Standard 7: Micro-political Leadership
At SCMS we feel that visibility and supervision is important for several reason: #1 we feel that being visible is a proactive approach to preventing problems, #2 we feel that by being visible it will help build relationship among students and staff by being available to have quick conversations with them and showing them that we care about their success, #3 this allows us to address any concerns the that staff may have.
All three administrators are in the cafeteria area to supervise students eating breakfast, car riders and bus riders. When the bell rings we all three circulate the building going in different directions to cover as much of the building as possible. During all class changes all administrators, SRO and counselors circulate the hall. If we notice a particular area that could cause trouble we spend time in that area.
All three administrators are in the cafeteria area to supervise students eating breakfast, car riders and bus riders. When the bell rings we all three circulate the building going in different directions to cover as much of the building as possible. During all class changes all administrators, SRO and counselors circulate the hall. If we notice a particular area that could cause trouble we spend time in that area.
SCMS Teacher Working Conditions Survey
We have focused on teacher leadership and professional development from the TWC. We also continue to look at best practices and ways to help our students and staff become successful. We provide support and feedback for teaching practices as well as support new ideas that our staff come up with.
2014 Teacher Working Conditions Survey (The last % number is SCMS response)
% Agree
North Carolina Public Schools (88.63% responded)
Martin County Schools (85.02% responded)
NC Middle Schools (87.35% responded)
South Creek Middle (100.00% responded)
North Carolina Public SchoolsMartin County SchoolsNC Middle SchoolsSouth Creek Middle
Time
Q2.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about the use of time in your school.
a. Class sizes are reasonable such that teachers have the time available to meet the needs of all students.60.2%65.2%55.0%100.0%
b. Teachers have time available to collaborate with colleagues.73.1%74.0%75.9%87.5%
c. Teachers are allowed to focus on educating students with minimal interruptions.67.2%67.1%66.2%80.0%
d. The non-instructional time provided for teachers in my school is sufficient.62.8%70.1%65.4%68.0%
e. Efforts are made to minimize the amount of routine paperwork teachers are required to do.57.2%60.2%60.3%68.0%
f. Teachers have sufficient instructional time to meet the needs of all students.66.0%67.9%66.3%84.0%
g. Teachers are protected from duties that interfere with their essential role of educating students.71.2%81.4%68.7%84.0%
Facilities and Resources
Q3.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about your school facilities and resources.
a. Teachers have sufficient access to appropriate instructional materials.73.6%73.1%71.0%72.0%
b. Teachers have sufficient access to instructional technology, including computers, printers, software and internet access.78.7%74.8%76.5%68.0%
c. Teachers have access to reliable communication technology, including phones, faxes and email.90.6%86.8%90.0%84.0%
d. Teachers have sufficient access to office equipment and supplies such as copy machines, paper, pens, etc.81.1%77.1%81.2%84.0%
e. Teachers have sufficient access to a broad range of professional support personnel.83.3%74.6%82.9%76.0%
f. The school environment is clean and well maintained.86.0%88.3%85.7%100.0%
g. Teachers have adequate space to work productively.88.9%94.1%88.9%100.0%
h. The physical environment of classrooms in this school supports teaching and learning.88.9%93.3%87.3%95.8%
i. The reliability and speed of Internet connections in this school are sufficient to support instructional practices.76.1%59.3%74.2%60.0%
Community Support and Involvement
Q4.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about community support and involvement in your school.
a. Parents/guardians are influential decision makers in this school.72.6%64.4%72.3%56.5%
b. This school maintains clear, two-way communication with the community.89.9%90.1%89.3%92.0%
c. This school does a good job of encouraging parent/guardian involvement.90.0%89.6%88.1%96.0%
d. Teachers provide parents/guardians with useful information about student learning.96.0%95.1%95.3%100.0%
e. Parents/guardians know what is going on in this school.86.5%87.8%85.0%88.0%
f. Parents/guardians support teachers, contributing to their success with students.72.5%66.4%70.2%68.0%
g. Community members support teachers, contributing to their success with students.82.5%78.5%78.8%75.0%
h. The community we serve is supportive of this school.84.9%80.7%81.4%79.2%
Managing Student Conduct
Q5.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about managing student conduct in your school.
