Building Engaged Schools The People Factor

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 Animal School by George Reavis What is your immediate, top-of-mind reaction to the parable? How does it – or does it not – fit our schools? The Students – Rabbit Squirrel Duck Fish Eagle The Curriculum – Running Swimming Tree Climbing Flying

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 A Nation at Risk (1983) “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves.”

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 The Assumption Higher expectations and accountability testing are the keys to ensuring that students are learning what they need to be successful in life.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 6 The Response Not expecting enough Need uniformity in what is being taught Hold schools and teachers accountable – increase graduation requirements – write standards – develop tests

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 7 Harvard Civil Rights Project 1. Compares pre-NCLB ( ) to post-NCLB ( ) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2. Reading flat; math increases slightly as before 3. Current rate: 24-34% proficient in reading; 29-64% proficient in math by Economic and racial gaps remain 5. Early adopters – Florida, North Carolina, Texas – no better 6. State tests appear to have higher proficiency gains and decrease the gaps Lee, J. (2006). Tracking achievement gaps and assessing the impact of NCLB on the gaps: An in-depth look into national and state reading and math outcome trends. Cambridge, MA: The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. Retrieved at

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 8 Center for Education Policy Center for Education Policy. (2007). Answering the question that matters most: Has student achievement increased since No Child Left Behind? Retrieved at 1. Middle school reading in 24 states with proficient and effect size data: 11 states – moderate-to-large gains, 1 decline 2. Elementary, middle school, high school in 22 states with proficient and effect size data: 5 states made moderate-to-large gains in reading and math 3. Reading in 22 states, 7 show moderate-to-large gains at three levels 4. Math in 22 states, 9 show moderate-to-large gains at three levels 5. Racial and income gaps: 14 of 38 states showed a narrowing of gaps in reading at three levels; 12 showed narrowing in math at three levels

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 9 Lessons from the Private Sector HP printer Dell or Apple Computer IPod Honda or Toyota automobile What’s the difference? Repairing after the sale or a throw away vs. a sale Six Sigma – Zero defects in manufacturing

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 A New S trategy Recognize and value the importance of people in learning. Discover and develop the talents of every student and teacher. Engage teachers and students in teaching and learning. Take talent selection seriously

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 11 The Importance of People “We expected that good-to-great leaders would begin by setting a new vision and strategy. We found instead that they first got the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats – and then figured out where to drive it. The old adage ‘People are our most important asset’ turns out to be wrong. People are not your most important asset. The right people are.” Collins, J. (2001) Good to Great

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 The Assumption Selecting and developing teachers and principals on the basis of knowledge and skills is the most reliable way to facilitate student success.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 13 Best Teacher Think of the best teacher you have ever known. Make a note of two or three characteristics of this teacher that you would use to describe this teacher to the person sitting next to you.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 14 What Elements of Great Teaching Palmer, P. (1998). The Courage to Teach

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 15 How What Elements of Great Teaching

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 16 How Who What Elements of Great Teaching

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 17 Great Teachers Impact Learning How long? 4 years, regardless of the effectiveness of subsequent teachers 3 top quintile vs. 3 bottom quintile teachers in succession --50 percentile points (advanced or remedial) How much? Who benefits? class size; racial composition; rural, suburban, urban More important than? lower achieving students first; top quintile teachers help all levels of students Sanders, William L. and Horn, Sandra P. (1998). Research Findings for the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) Database: Implications For Educational Evaluation and Research. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education. 12, 3,

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 18 Critical Decisions Evaluation of four urban school districts Lack of applicants not the problem Slow decision making resulted in applicants going to other districts Levin et al. (2003) Missed Opportunities. New York: New Teacher Project

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 19 Taking Selection Seriously NFL NBA Major League Baseball NHL

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 20 The Assumption Focusing on and improving areas of weaknesses for students and teachers is the key to making them more successful.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 21 Knowing Strengths “Most Americans do not know what their strengths are. When you ask them they look at you with a blank stare or they respond in terms of subject knowledge, which is the wrong answer.” Peter Drucker

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 22 Emphasizing the Positive Drives High Performance Corporate Leadership Council, 2002 Performance Management Survey. Emphasis on Performance Strengths Emphasis on Personality Strengths Emphasis on Specific Outcomes of Formal Review Emphasis on Specific Suggestions for Doing the Job Better Emphasis on Skills and Behaviors Needed in the Future Emphasis on Long-Term Career Prospects Emphasis on Personality Weaknesses Emphasis on Performance Weaknesses Change in Performance

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 23 An Alternative to Weaknesses Fixing Move from strength Manage the weakness Help students and teachers find their talents and develop strengths

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 24 Understanding People Discipline You need predictability, order, and planning. You impose structure on your surroundings. Sounds very much like me. Sounds somewhat like me. Does not sound like me.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 25 Competition You keep score. You compare your performance to others. Outstanding performers are a motivator for you. You like to win. Understanding People Sounds very much like me. Sounds somewhat like me. Does not sound like me

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 26 Understanding People Sounds very much like me. Sounds somewhat like me. Does not sound like me Woo Winning Others Over. You thrive on the challenge of meeting new people. Given a room with people that you know and others you do not know, you spend the most time with those you did not know before entering.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 27 StrengthsFinder ® Themes Achiever Activator Adaptability Analytical Arranger Belief Command Communication Competition Connectedness Consistency Intellection Learner Maximizer Positivity Relator Responsibility Restorative Self-Assurance Significance Strategic Woo Context Deliberative Developer Discipline Empathy Focus Futuristic Harmony Ideation Includer Individualization Input

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 28 The Assumption Differences in workplace climates are largely irrelevant to schools because a teacher’s working environment doesn’t make much difference. Gallup Poll: Agree, Disagree, or Don’t Know

