This research brief uses data from the School District of Philadelphia teacher survey to assess teacher perceptions of small and large neighborhood high schools

Shani Adia Evans

Tracey A. Hartmann

English

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RESEARCH FOR ACTIONTeacher Perceptions of Small High SchoolsNovember 2008www.researchforact ion.orgIntroductionThis research brief is a product of Research for Action’s Going Small study, which examines the develop-ment of small public high schools in Philadelphia. The Going Small study began in 2005, during a peri-od of vigorous small school development in Philadelphia - between 2002 and 2007, 26 small schools werecreated. The Going Small report, to be released Spring 2009, uses both qualitative and quantitative datato examine small schools.This brief looks at teacher perceptions of the schools where they work, focusingon the differences in teacher perceptions between small and large high schools. The findings in this briefare based on teacher responses to a survey administered by School District of Philadelphia in 2006-2007. Compared to large high schools, a greater proportion of Philadelphia’s small schools have selective admis-sions criteria (66% of small schools, vs. 24% of large schools).1 The majority of large high schools are‘neighborhood schools’ that accept all students living within a catchment area. Therefore, variation inteacher responses between all small and all large high schools is likely to also reflect differences betweenneighborhood schools and schools with selective admissions criteria. This brief highlights differencesbetween perceptions of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schools. In our analysis of teacher survey responses, we compared teachers in small neighborhood high schools withteachers in large neighborhood high schools on a variety of indicators that have been identified by pastresearch as key attributes of successful small high schools. While the survey includes seventy questions,our analysis focused on sixteen questions that were most relevant to these indicators, which fell into fourcategories: Safety and Climate, Teaching and Learning, School Improvement, and Student Engagement. Key FindingsOverall, the survey responses show that teachers in small high schools have amore positive view of the environment in which they teach than do teachers in large high schools. The differences between small and large high schools aremost evident when we compare responses from all small high schools to respons-es from all large high schools (including those with selective admissions criteria).Although the differences are less stark when we compare only small and largeneighborhood schools, the pattern of teachers in small high schools voicing amore positive view of their school environment is sustained, with the most sub-stantial differences in the area of school safety.31In the Going Small study, we use the School District of Philadelphia’s definition of small high schools as those with fewer than700 students, while large schools enroll more than 700 students.2Some schools did not complete teacher surveys.  41 out of 59 schools completed the survey. There were 1521 total teacherresponses.3The  mean difference between small and large neighborhood schools is statistically significant for all questions except ‘Figure 6:To what extent do you feel respected by your students?’TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction 1Key Findings 1Safety & Climate 2Teaching & Learning 5School Improvement 7Student Engagement 8Conclusion 10Authors & Acknowledgements 10Safety and ClimateThere is a clear pattern in the survey data showing that, compared to teachers in large neighborhood highschools, teachers in small neighborhood high schools believe that teachers and students are safer in schoolhallways and classrooms. This pattern is very strong across all survey questions related to teacher and stu-dent safety. • 43% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools felt that they were very safe in the schoolhallways compared to 21% in large neighborhood high schools, a difference of more than 20percentage points. • Nearly the same percentage of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schools felt thatthey were mostly safe in school hallways (39% and 40% respectively) (Figure 1).• 46% of teachers in small neighborhood schools felt very safe in classrooms, compared to 31% inlarge neighborhood high schools. • Approximately the same percentage of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schoolsfelt that they were mostly safe in classrooms (37% and 39%, respectively) (Figure 2).2 |  Research for Action • 24% of small neighborhood high school teachers thought students felt very safe in school hall-ways, compared to 6% in large neighborhood high schools• 46% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools reported that students felt mostly safecompared to 38% and large neighborhood high schools (Figure 3).• 37% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools reported that students felt very safe inclassrooms compared with 20% in large neighborhood high schools. • 43% and 48% of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schools, respectively, reportedthat students felt mostly safe in classrooms. (Figure 4).Teacher Perceptions of Small High Schools | 3In addition to feeling safer, teachers at small neighborhood high schools indicated that they had strongerrelationships with students.• 38% of teachers at small neighborhood high schools reported that most or all teachers talk withstudents about their lives at home, compared to 30% at large neighborhood high schools. • 29% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools reported that about half of teachers talkwith students about their lives at home, compared to 21% of teachers in large neighborhoodhigh schools. (Figure 5).• 45% of small neighborhood high school teachers reported that they feel respected by studentsto a great extent, compared to 39% of teachers at large neighborhood high schools. • 40% of teachers in small neighborhood schools reported that they felt respected by students tosome extent, compared to 45% in large neighborhood high schools (Figure 6).4 |  Research for Action Teaching and LearningCompared to teachers in large neighborhood high schools, teachers in small neighborhood high schoolswere more positive about the conditions for teaching and learning in their schools. However, most teachersin both small and large neighborhood high schools reported that some of their students do not have accessto appropriate instructional supports.