a. Students at this school understand expectations for their conduct.85.1%86.3%82.2%96.0%
b. Students at this school follow rules of conduct.71.9%67.8%65.3%76.0%
c. Policies and procedures about student conduct are clearly understood by the faculty.84.2%80.0%81.6%92.0%
d. School administrators consistently enforce rules for student conduct.72.2%74.8%67.9%88.0%
e. School administrators support teachers' efforts to maintain discipline in the classroom.81.9%83.2%78.9%88.0%
f. Teachers consistently enforce rules for student conduct.80.5%80.9%78.3%84.0%
g. The faculty work in a school environment that is safe.93.2%93.4%91.7%100.0%
Teacher Leadership
Q6.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about teacher leadership in your school.
a. Teachers are recognized as educational experts.82.0%88.8%81.8%95.8%
b. Teachers are trusted to make sound professional decisions about instruction.82.9%90.6%83.9%91.7%
c. Teachers are relied upon to make decisions about educational issues.81.0%86.7%82.0%87.5%
d. Teachers are encouraged to participate in school leadership roles.92.3%94.1%91.8%95.8%
e. The faculty has an effective process for making group decisions to solve problems.77.4%79.6%75.6%91.7%
f. In this school we take steps to solve problems.82.9%84.3%81.4%95.7%
g. Teachers are effective leaders in this school.87.5%91.5%86.1%91.7%
Q6.5Teachers have an appropriate level of influence on decision making in this school.69.8%70.0%69.4%88.0%
Q6.6Members of the school improvement team are elected.76.1%87.0%76.4%87.5%
School Leadership
Q7.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about school leadership in your school.
a. The faculty and staff have a shared vision.84.2%87.9%82.2%96.0%
b. There is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in this school.73.1%75.6%71.0%96.0%
c. Teachers feel comfortable raising issues and concerns that are important to them.72.1%76.6%71.1%96.0%
d. The school leadership consistently supports teachers.79.6%84.0%77.8%96.0%
e. Teachers are held to high professional standards for delivering instruction.93.8%95.6%93.8%100.0%
f. The school leadership facilitates using data to improve student learning.94.0%85.0%93.8%92.0%
g. Teacher performance is assessed objectively.86.4%89.3%86.0%100.0%
h. Teachers receive feedback that can help them improve teaching.85.4%84.6%85.2%96.0%
i. The procedures for teacher evaluation are consistent.84.0%89.2%83.4%100.0%
j. The school improvement team provides effective leadership at this school.84.2%84.0%82.3%92.0%
k. The faculty are recognized for accomplishments.85.0%82.4%84.4%84.0%
Q7.3The school leadership makes a sustained effort to address teacher concerns about:
a. Leadership issues81.4%79.7%80.4%87.5%
b. Facilities and resources87.0%83.1%86.3%92.0%
c. The use of time in my school79.6%82.2%78.9%88.0%
d. Professional development83.4%78.9%82.5%79.2%
e. Teacher leadership86.4%87.2%85.7%95.8%
f. Community support and involvement88.5%84.4%86.8%91.7%
g. Managing student conduct80.0%80.2%77.4%96.0%
h. Instructional practices and support88.1%87.4%88.1%95.8%
i. New teacher support83.8%84.2%82.4%91.7%
Professional Development
Q8.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with statements about professional development in your school.
