or a few students – gives honest feedback that may be difficult to read. How we respond to this feedback is the key. In my conversations with teachers, I've landed on a few recommendations.

First, when examining the data, look at the trends holistically. What big picture does the aggregated data paint? What are the identified strengths? How can those strengths be leveraged? In a growth model, working from strengths is really powerful.

Then dig in. When dis-aggregating the data, look at it through different filters: class, gender, ethnic demographics. What trends do you notice within these filters? If unfavorable data is discovered, dig even deeper. Some platforms allow the user to browse through individual survey responses. This can provide greater insights into the responses. Caution: avoid the temptation to try to determine the source of the response. This can lead to dismissing the feedback. Reflect on the feedback and how it aligns with your self-perceptions. If it doesn't align with how you see yourself, reflect on what actions may have led to this specific feedback.

Finally, choose one growth area. Focus on specific strategies that could improve student engagement. We use Robert Marzano’s book The Highly Engaged Classroom as our foundation for professional growth. The book is full of strategies that are high-impact and teacher-friendly.

When students are re-surveyed later in the year, the survey will likely say that students are engaged at new levels.