•For example, 28% of teachers in small high schools strongly agreed that their school’s leadershipsets high standards for learning, compared to only 15% of teachers in large neighborhood highschools. • Nearly the same percent of teachers in small neighborhood and large neighborhood high schoolsagreed with this statement - 56% and 57%, respectively (Figure 7). • Teachers in small neighborhood high schools were more likely to have collaborated with otherteachers during the previous 12 months than were teachers in large neighborhood high schools(Figure 8). o While 30% of teachers at small neighborhood high schools had collaborated morethan 5 times in the past 12 months, 23% of teachers at large neighborhood highschools had collaborated this frequently. o Nearly the same proportion of respondents from small and large neighborhood highTeacher Perceptions of Small High Schools | 5schools collaborated 3-4 times in the past 12 months – 21% in small and 19% inlarge neighborhood high schools.o Only 16% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools reported that they nevercollaborated with colleagues, compared to 27% of teachers in large neighborhoodhigh schools (not shown).• 9% of teachers in small neighborhood high strongly agreed that their students have access toappropriate instructional supports, and 54% agreed. • 8% of teachers in large neighborhood high schools strongly agreed that their students haveaccess to appropriate instructional supports, 51% agreed (Figure 9).• Therefore, less than two thirds of teachers in small or large neighborhood high schools reportedthat all of their students have access to appropriate instructional supports – 63% of teachers insmall neighborhood high schools and 59% in large neighborhood high schools • 60% of small neighborhood high school teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement“When necessary, students will seek extra help from teachers,” compared to 52% of teachers atlarge neighborhood high schools (Figure 10).6 |  Research for Action School ImprovementTeachers in small neighborhood high schools reported that teachers and principals in their school wereinvested in school improvement efforts at a greater rate than did teachers in large neighborhood highschools.• 49% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools perceived that most or all of their col-leagues take responsibility for improving the school, compared to 30% of teachers in largeneighborhood high schools – a difference of nearly 20 percentage points. • Nearly the same percentage of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schools, (27% and26%, respectively), reported that about half of the teachers in their school took responsibilityfor improving the school (Figure 11).• 13% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools strongly agreed with the statement“Teachers have opportunities to influence what happens in this school” compared to 8% in largeneighbhohood high schools. • 63% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools agreed with this statement compared to51% in large neighborhood high schools (Figure 12). Teacher Perceptions of Small High Schools | 7• 17% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools strongly agreed with the statement “theprincipal, teachers, and staff collaborate to make this school run effectively,” compared to 9% inlarge neighborhood high schools (Figure 13).• Nearly the same percentage of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schools agreedwith this statement (55% and 53% respectively). Student EngagementThe teacher survey data suggest that teachers at small neighborhood high schools believe that their stu-dents are more engaged than do teachers at large neighborhood high schools. However, teachers in bothsmall and large neighborhood high schools think that student engagement is a problem. 8 |  Research for Action • Teachers at small neighborhood high schools reported that student apathy is a major problem ata lower rate than teachers at large neighborhood high schools (50% compared to 57%).• 33% of small neighborhood high school teachers reported that student apathy is a moderateproblem, compared to 26% in large neighborhood high schools. • Therefore, at both small and large neighborhood high schools, 83% of teachers reported thatstudent apathy is a problem (Figure 14)• 42% of teachers at small neighborhood high schools reporteded that class cutting is a majorproblem compared to 66% of teachers at large neighborhood high schools. • 40% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools reporteded that class cutting is a moderateproblem, compared to 26% of teachers in large neighborhood high schools (Figure 15).• Therefore more than 80% of teachers in small and large neighborhood high schools reportedthat class cutting is a problem – 82% at small neighborhood high schools and 92% at largeneighborhood high schools.•32% of teachers at small neighborhood high schools reported that dropping out is a major prob-lem at their school, compared to 39% at large neighborhood high schools. • 38% of teachers in small neighborhood high schools reported that dropping out was a moderateproblem, compared to 35% of teachers in large neighborhood high schools (Figure 16). Teacher Perceptions of Small High Schools | 9ConclusionThis brief presents findings from an analysis of responses to sixteen questions on the 2006-2007 SchoolDistrict of Philadelphia teacher survey. Across all questions, we found that teachers in small neighborhoodhigh schools perceived their schools more positively than teachers in large neighborhood high schools. Themost significant differences between small and large neighborhood high schools were found on questionsrelating to school safety. On questions about school improvement and teaching and learning, differencesbetween small and large neighborhood high schools were smaller, but consistent. Although teachers insmall neighborhood high schools were more positive about student engagement than teachers in largeneighborhood high schools, it is important to note that overall, most teachers reported that apathy, classcutting, and dropping out were problems at their schools. Authors and AcknowledgementsShani Adia Evans is a senior research assistant at Research for Action. Tracey Hartmann is a senior research associate and the co-team of the Going Small project at Research forAction. The Going Small research was made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. We wouldlike to thank the staff of the School District of Philadelphia Office of Research and Evaluation for their sup-port. This study is one of several RFA research projects that are following high school reform efforts inPhiladelphia.10 |  Research for Action 3701 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104TEL  (215) 823-2500FAX (215) 823-2510www.researchforaction.orgRESEARCH FOR ACTION

Teacher Perceptions of Small High Schools

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Teacher Perceptions of Small High Schools

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