a. Sufficient resources are available for professional development in my school.78.3%62.7%76.8%64.0%
b. An appropriate amount of time is provided for professional development.77.2%64.3%76.2%60.0%
c. Professional development offerings are data driven.83.1%74.7%82.5%78.3%
d. Professional learning opportunities are aligned with the school’s improvement plan.90.4%82.5%89.9%90.5%
e. Professional development is differentiated to meet the individual needs of teachers.66.1%64.3%65.8%64.0%
f. Professional development deepens teachers' content knowledge.75.6%76.1%72.8%68.0%
g. Teachers have sufficient training to fully utilize instructional technology.73.3%66.7%72.7%56.0%
h. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on their own practice.93.1%87.8%92.9%84.0%
i. In this school, follow up is provided from professional development.73.5%59.7%72.2%68.0%
j. Professional development provides ongoing opportunities for teachers to work with colleagues to refine teaching practices.79.1%70.4%78.9%62.5%
k. Professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers.64.5%57.7%63.0%64.0%
l. Professional development enhances teachers' ability to implement instructional strategies that meet diverse student learning needs.83.3%76.7%82.5%66.7%
m. Professional development enhances teachers' abilities to improve student learning.86.2%80.7%85.5%76.0%
Instructional Practices and Support
Q9.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about instructional practices and support in your school.
a. State assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.51.9%44.7%49.2%48.0%
b. Local assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.79.4%58.2%79.9%50.0%
c. Teachers use assessment data to inform their instruction.93.0%84.0%92.4%95.8%
d. The curriculum taught in this school is aligned with Common Core Standards.97.7%98.2%97.9%100.0%
e. Teachers work in professional learning communities to develop and align instructional practices.91.2%77.0%92.0%88.0%
f. Provided supports (i.e. instructional coaching, professional learning communities, etc.) translate to improvements in instructional practices by teachers.86.6%76.1%86.4%83.3%
g. Teachers are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction.92.9%91.8%93.8%100.0%
h. Teachers are assigned classes that maximize their likelihood of success with students.69.2%71.2%67.0%90.9%
i. Teachers have autonomy to make decisions about instructional delivery (i.e. pacing, materials and pedagogy).79.9%89.7%82.8%100.0%
j. State assessments provide schools with data that can help improve teaching.64.5%66.8%64.3%76.0%
k. State assessments accurately gauge students’ understanding of standards.44.5%41.5%45.1%45.8%
Overall
Q10.6Overall, my school is a good place to work and learn.85.1%81.2%83.7%92.0%
Q10.7At this school, we utilize the results from the 2012 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey as a tool for school improvement.81.2%74.4%80.1%90.9%
% Agree
North Carolina Public Schools (88.63% responded)
Martin County Schools (85.02% responded)
NC Middle Schools (87.35% responded)
South Creek Middle (100.00% responded)
North Carolina Public SchoolsMartin County SchoolsNC Middle SchoolsSouth Creek Middle
Time
Q2.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about the use of time in your school.
a. Class sizes are reasonable such that teachers have the time available to meet the needs of all students.60.2%65.2%55.0%100.0%
b. Teachers have time available to collaborate with colleagues.73.1%74.0%75.9%87.5%
c. Teachers are allowed to focus on educating students with minimal interruptions.67.2%67.1%66.2%80.0%
d. The non-instructional time provided for teachers in my school is sufficient.62.8%70.1%65.4%68.0%
e. Efforts are made to minimize the amount of routine paperwork teachers are required to do.57.2%60.2%60.3%68.0%
f. Teachers have sufficient instructional time to meet the needs of all students.66.0%67.9%66.3%84.0%
g. Teachers are protected from duties that interfere with their essential role of educating students.71.2%81.4%68.7%84.0%
Facilities and Resources
Q3.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about your school facilities and resources.
