School Questionnaire – English

Instructions

Dear school administrator,

Thank you for participating in this study.

This questionnaire asks for information about:

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

This information will help 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 of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

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)

Is your school a public or a private school?

(Please select one response.)

A public school

A private school

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

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 systems)
Inadequate or poor quality physical infrastructure (e.g., building, grounds, heating/cooling, lighting and PA systems)

Who has the main responsibility for career guidance of students in 10th grade at your school?

(Please select all that apply.)

Not applicable, career guidance is not available in this school.

All teachers share the responsibility for career guidance.

Specific teachers have the main responsibility for career guidance.

We have one or more specific career guidance counselors employed at school.

We have one or more specific career guidance counselors who regularly visit the school.

If career guidance is available at your school, which of the statements below best describes the situation for students in 10th grade?

(Please select one response.)

Career guidance is sought voluntarily by students.

Career guidance is formally scheduled into students’ time at school.

To what extent do you agree with the following statements about your school’s capacity to enhance learning and teaching using digital devices?

(Please select one response in each row.)

(Please think of different kinds of digital devices such as desktop computers, portable laptops, tablet computers or interactive whiteboards)

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Agree	Strongly agree
The number of digital devices connected to the Internet is sufficient.
The school’s Internet bandwidth or speed is sufficient.
The number of digital devices for instruction is sufficient.
Digital devices at the school are sufficiently powerful in terms of computing capacity.
The availability of adequate software is sufficient.
Teachers have the necessary technical and pedagogical skills to integrate digital devices into their instruction.
Teachers have sufficient time to prepare lessons that integrate digital devices.
Effective professional resources for teachers to learn how to use digital devices are available.
An effective online learning support platform is available.
Teachers are provided with incentives to integrate digital devices into their teaching.
The school has sufficient qualified technical assistant staff.

Does your school have any of the following?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Its own written statement about the use of digital devices
Its own written statement specifically about the use of digital devices for pedagogical purposes
A program to use digital devices for teaching and learning in specific subjects
Regular discussions with teaching staff about the use of digital devices for pedagogical purposes
A specific program to prepare students for responsible internet behavior
A specific policy about using social networks (Facebook, etc.) in teaching and learning
A specific program to promote collaboration on the use of digital devices among teachers
Scheduled time for teachers to meet to share, evaluate or develop instructional materials and approaches that employ digital devices

We are interested in the options parents have when choosing a school for their children.

Which of the following statements best describes the schooling available to students in your location?

(Please select one response.)

There are two or more other schools in this area that compete for our students.

There is one other school in this area that competes for our students.

There are no other schools in this area that compete for our students.

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

Some schools organize instruction differently for students with different abilities.

What is your school’s policy about this for students in 10th 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.

In your school, are standardized tests of students in 10th grade used for any of the following purposes?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
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 improved
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 English/language arts (i.e., school curriculum with shared instructional materials accompanied by staff development and training)

To what extent do the following statements reflect an opinion shared by your teaching staff?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Shared among none or almost none of them	Shared among some of them	Shared among many of them	Shared among all or almost all of them
It is important for students to learn that people from other cultures can have different values.
Respecting other cultures is something that students should learn as early as possible.
In the classroom, it is important that students of different origins recognize the similarities that exist between them.
When there are conflicts between students of different origins, they should be encouraged to resolve their arguments by finding common ground.

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
Students not being attentive
Teachers not meeting individual students’ needs
Teacher absenteeism
Staff resisting change
Teachers being too strict with students
Teachers not being well prepared for classes

As of February 1, 2018, 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

Please estimate the percentage of students in the 10th grade at 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

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 an Internet connection are available for teachers in your school?

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.)

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

Does your school host visiting teachers from other countries?

(Please select only one response.)

Yes

No

What is the average size of English/language arts classes in the 10th grade at 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

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
Book club
Debate club or debating activities
Art club or art activities
Sports teams or sports activities
Lectures and/or seminars (e.g., guest speakers such as writers or journalists)
Collaboration with local libraries
Collaboration with local newspapers

Does your school offer any of the following options to students in 10th grade whose heritage language is not English?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
These students attend regular classes and receive additional periods of instruction aimed at developing English/language arts skills (e.g., reading literacy, grammar, vocabulary, communication).
Before transferring to regular classes, these students attend a preparatory program aimed at developingEnglish/language arts skills (e.g., reading literacy, grammar, vocabulary, communication).
Before transferring to regular classes, these students receive some instruction in school subjects through their heritage language.
These students receive significant amounts of instruction in their heritage language aimed at developing proficiency in both languages.
Class size is reduced to cater to the special needs of these students.

In the last full academic year, what proportion of students in your school’s final grade left school without a diploma or alternative credential (e.g., a GED)?

(A diploma or alternative credential allows students to enter post-secondary destinations such as university, technical, further or vocational education, apprenticeships or employment.)

(Please move the slider to the appropriate percentage. Select “0” (zero) if no students left without such a certificate.)

During 2017-2018 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)

Does your school offer additional English/language arts lessons apart from English/language arts lessons offered during the usual school hours?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

What is the purpose of these additional English/language arts lessons?

(Please select only one response.)

Enrichment English only

Remedial English only

Both enrichment English and remedial English

Without differentiation depending on the prior achievement level of the students

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
Peer-to-peer tutoring

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