Curriculum Development Instruments

Surveys of Enacted Curriculum

SURVEY OF INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICES AND CONTENT
for
English Language Arts and Reading

Section I

Survey of Instructional Practices
for
English Language Arts and Reading

Curriculum Development Instruments

Surveys of Enacted Curriculum

SURVEY OF INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND CONTENT for English Language Arts and Reading

Section I

Survey of Instructional Practices for English Language Arts and Reading

SURVEY OF INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICES AND CONTENT
for
English Language Arts and Reading

Survey of Instructional Practices
for
English Language Arts and Reading

Teacher/Faculty Surveys

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN READING AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

ASSESSMENTS

INSTRUCTIONAL INFLUENCES

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL PREPARTION

TEACHER OPINIONS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS OR READING

FORMAL COURSE PREPARATION

This is the end of Section I of the survey.

Please continue on to Section II. Thank you.

Teacher/Faculty Surveys

HOMEWORK

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN READING AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

ASSESSMENTS

INSTRUCTIONAL INFLUENCES

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL PREPARTION

TEACHER OPINIONS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS OR READING

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

FORMAL COURSE PREPARATION

This is the end of Section I of the survey.

Please continue on to Section II. Thank you.


	: Instruments : Curriculum Development

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Instrument 18: Survey of Instructional Practices and Content for English Language Arts and Reading

Project: Surveys of Enacted Curriculum
Council of Chief State School Officers

Funding Source: NSF: EHR

Purpose: To provide comparative information about the language arts instruction

Administered To: K-12 teachers whose school districts are participating in Surveys of Enacted Curriculum project

Topics Covered:

Background Characteristics & Activities (Teacher): education, experience, expertise, current practice, professional status, professional development activities
Demographics (Student): gender, ethnicity, age, primary language spoken
Demographics (Teacher): gender, ethnicity, experience, certification
Learning Environment: method, class size, pedagogy
Lesson/Curriculum Plan: learning environment, methods, content, assessment, activities
Self Assessment (Teacher): preparation, application of instructional methods, implementation activities

Format/Length: 183 closed-ended items

Thank you for participating in this survey of English language arts or reading instruction. The survey is part of a collaborative effort to provide education policymakers, administrators, and most importantly, teachers like yourself with comparative information about language arts instruction. To learn more about this project, please visit the project website: http://www.SECsurvey.org/

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. All your responses are confidential. No one outside of the research team will ever have access to your individual responses, nor will your individual responses be shared with staff in your school, district or state. If your school or district has received web access to the SEC data and reports, displays of your responses can be accessed only by you, protected by a password only you will know. All data from this survey will remain the sole possession of the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) Collaborative. No individuals will be identified in any reports. The questionnaire poses no risk to you. There is no penalty for refusal to participate. You may decline to participate simply by returning the questionnaire without completing it, without penalty or loss of services or benefits to which you would be otherwise entitled.

You may use pen or pencil to complete this survey.

Note: the full survey takes over an hour to complete. If your school agreed to administer only portions of the survey, that information has been provided to you. Please turn to and complete the appropriate sections. In advance, please know that we, the SEC Collaborative, value your sincere effort to answer the questions to best describe your instructional practice. Thank you!

A joint project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, and Learning Point Associates, with funding support from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, and participating states and districts.

Instructions for Selecting the Target Class--
English Language Arts or reading instruction -- For all questions, please describe only activities that are part of English language arts or reading instruction. If you teach more than one class, respond only for the first class that you teach each week. If that is a split class (i.e., the class contains more than one group for language arts instruction and each group is taught separately), respond for only one group.

Please read each question and its response choices carefully, and then mark your response by filling in an appropriate response circle.