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 29 Retention as the Problem “…most of the hiring of new teachers is simply to fill spots vacated by teachers who just departed. Robert Ingersoll Ingersoll, R Is there really a teacher shortage? Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

engagement? What is

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 31 A Blind Spot? How do you rate yourself (the principal)/your principal on each of the following items — excellent, good, fair, or poor? ItemPrincipalsTeachersParents Respecting the people in the school Being approachable Being a visible presence throughout the school Supporting the teachers in the school to be the best teachers they can be Encouraging students to achieve Being a good listener Being an overall leader of the school Providing opportunities for teachers’ professional development MetLife, Inc. (2003)

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 32 Three Levels of Engagement Engaged Actively Disengaged Actively Disengaged Not Engaged Not Engaged 30% 55% 15% Engaged Not Engaged Actively Disengaged *Source: Gallup Poll data of U.S. working population 18 years and older, accumulated Apr.-Oct. 2006

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 33 Copyright © 2006 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 34 Q 12 = Questions that matter Q1. I know what is expected of me at work. Q2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right. Q3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. Q4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. Q5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person. Q6. There is someone at work who encourages my development. Q7. At work, my opinions seem to count. Q8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important. Q9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. Q10. I have a best friend at work. Q11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress. Q12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 35 Q 12 ® Meta-Analysis: Outcomes Difference between top and bottom quartiles Turnover Absenteeism Shrinkage Safety Incidents CustomerProductivityProfitability Difference between engaged and actively disengaged employees in unexcused absences High- Turnover Orgs. Low- Turnover Orgs.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 36 School District Case Study #1 8.05% Q 12 Grand Mean and % of Students Passing All Tests by Building

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 37 Practical Affect Elementary500 students = 44 more students Middle School 850 students = 74 more students High School 1500 students = 131 more students Average percent difference in students passing all tests of schools in top 15% vs. bottom 15% = 8.7

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 38 How Do We Affect Change? ACTION: Diet Exercise ACCOUNTABILITY: Coach other people Measure for RESULTS!!! MEASUREMENT: Key baseline metrics- (weight, inches, body fat, cholesterol)

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 39 The Sample 18 school districts: –Arizona 1 –Colorado 2 –Florida 1 –Iowa 1 –Massachusetts 1 –Nebraska 2 –Ohio 3 –Texas 4 –Wisconsin schools participated 4,116 teachers 48,182 students grades 5-12

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 40 Data Gathered School serves as the unit of measurement Gathered self-reported grade level, gender, and race information for each student 83 of 112 schools provided achievement data that allowed dichotomous grouping

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 41 Student Achievement Comparisons School’s composite (mean of the grades and subjects represented for each school) Compared to state average and in Texas to the median of the comparison group Dichotomous grouping of schools as to above or below the state average or comparison group (83 of 112) Controlled for economically disadvantaged, school size, and level

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 42 Student Engagement Ten Q01. I know I will graduate from high school. Q02. This school makes me feel good about myself. Q03. I have a best friend at this school. Q04. I feel safe in this school. Q05. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my school work right. Q06. My teachers make me feel my school work is important. Q07. I am always treated with respect in this school. Q08. At this school, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. Q09. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good school work. Q10. I have opportunities at this school to choose how I learn.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 43 Isn’t It Strange That Princes And Kings And Clowns That Caper In Sawdust Rings And Common People Like You And Me Are Builders For Eternity? To Each Is Given a Bag of Tools A Shapeless Mass, a Book of Rules And Each Must Build Ere Life Has Flown, A Stumbling Block or a Stepping Stone R. Sharpe The Difference You Make

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 44 Copyright © 2007 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved. Student Engagement GrandMean by School Level n= 48,142

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 45 Student Engagement and Achievement Top Quartile66.1% nd Quartile 52.7% rd Quartile 47.4% th Quartile 32.6%3.49 Student Engagement Probability of being above Grand Quartile the comparison group Mean Controlling for % economically disadvantaged, size of school, and school level.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 46 Student Grand Means by Grade and Gap 5 th th th th th th th th 3.47 GradeGrand MeanGap

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 47 Engagement Scores by Income Elementary MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage Middle MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage High MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 48 Engagement Scores by Income Elementary MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage Middle MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage High MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 49 Engagement Scores by Income Elementary MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage Middle MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage High MinMaxRangeMean Disadvantage Advantage

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 50 Workplace and Learning Climates Matter If we don’t have a great place for teachers to teach, we can’t have a great place for students to learn.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 51 A New Strategy for Student Success Recognize and value the importance of people in learning Discover and develop the talents of every student and teacher Engage teachers and students in teaching and learning

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 52 Isn’t It Strange That Princes And Kings And Clowns That Caper In Sawdust Rings And Common People Like You And Me Are Builders For Eternity? To Each Is Given a Bag of Tools A Shapeless Mass, a Book of Rules And Each Must Build Ere Life Has Flown, A Stumbling Block or a Stepping Stone R. Sharpe The Difference You Make

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 53 The Assumption A perfect curriculum or instructional technique will work for all students and teachers, eliminating differences in student learning.

Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 54 Copyright Standards This document contains proprietary research, copyrighted materials, and literary property of Gallup, Inc. It is for the guidance of your company only and is not to be copied, quoted, published, or divulged to others outside of your organization. Gallup ® and Q12 ® are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This document is of great value to both your organization and Gallup, Inc. Accordingly, international and domestic laws and penalties guaranteeing patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret protection protect the ideas, concepts, and recommendations related within this document. No changes may be made to this document without the express written permission of Gallup, Inc. Copyright © 2007 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.