a. Teachers have sufficient access to appropriate instructional materials.73.6%73.1%71.0%72.0%
b. Teachers have sufficient access to instructional technology, including computers, printers, software and internet access.78.7%74.8%76.5%68.0%
c. Teachers have access to reliable communication technology, including phones, faxes and email.90.6%86.8%90.0%84.0%
d. Teachers have sufficient access to office equipment and supplies such as copy machines, paper, pens, etc.81.1%77.1%81.2%84.0%
e. Teachers have sufficient access to a broad range of professional support personnel.83.3%74.6%82.9%76.0%
f. The school environment is clean and well maintained.86.0%88.3%85.7%100.0%
g. Teachers have adequate space to work productively.88.9%94.1%88.9%100.0%
h. The physical environment of classrooms in this school supports teaching and learning.88.9%93.3%87.3%95.8%
i. The reliability and speed of Internet connections in this school are sufficient to support instructional practices.76.1%59.3%74.2%60.0%
Community Support and Involvement
Q4.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about community support and involvement in your school.
a. Parents/guardians are influential decision makers in this school.72.6%64.4%72.3%56.5%
b. This school maintains clear, two-way communication with the community.89.9%90.1%89.3%92.0%
c. This school does a good job of encouraging parent/guardian involvement.90.0%89.6%88.1%96.0%
d. Teachers provide parents/guardians with useful information about student learning.96.0%95.1%95.3%100.0%
e. Parents/guardians know what is going on in this school.86.5%87.8%85.0%88.0%
f. Parents/guardians support teachers, contributing to their success with students.72.5%66.4%70.2%68.0%
g. Community members support teachers, contributing to their success with students.82.5%78.5%78.8%75.0%
h. The community we serve is supportive of this school.84.9%80.7%81.4%79.2%
Managing Student Conduct
Q5.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about managing student conduct in your school.
a. Students at this school understand expectations for their conduct.85.1%86.3%82.2%96.0%
b. Students at this school follow rules of conduct.71.9%67.8%65.3%76.0%
c. Policies and procedures about student conduct are clearly understood by the faculty.84.2%80.0%81.6%92.0%
d. School administrators consistently enforce rules for student conduct.72.2%74.8%67.9%88.0%
e. School administrators support teachers' efforts to maintain discipline in the classroom.81.9%83.2%78.9%88.0%
f. Teachers consistently enforce rules for student conduct.80.5%80.9%78.3%84.0%
g. The faculty work in a school environment that is safe.93.2%93.4%91.7%100.0%
Teacher Leadership
Q6.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about teacher leadership in your school.
a. Teachers are recognized as educational experts.82.0%88.8%81.8%95.8%
b. Teachers are trusted to make sound professional decisions about instruction.82.9%90.6%83.9%91.7%
c. Teachers are relied upon to make decisions about educational issues.81.0%86.7%82.0%87.5%
d. Teachers are encouraged to participate in school leadership roles.92.3%94.1%91.8%95.8%
e. The faculty has an effective process for making group decisions to solve problems.77.4%79.6%75.6%91.7%
f. In this school we take steps to solve problems.82.9%84.3%81.4%95.7%
g. Teachers are effective leaders in this school.87.5%91.5%86.1%91.7%
Q6.5Teachers have an appropriate level of influence on decision making in this school.69.8%70.0%69.4%88.0%
Q6.6Members of the school improvement team are elected.76.1%87.0%76.4%87.5%
School Leadership
Q7.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about school leadership in your school.
