School Questionnaire – English

Instructions

Dear school administrator,

Thank you for participating in this study.

This questionnaire asks for information about:

• School background information
• School management Teaching staff
• Assessment and evaluation Targeted groups
• School climate

This information helps illustrate the similarities and differences between groups of schools in order to better establish the context for students’ test results. For example, the information provided may help to establish what effect the availability of resources may have on student achievement – both within and between countries.

The questionnaire should be completed by the principal or designate. It should take about 45 minutes to complete.

For some questions specific expertise may be needed. You may consult experts to help you answer these questions.

If you do not know an answer precisely, your best estimate will be adequate for the purpose of the study.

Please note that the forward button used to proceed to the next question is located at the bottom right hand corner of your screen. In some instances you may need to scroll down to the bottom of your screen to access this forward button.

Your answers will be combined with answers from other principals to calculate totals and averages. All information (or responses) you provide may only be used for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law [Education Science Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002), 20 U.S. Code, Section 9573].

To answer questions in this questionnaire, please consider the following definition:

Science includes the domains of physics, chemistry, earth and space sciences, biology, applied sciences and technology either taught in your curriculum as separate science subjects, or taught within a single ‘integrated-science’ subject. It does NOT include related subjects such as mathematics, psychology, economics, nor geography.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this voluntary information collection is 1850-0755. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 45 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any suggestions for improving the form, or comments or concerns regarding the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or the status of your individual submission of this form, please write to: Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street, N.W., Room 8122, Washington, D.C. 20006.

O.M.B. No. 1850-0755, Approval Expires 08/31/2016

School background information

Which of the following definitions best describes the community in which your school is located?

(Please select one response.)

A village, hamlet or rural area (fewer than 3,000 people)

A small town (3,000 to about 15,000 people)

A town (15,000 to about 100,000 people)

A city (100,000 to about 1,000,000 people)

A large city (with over 1,000,000 people)

As of February 1, 2015, what was the total school enrollment (number of students)?

(Please enter a number for each response. Enter "0" (zero) if there are none.)

Number of boys

Number of girls

What is the average size of English classes in the 10th grade in your school?

(Please select one response.)

15 students or fewer

16-20 students

21-25 students

26-30 students

31-35 students

36-40 students

41-45 students

46-50 students

More than 50 students

Approximately what percentage of students at this school last year were eligible for free - or reduced - price lunches through the National School Lunch Program?

(Please enter a number. Type 0 (zero) if there are none.)

Percentage of students eligible

The goal of the following set of questions is to gather information about the student-computer ratio for students in the 10th grade at your school.

(Please enter a number for each response. Enter "0" (zero) if there are none.)

At your school, what is the total number of students in the 10th grade?

Approximately how many computers are available for these students for educational purposes?

Approximately how many of these computers are connected to the Internet?

Approximately how many of these computers are portable (e.g., laptop, tablet)?

About how many interactive whiteboards are available in the school altogether?

About how many data projectors are available in the school altogether?

About how many computers with internet connection are available for teachers in your school?

In this academic year, which of the following activities does your school offer to students in the 10th grade?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Band, orchestra or choir
School play or school musical
School yearbook, newspaper or magazine
Volunteering or community service activities
Science club
Science competitions (e.g., science fair)
Chess club
Club with a focus on computers/ Information and Communication Technology
Art club or art activities
Sports team or sports activities

Which of the following is true for the science department of your school?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Compared to other departments, our school's science department is well equipped.
If we ever have some extra funding, a big share goes into improvement of our science teaching.
Science teachers are among our best educated staff members.
Compared to similar schools, we have a well equipped laboratory.
The material for hands-on activities in science is in good shape.
We have enough laboratory material that all courses can regularly use it.
We have extra laboratory staff that helps support science teaching.
Our school spends extra money on up-to-date science equipment.

For 15-year-old students, does your school provide the following study help?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Room(s) where the students can do their homework
Staff help with homework

School Management

Below are statements about your management of this school. Please indicate the frequency of the following activities and behaviors in your school during 2014-2015 academic year.

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Did not occur	1-2 times during the year	3-4 times during the year	Once a month	Once a week	More than once a week
I use student performance results to develop the school’s educational goals.
I make sure that the professional development activities of teachers are in accordance with the teaching goals of the school.
I ensure that teachers work according to the school’s educational goals.
I promote teaching practices based on recent educational research.
I praise teachers whose students are actively participating in learning.
When a teacher has problems in his/her classroom, I take the initiative to discuss matters.
I draw teachers’ attention to the importance of students’ development of critical and social capacities.
I pay attention to disruptive behavior in classrooms.
I provide staff with opportunities to participate in school decision-making.
I engage teachers to help build a school culture of continuous improvement.
I ask teachers to participate in reviewing management practices.
When a teacher brings up a classroom problem, we solve the problem together.
I discuss the school’s academic goals with teachers at faculty meetings.

Regarding your school, who has a considerable responsibility for the following tasks?