SCHOOL DESCRIPTION
1	Which of these categories best describe the way your English language arts classes at this school are organized? (Check all that apply)	Departmentalized Instruction
		Subject Area Specialist (non-departmental)
		Self-contained (e.g., teach multiple subjects)
		Team taught


2	How many periods of language arts, reading or English do you teach each day this term? (If this number varies from day to day, please provide an approximate answer)
		Number of classes

TARGET CLASS DESCRIPTION
3	Which term best describes the target class, or course, you are teaching?	English Language Arts	Literature
		Reading	Journalism/Writing
		Dramatics/Speech	Technical Writing
		English as a Second Language	AP/IB Classes
			Other


4	What is the grade level of most of the students in the target class?
4		K	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12

5	How many students are in the target class?	10 or less	21 to 25
		11 to 15	26 to 30
		16 to 20	31 or more


6	What percentage of the students in the target class are female? (Mark nearest 10%)
6		Less than	10	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90+	%
7	What percentage of the students in the target class are not Caucasian? (Mark nearest 10%)
7		Less than	10	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90+	%
8	During a typical week, approximately how many hours will the target class spend in English language arts instruction?
8		K	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11+
		(Number of instructional hours)

9	What is the average length of each class period for the target English language arts class?	Not applicable	51 to 60 minutes
		30 to 40 minutes	61 to 90 minutes
		41 to 50 minutes	91 to 120 minutes
		Varies due to block scheduling or integrated instruction

For how many weeks will the target English language arts class meet this school year in total?

Total # weeks =

1 to 12

13 to 24

25 to 36

More than 36

11	What is the achievement level of most of the students in the target class, compared to national norms?	High achievement levels
		Average achievement levels
		Low achievement levels
		Mixed levels of achievement


12	What percentage of students in the target class are Limited English Proficient (LEP)?	None	26% to 50%
		Less than 10%	More than 50%
		10% to 25%


13	What is considered most in scheduling students into this class?	Ability or prior achievement	Parent request
		Limited English Proficiency	Student selects
		Teacher recommendation	No one factor more than another
		Random selection

HOMEWORK

14	How many minutes do you expect the typical student in the target class to spend outside the class on a normal homework assignment?	I do not assign homework	31-60 minutes
		Less than 15 minutes	61-90 minutes
		15-30 minutes	More than 90 minutes

15	How often do you usually assign language arts homework to be completed outside the target class?	Never (Skip to # 25)	3-4 times per week
		Less than once per week	Every day
		Once or twice per week

16	Does homework count towards student grades in the target class?	Never	Usually does
		Usually does not	Always does

RESPONSE OPTIONS

   0 - None
   1 - Little (10% or less of homework)
   2 - Some (11-25% of homework)
   3 - Moderate (26-50% of homework)
   4 - Considerable (more than 50% of homework)


Considering the entire school year, how much of their English language arts homework time do you expect students in the target class to spend on the following tasks?
17	Research, plan and write a report
18	Read assigned text
19	Engage in a writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, editing, revising)
20	Complete a worksheet or answer assigned questions
21	Work on a demonstration or presentation
22	Collect data or information
23	Participate in word study activities (e.g., spelling, vocabulary)
24	Other (Specify: _________________ )

Listed below are activities that students in the target class may engage in during reading and English language arts instruction. Please estimate the amount of time a typical student in your class will spend engaged in each activity over the course of a school year. The activities are not mutually exclusive; across activities, your answers will probably exceed 100%. Consider each activity on its own and mark the response choice that best matches the amount of reading and English language arts instructional time that a typical student in your target class engages in over the course of a school year for that category.

AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME

   0 - None
   1 - Little (10% or less of instructional time for the school year)
   2 - Some (11-25% of instructional time for the school year)
   3 - Moderate (26-50% of instructional time for the school year)
   4 - Considerable (more than 50% of instructional time for the school year)


How much of the English language arts instructional time in the target class do students use to engage in the following tasks?
25	Watch the teacher demonstrate/model English language arts processes (e.g., reading, writing, speaking)
26	Silently read books, magazines, articles, or other written material of their own choice
27	Collect, summarize, and/or analyze information from multiple sources
28	Maintain and reflect on a language arts portfolio of their own work
29	Engage in a writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, editing, revising)
30	Learn to use resources (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, speller)
31	Use hands-on materials or manipulatives (e.g., letter tiles, boxes, puppets, costumes)
32	Work in pairs or small groups
33	Engage or participate in a language arts activity outside the classroom (e.g., attend a play, performance, or similar activity during school time)
34	Use computers or other technology (e.g., cameras, tape recorders) to learn/practice/explore language arts
35	Practice test-taking strategies
36	Work individually on assignments
37	Take a quiz or test

AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME


How much of the English language arts instructional time in the target class do students use to engage in the following tasks?
38	Work with teacher in guided reading or writing practice
39	Participate in a student-teacher conference
40	Listen to outside speakers in class
41	Read aloud (e.g., pair sharing)
42	View slides, overheads, films, videos, DVDs or listen to recordings
43	Listen to the teacher read aloud
44	Engage in a speech, oral presentation, or performance
45	Use work center/station
46	Engage in journal or free expressive writing
47	Use graphic organizers
48	Grade assignments/check homework

NOTE: The response options on this page refer to the amount of time available for each underlined cluster of activities separately.

AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME (for this set of activities)

   0 - None
   1 - Little (10% or less of instructional time for this set of activities)
   2 - Some (11-25% of instructional time for this set of activities)
   3 - Moderate (26-50% of instructional time for this set of activities)
   4 - Considerable (more than 50% of instructional time for this set of activities)


When students in the target class are engaged in constructing meaning from text activities as part of English language arts instruction, how much of that time do they use to engage in the following tasks?
49	Complete English language arts exercises from a text or worksheet
50	Write a response or explanation using brief constructed responses of several sentences or more
51	Respond creatively to texts
52	Relate text to personal experience or prior learning
52	Use reading and writing to solve real-world problems
53	Analyze information to make inferences or draw conclusions


When students in the target class work in pairs or small groups as part of English language arts instruction, how much of that time do they use to engage in the following tasks?
54	Discuss how they read and how they write
55	Discuss what they read and what they write
56	Complete written assignments from the textbook or worksheets
57	Work on an assignment, report, or project that takes longer than a week to complete
58	Work on a writing project where group members engage in peer revision/editing
59	Review assignments or prepare for a test or quiz
60	Prepare or practice for a presentation

NOTE: The response options on this page refer to the amount of time available for each underlined cluster of activities separately.

AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME (for this set of activities)


When students in the target class are engaged in activities that involve the use of hands-on materials as part of English language arts instruction, how much of that time do they use to engage in the following tasks?
61	Work on projects such as puppet shows, plays or dioramas
62	Build models or charts that support the text


When students in the target class are engaged in activities that involve the use of computer or other educational technology as part of English language arts instruction, how much of that time do they use to engage in the following tasks?
63	Learn facts or practice procedures, skills or conventions
64	Engage in a writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, editing, revision)
65	Research and collect information (e.g., Internet, CD-ROM)
66	Display and analyze data/information
67	Create multi-media presentations (e.g., website, PowerPoint)
68	Take a test, quiz, online assessment, or diagnostic inventory
69	Use individualized instruction or tutorial software
70	Communicate through e-mail

NOTE: The response options on this page refer to the amount of time available for each underlined cluster of activities separately.

AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME (for this set of activities)


When students in the target class participate in instruction about the processes of inquiry as part of English language arts, how much of that time do they use to engage in the following tasks?
71	Listening and responding to directions
72	Questioning (e.g., interviewing, probing, interrogating)
73	Skimming, scanning, taking notes
74	Organizing, outlining, summarizing information
75	Developing research questions
76	Conducting research procedures
77	Working with reference sources (e.g., dictionary, encyclopedia, Internet)
78	Examining secondary or primary sources
79	Evaluating credibility and utility of information sources
80	Becoming literate in electronic media
81	Learning and using library skills (e.g., classification systems, serial locations)
82	Organizing information for display or presentation
83	Documenting findings (e.g., citations, references)

How often do you use each of the following strategies when assessing students in the target English language arts class?

How much does each of the following influence what you teach in the target English language arts class?

		N/A	Strong Negative Influence	Somewhat Negative Influence	Little or No Influence	Somewhat Positive Influence	Strong Positive Influence
88	State curriculum framework or content standards
89	District curriculum framework, standards, or guidelines
90	Textbook/Instructional materials
91	State test or results from test
92	District test or results from test
93	National English language arts education standards
94	Your pre-service preparation
95	Students' special needs
96	Parental or community preferences
97	Preparation of students for next grade or level
98	Local priorities, directives, policies
99	Your professional development experiences
100	Screening/Diagnostic/Classroom assessment results

How well prepared are you are to perform the following tasks?

