Key Findings from NCLE’s

2015 National Survey

Catherine NelsonEvaluation Consultant for the National Center for Literacy Education

• Despite controversy, clear majorities of teachers report implementation is going well and benefitting students.

• Schools where implementation is strongest invest in professional capacity, cultivate ownership, and view standards implementation as a collective learning process.

Big picture

Teacher support for the standards is increasing.

2013 20150%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Strongly agree, 16%

Strongly agree, 41%

Agree somewhat,

49%

Agree somewhat,

37%

“In general, the new literacy standards will help improve instruction

and classroom practice.”

% o

f te

ach

ers

Most teachers report implementation is going well.

Strongly disagree7%

Disagree somewhat19%

Agree somewhat48%

Strongly agree21%

Don't know enough to say5%

"The implementation of new literacy standards

is going well in my school"

Teachers see positive impacts on students.

Very neg-ative, 2% Negative,

9%

No change, 12%

Positive, 48%

Very pos-itive, 19%

Don't know; 11%

Creating a profile of “Strong- implementation” schools

Strong standards implementation

• Seen as positive change

• Implementation going well

• Teachers feel well prepared

• Positive impacts on students

• Standards implementation as an organizational learning process

• Investments in building shared expertise• Focus on teacher ownership of change

What are “strong- implementation” schools

doing differently?

Capacity-Building Approach

Creating a profile of “strong-

implementation” schools

Capacity-building conditions

• Clear vision• Teacher ownership• Leaders support

teacher learning• Time for

collaboration• Hands-on

curriculum work

Strong standards implementation

• Seen as positive change

• Implementation going well

• Teachers feel well prepared

• Positive impacts on students

Teachers with protected collaboration time feel better

prepared and are more likely to make shifts.

Some collaborative tasks are particularly powerful.

Even assessments were viewed more positively at

high-ownership schools.

Capacity-driven schools use all the building blocks differently

Over the next 6 months, NCLE will be releasing a series of

focus briefs looking at how schools where

standards implementation is

going well approach each of these

elements.