(Please select as many boxes as appropriate in each row.)

	Principal	Teachers	School-level governing board	Local education agency	State education agency	U.S. Dept. of Education
Selecting teachers for hire
Firing teachers
Establishing teachers’ starting salaries
Determining teachers’ salary increases
Formulating the school budget
Deciding on budget allocations within the school
Establishing student disciplinary policies
Establishing student assessment policies
Approving students for admission to the school
Choosing which textbooks are used
Determining course content
Deciding which courses are offered

How often are the following factors considered when students are admitted to your school?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never	Sometimes	Always
Student’s record of academic performance (including placement tests)
Recommendation of feeder schools
Parents’ endorsement of the instructional or religious philosophy of the school
Whether the student requires or is interested in a special program
Preference given to family members of current or former students
Residence in a particular area
Other

Is your school a public or a private school?

(Please select one response.)

A public school

A private school

What kind of organization runs your school?

(Please select one response.)

A church or other religious organization

Another not-for-profit organization

A for-profit organization

About what percentage of your total funding for a typical school year comes from the following sources?

(Please enter a number for each response. Enter "0" (zero) if there are none.)

% Government (includes local, state and federal)

% Tuition, student fees or school charges paid by parents

% Benefactors, donations, bequests, sponsorships, parent fundraising

% Other

Is your school's capacity to provide instruction hindered by any of the following issues?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all	Very little	To some extent	A lot
A lack of teaching staff
Inadequate or poorly qualified teaching staff
A lack of assisting staff
Inadequate or poorly qualified assisting staff
A lack of educational material (e.g., textbooks, IT equipment, library or laboratory material)
Inadequate or poor quality educational material (e.g., textbooks, IT equipment, library or laboratory material)
A lack of physical infrastructure (e.g., building, grounds, heating/cooling, lighting and PA system)
Inadequate or poor quality physical infrastructure (e.g., building, grounds, heating/cooling, lighting and PA system)

Teaching Staff

How many of the following teachers are on the staff of your school?

Include both full-time and part-time teachers. A full-time teacher is employed at least 90% of the time as a teacher for the full school year. All other teachers should be considered part time.

Regarding the qualification level, please refer only to the teacher's highest qualification level.

(Please enter a number in each space provided. Enter "0" (zero) if there are none.)

	Full-time	Part-time
Teachers in TOTAL
Teachers fully certified by the state in their main assignment field
Teachers with a bachelor's degree
Teachers with a master's degree
Teachers with a doctoral degree or professional degree (e.g., J.D. or M.D.)

How many of the following teachers are on the science staff of your school?

Include both full-time and part-time teachers. A full-time teacher is employed at least 90% of the time as a teacher for the full school year. All other teachers should be considered part time.

(Please enter a number in each space provided. Enter "0" (zero) if there are none.)

	Full-time	Part-time
Science teachers in TOTAL
Science teachers fully certified by the state in their main assignment field
Science teachers with at least a bachelor's degree with a major in science

During the last three months, what percentage of teaching staff in your school has attended a program of professional development?

A program of professional development here is a formal program designed to enhance teaching skills or pedagogical practices. It may or may not lead to a recognized qualification. The program must last for at least one day in total and have a focus on teaching and education.

(Please move the slider to the appropriate percentage. If none of your teachers participated in any professional development activities select "0" (zero).)

All teaching staff at your school

Science teaching staff at your school

Which of the following types of in-house professional development exist at your school?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
The teachers in our school cooperate by exchanging ideas or material when teaching specific units or series of lessons.
Our school invites specialists to conduct in-service training for teachers.
Our school organizes in-service workshops which deal with specific issues that our school faces.
Our school organizes in-service workshops for specific groups of teachers (e.g., newly appointed teachers).

Assessment and Evaluation

During the last academic year, have any of the following methods been used to monitor the practice of teachers at your school?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Tests or assessments of student achievement
Teacher peer review (of lesson plans, assessment instruments, lessons)
Principal or senior staff observations of lessons
Observation of classes by inspectors or other persons external to the school

Generally, in your school, how often are students in the 10th grade assessed using the following methods?

(If you need further explanation of the term "standardized tests," please use the help button.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

Standardized tests are consistent in design, content, administration and scoring. Results can be compared across students and schools.

	Never	1-2 times a year	3-5 times a year	Monthly	More than once a month
Mandatory standardized tests (e.g., state assessment in your state)
Non-mandatory standardized tests (e.g., publicly or commercial available standardized test material like the SAT or ACT)
Teacher-developed tests
Teachers’ judgmental ratings

In your school, are standardized tests and/or teacher-developed tests of students in 10th grade used for any of the following purposes?

(If you need further explanation of the term "standardized tests," please use the help button.)

(Please select either "yes" or "no" to indicate the use of standardized tests and teacher-developed tests for each of the specified purposes.)

