How I Use Surveys to Inform My Leadership Practice
Including one example you can customize for your needs
What counts as data? As we create goals and plans for the school year, test scores and other summative assessments are prioritized. Yet of all the data that we could use, these measures are the furthest away from instruction.
Surveys can provide more specific data. They gather staff members’ perspectives that reveal the actual conditions for teaching and learning.
Not all surveys are created equal. For example, general questions like “Do you enjoy teaching here?” may not be helpful. The question is vague and the results may not give you any specific information.
Next are three strategies to consider when developing surveys that can better inform your practice.
1. Develop questions and statements that surface information around your area for improvement.
For example, if your professional learning goal is whether feedback helps teachers, the information you want to gather should help you assess this. For example:
“To what level do you agree: My supervisor asks questions that help me think of better ways to teach.”
This statement gives you data about your faculty members’ perceptions of your ability to promote divergent or new thinking.
2. Allow for only four choices.
This ensures teachers take a position on each statement. People might feel they will offend someone, so they take the middle road. For example, for the previous question you can offer the following four options:
disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, agree
Now they have to pick one position.
3. Consider a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions.
Numbers can be helpful for understanding schoolwide trends. Asking for written responses can offer insights that are hard to communicate through a rating scale.
If you are not sure what to ask, you might simply pose this question:
“Is there anything else you would like to share with me?”
This final question allows the respondent to offer additional information that you did not consider in your survey. It can also help them feel that they are heard. (Note: If you are concerned about getting unfair critical feedback, have your assistant collect the anonymous survey responses - an idea from Anthony Muhammad.)
Below is one survey I have used to assess teacher-principal trust.1
How our faculty and staff feel about the conditions for teaching and learning can be just as important as summative learning outcomes. Both count as data as long as we do something with the information.
How do you use or design surveys to inform your practice? Please share your expertise with this community.
This survey is adapted from Bryk’s & Schneider’s Trust in Schools (2002), a resource I referenced in my upcoming book (see below).