		Not Well Prepared	Somewhat Prepared	Well Prepared	Very Well Prepared
101	Use/manage cooperative learning groups in English language arts
102	Integrate reading and English language arts with other subjects
103	Provide instruction that meets state English language arts and/or reading standards
104	Use a variety of assessment strategies
105	Teach reading at your assigned level
106	Teach writing at your assigned level
107	Teach language arts at your assigned level
108	Teach literature at your assigned level
109	Teach critical thinking at your assigned level
110	Select and/or adapt instructional materials to implement the prescribed curriculum
111	Teach students with physical disabilities
112	Help students document and evaluate their own work
113	Teach classes for students with diverse abilities and learning styles
114	Teach students from a variety of cultural backgrounds
115	Teach students who have limited English proficiency
116	Teach students who have learning disabilities the impact language arts learning
117	Organize and manage the classroom
118	Support students' developmental and maturational needs
119	Involve parents in the English language arts education of their children

What is your opinion about each of the statements below?

		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral / Undecided	Agree	Strongly Agree
120	Students learn language arts best when they engage in reading and writing to solve problems.
121	Students need extensive practice applying specific grammar, usage and mechanics skills.
122	Teaching reading strategies should be an interval part of the secondary curriculum.
123	All students can learn challenging content in English language arts.
124	Students learn English language arts best in classes with students of similar abilities.
125	It is important for students to learn basic language arts skills before engaging in critical thinking.
126	I enjoy teaching English language arts.
127	I am supported by colleagues to try out new ideas in teaching English language arts.
128	I receive support from the administration for teaching English language arts.
129	English language arts teachers in this school regularly share ideas and materials.
130	English language arts teachers in this school regularly observe each other teaching classes.
131	I have many opportunities to learn new things about English language arts teaching in my present job.
132	I am required to follow rules at this school the conflict with my best professional judgment about teaching and learning English language arts.
133	Most teachers in this school contribute actively to making decisions about the curriculum.
134	I have adequate time during the regular school week to work with my peers on English language arts curriculum or instruction.
135	I have adequate curriculum materials available for instruction.
136	Student absenteeism is a problem in my class.
137	Mobility of students in and out of our school is a concern.

For the following items, please consider all the professional development activities in which you have participated over the past 12 months. For Professional development here means any activity that enhanced your professional knowledge and skills, including teacher networks, course work, in-service training, institutes, committee work, mentoring, etc.


	During the past 12 months, how much time have you spent engaged in professional development activities focused on English language arts, reading, or literature?	0 = Did not participate 1 = 1-5 hrs. 2 = 6-15 hrs. 3 = 16-35 hrs. 4 = 36-60 hrs. 5 = 60 hrs. +
		Amount of Time
138	Workshops or in-service about teaching or learning English language arts, reading, or literature
139	Summer institutes or conferences about teaching or learning English language arts, reading, or literature
140	College courses that supported the teaching or learning of English language arts, reading, or literature (indicate number of hours in class)

Over the past 12 months, how frequently have you engaged in each of the following activities focused on English language arts, reading, or literature?

		Never	Once or twice a year	Once or twice a semester	Once or twice a month	Once or twice a week	Almost daily
141	Attended conferences related to English language arts, reading, or literature
142	Participated in teacher study groups, networks or collaboratives
143	Used teacher resource centers or Internet resources to enrich your knowledge and skills
144	Worked on a committee or task force focused on curriculum and instruction
145	Engaged in informal self-directed learning (e.g., discussions with colleagues about English language arts, reading, or literature)

Thinking still about your professional development activities in English language arts, reading, or literature over the past 12 months, how often has the following occurred for you?