The term standardized tests includes standardised mandatory tests (mandated e.g., by national, state or district authorities) as well as standardized non-mandatory tests (e.g., publicly or commercial available standardized test material). These tests are consistent in design, content, administration and scoring. Results can be compared across students and schools.

	Standardized tests	Teacher-developed tests
To guide students' learning
To inform parents about their child’s progress
To make decisions about students’ retention or promotion
To group students for instructional purposes
To compare the school to district, state, or national performance
To monitor the school’s progress from year to year
To make judgments about teachers’ effectiveness
To identify aspects of instruction or the curriculum that could be improve
To adapt teaching to the students' needs
To compare the school with other schools
To award certificates to students

In your school, are achievement data used in any of the following accountability procedures?

Achievement data include aggregated school or grade-level test scores or grades, or graduation rates.

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Achievement data are posted publicly (e.g., in the media).
Achievement data are tracked over time by an administrative authority, such as a district, state, or national education agency.
Achievement data are provided directly to parents.

Do the following arrangements aimed at quality assurance and improvements exist in your school and where do they come from?

(If you need further explanation of the term "internal school evaluation" or "external school evaluation," please use the help button.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

Internal school evaluation: Evaluation as part of a process controlled by a school in which the school defines which areas are judged; the evaluation may be conducted by members of the school or by persons/institutions commissioned by the school.

External school evaluation: Evaluation as part of a process controlled and headed by an external body. The school does not define the areas which are judged.

	Yes, this is mandatory, e.g., based on district or state policies	Yes, based on school initiative	No
Internal evaluation / Self-evaluation
External evaluation
Written specification of the school’s curricular profile and educational goals
Written specification of student performance standards
Systematic recording of data such as teacher or student attendance and professional development
Systematic recording of student test results and graduation rates
Seeking written feedback from students (e.g. regarding lessons, teachers or resources)
Teacher mentoring
Regular consultation aimed at school improvement with one or more experts over a period of at least six months
Implementation of a standardized policy for science subjects (i.e. school curriculum with shared instructional materials accompanied by staff development and training)

Based on your last internal school evaluation results, did your school implement any measures in the following areas?

(If you need further explanation of the term "internal school evaluation," please use the help button.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

Internal school evaluation: Evaluation as part of a process controlled by a school in which the school defines which areas are judged; the evaluation may be conducted by members of the school or by persons/institutions commissioned by the school.

	Yes	No, because results were satisfactory	No, for other reasons
Educational staff (e.g., workload, personal requirements, qualifications)
Implementation of the curriculum
Quality of teaching and learning
Parental engagement in school
Teacher professional development
Student achievement
Students' cross-curricular competencies
Equity in school

Thinking about the last external evaluation in your school. Do the following statements apply?

(If you need further explanation of the term "external school evaluation," please use the help button.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

External school evaluation: Evaluation as part of a process controlled and headed by an external body. The school does not define the areas which are judged.

	Yes	No
The results of the external evaluation led to changes in school policies.
We used the data to plan specific action for school development.
We used the data to plan specific action for the improvement of teaching.
We put measures derived from the results of the external evaluation into practice promptly.
The impetus triggered by the external evaluation "disappeared" very quickly at our school.

Targeted Groups

Some schools organize instruction differently for students with different abilities.

What is your school’s policy about this for students in tenth grade?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	For all subjects	For some subjects	Not for any subject
Students are grouped by ability into different classes.
Students are grouped by ability within their classes.

Please estimate the percentage of students at 10th grade in your school who have the following characteristics.

(Please consider that students may fall into multiple categories.)

(Please move the slider to the appropriate percentage.

Students whose heritage language is different from English

Students with special needs

Students from socioeconomically disadvantaged homes

School Climate

In your school, to what extent is the learning of students hindered by the following phenomena?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all	Very little	To some extent	A lot
Student truancy
Students skipping classes
Students lacking respect for teachers
Student use of alcohol or illegal drugs
Students intimidating or bullying other students
Teachers not meeting individual students’ needs
Teacher absenteeism
Staff resisting change
Teachers being too strict with students
Teachers not being well prepared for classes

Do the following statements about parental involvement apply to your school?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Our school provides a welcoming and accepting atmosphere for parents to get involved.
Our school designs effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communications about school programs and students' progress.
Our school includes parents in school decisions.
Our school provides information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning.
Our school identifies and integrates resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development.
There is federal, state, or district legislation on including parents in school activities.

During 2014-2015 academic year, what proportion of students’ parents participated in the following school-related activities?

(Please move the slider to the appropriate position. If no parents participated in the activity, please select "0" (zero). Select "100" (one hundred) if all parents participated in the activity.)

Discussed their child’s academic progress with a teacher on their own initiative

Discussed their child’s academic progress on the initiative of one of their child’s teachers.

Participated in local school government (e.g., parent teacher association or parent advisory council).

Volunteered in physical or extra- curricular activities (e.g., building maintenance, carpentry, gardening or yard work, school play, sports, field trip)

Thank you very much for your cooperation in completing this questionnaire!