a. The faculty and staff have a shared vision.84.2%87.9%82.2%96.0%
b. There is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in this school.73.1%75.6%71.0%96.0%
c. Teachers feel comfortable raising issues and concerns that are important to them.72.1%76.6%71.1%96.0%
d. The school leadership consistently supports teachers.79.6%84.0%77.8%96.0%
e. Teachers are held to high professional standards for delivering instruction.93.8%95.6%93.8%100.0%
f. The school leadership facilitates using data to improve student learning.94.0%85.0%93.8%92.0%
g. Teacher performance is assessed objectively.86.4%89.3%86.0%100.0%
h. Teachers receive feedback that can help them improve teaching.85.4%84.6%85.2%96.0%
i. The procedures for teacher evaluation are consistent.84.0%89.2%83.4%100.0%
j. The school improvement team provides effective leadership at this school.84.2%84.0%82.3%92.0%
k. The faculty are recognized for accomplishments.85.0%82.4%84.4%84.0%
Q7.3The school leadership makes a sustained effort to address teacher concerns about:
a. Leadership issues81.4%79.7%80.4%87.5%
b. Facilities and resources87.0%83.1%86.3%92.0%
c. The use of time in my school79.6%82.2%78.9%88.0%
d. Professional development83.4%78.9%82.5%79.2%
e. Teacher leadership86.4%87.2%85.7%95.8%
f. Community support and involvement88.5%84.4%86.8%91.7%
g. Managing student conduct80.0%80.2%77.4%96.0%
h. Instructional practices and support88.1%87.4%88.1%95.8%
i. New teacher support83.8%84.2%82.4%91.7%
Professional Development
Q8.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with statements about professional development in your school.
a. Sufficient resources are available for professional development in my school.78.3%62.7%76.8%64.0%
b. An appropriate amount of time is provided for professional development.77.2%64.3%76.2%60.0%
c. Professional development offerings are data driven.83.1%74.7%82.5%78.3%
d. Professional learning opportunities are aligned with the school’s improvement plan.90.4%82.5%89.9%90.5%
e. Professional development is differentiated to meet the individual needs of teachers.66.1%64.3%65.8%64.0%
f. Professional development deepens teachers' content knowledge.75.6%76.1%72.8%68.0%
g. Teachers have sufficient training to fully utilize instructional technology.73.3%66.7%72.7%56.0%
h. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on their own practice.93.1%87.8%92.9%84.0%
i. In this school, follow up is provided from professional development.73.5%59.7%72.2%68.0%
j. Professional development provides ongoing opportunities for teachers to work with colleagues to refine teaching practices.79.1%70.4%78.9%62.5%
k. Professional development is evaluated and results are communicated to teachers.64.5%57.7%63.0%64.0%
l. Professional development enhances teachers' ability to implement instructional strategies that meet diverse student learning needs.83.3%76.7%82.5%66.7%
m. Professional development enhances teachers' abilities to improve student learning.86.2%80.7%85.5%76.0%
Instructional Practices and Support
Q9.1Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about instructional practices and support in your school.
a. State assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.51.9%44.7%49.2%48.0%
b. Local assessment data are available in time to impact instructional practices.79.4%58.2%79.9%50.0%
c. Teachers use assessment data to inform their instruction.93.0%84.0%92.4%95.8%
d. The curriculum taught in this school is aligned with Common Core Standards.97.7%98.2%97.9%100.0%
e. Teachers work in professional learning communities to develop and align instructional practices.91.2%77.0%92.0%88.0%
f. Provided supports (i.e. instructional coaching, professional learning communities, etc.) translate to improvements in instructional practices by teachers.86.6%76.1%86.4%83.3%
g. Teachers are encouraged to try new things to improve instruction.92.9%91.8%93.8%100.0%
h. Teachers are assigned classes that maximize their likelihood of success with students.69.2%71.2%67.0%90.9%
i. Teachers have autonomy to make decisions about instructional delivery (i.e. pacing, materials and pedagogy).79.9%89.7%82.8%100.0%
j. State assessments provide schools with data that can help improve teaching.64.5%66.8%64.3%76.0%
k. State assessments accurately gauge students’ understanding of standards.44.5%41.5%45.1%45.8%
Overall
Q10.6Overall, my school is a good place to work and learn.85.1%81.2%83.7%92.0%
Q10.7At this school, we utilize the results from the 2012 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey as a tool for school improvement.81.2%74.4%80.1%90.9%
At SCMS we empower our staff to take on leadership roles and have a active voice in decision making processes. The staff votes or volunteers for position. We meet at least once a month to discuss school matters. We also use Monday PLC twice month for staff development which is chosen by the staff and administrations.