		Never	Rarely	Some times	Often
146	Observed demonstrations of teaching techniques
147	Received coaching or mentoring about my instruction from an activity leader, coach, or mentor
148	Led group discussion
149	Conducted a demonstration of a lesson, unit or skill
150	Developed curricula or lesson plans with others
151	Reviewed student work or scored assessments
152	Developed assessments or tasks
153	Gave a lecture or presentation to colleagues

Thinking about all of your professional development activities in reading and English language arts or reading and English language arts education since June 1, 2002, indicate how often they have been:

		Never	Rarely	Some times	Often
154	Designed to support the school's improvement plan
155	Consistent with your department's or grade level's plan to improve teaching
156	Aligned with your personal goals for your professional development
157	Built on what you learned in previous professional development activities
158	Provided follow-up activities that related clearly to what you learned

During the last 12 months, did you participate in any of these activities?
			Yes	No
159	I participated in professional development activities along with most or all of the teachers from my school.
160	I participated in professional development activities along with most or all of the teachers from my department or grade level.
161	I participated in professional development activities NOT attended by other staff from my school.
162	I discussed what I learned with other teachers in my school or department who did NOT attend the activity.

Over the past 12 months, how much emphasis have your professional development activities placed on the following topics?
		None	Minor	Moderate	Major
163	State content standards
164	Alignment of instruction to curriculum
165	Instructional approaches
166	Indepth study of a specific area in English language arts
167	Study of how children learn particular topics in language arts, reading or English
168	Individual differences in student learning
169	Meeting the learning needs of special populations of students (e.g., second language learners; students with disabilities)
170	Classroom assessment (e.g., diagnostic, textbook-linked tests, teacher-developed tests)
171	State or district assessment (e.g., preparing for assessments, understanding assessments, interpreting data)
172	Technology to support student learning

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
			Female	Male
173	Please indicate your gender.

174	Please indicate your ethnicity/race. [Mark all that apply]	American Indian or Alaska Native
		Asian
		Black or African American
		Hispanic or Latino
		Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
		White


		Less than 1 year	1 - 2 years	3 - 5 years	6 - 8 years	9 - 11 years	12 - 15 years	More than 15 years
175	How many years have you taught English language arts or reading prior to this year?
176	How long have you been assigned to teach at your current school?

		N/A	BA or BS	MA or MS	Multiple MA or MS	Ph.D. or Ed.D.	Other
177	What is the highest degree you hold?


178	What was your major field of study for the bachelors degree?
		Elementary education with a language arts, reading or English concentration
		Elementary education with a concentration in another area (e.g., another education area such as science, mathematics, foreign language, etc.)
		Middle school education with a language arts, reading or English concentration
		Middle school education with a concentration in another area (e.g., another education area such as science, mathematics, foreign language, etc.)
		Secondary education with a language arts, reading or English concentration
		Secondary education with a concentration in another area (e.g., another education area such as science, mathematics, foreign language, etc.)
		English
		Other academic discipline (e.g., science, mathematics, foreign language, etc.)

179	What was your major field of study for the highest degree you hold beyond a bachelor's degree?
		Language arts, reading or English
		Curriculum and Instruction
		Administration
		Special Education
		Other disciplines (such as science, mathematics, foreign languages, etc.)
		None (bachelors is highest degree)
		Other (Specify: __________________ )

180	What certifications do you currently posess? [Mark all that apply]
		Emergency, provisional or temporary certification
		Elementary certification
		Middle school certification
		Secondary certification, in a field other than lang. arts
		Secondary English language arts certification
		National Board certification

Please indicate the number of courses (quarter or semester) you have taken at the undergraduate or graduate level in each of the following areas:

		(Number of courses)
		0	1-2	3-4	5-6	7-8	9-10	11-12	13-14	15-16	17+
181	English/American literature
182	Writing, composition, speech, and theater
183	Teaching of language arts, reading, or English

Not at all

1 - 4 times
per year

1 - 3 times
per month

1 - 3 times
per week

4 - 5 times
per week

Students answer objective questions (e.g., multiple-choice, true/false, matching)

Students perform on-demand literacy tasks (e.g., writing to a prompt, reading aloud, giving a presentation)

Students assess their own work and progress (e.g., using rubrics, checklists, reflective journals)

Teacher monitors student responses and interactions during discussion