To: Michael Green
From: Asha Riley
Date: October 6, 2023
Re: Teaching and Learning Report
CKLA Teacher Survey
This fall, we sent out a survey to all K-4 teachers to gather feedback on how the implementation of CKLA is going. We know from experience that no curriculum is perfect or can do all the things our teachers need from a resource. Usually, in the first two years of a new adoption, there are kinks to work out. With the data from this survey, we will be developing a plan to address areas that need improvement. Below is a summary of the survey results as well as the actual survey data.
Typically we expect lesson planning to take a bit longer as teachers get accustomed to the new layout and design of the materials. Often additional training and support are needed in year two. Therefore, I was surprised to find that 90% of teachers reported they either agree or strongly agree with the statement that they are able to plan lessons with the materials in a reasonable amount of time.
We also predicted the content would be challenging for kids in the first two years of implementation. This is usually because students in upper grades have not experienced the ladder of support a curriculum intentionally builds across the grades. For instance, a third-grade student did not have the experience of learning the previous year's content and skills offered by the curriculum in second grade. We also understood from our adoption process that CKLA is known for being rigorous and, therefore, a resource that increases student achievement because of the high expectations for student learning. The challenge for teachers, of course, is then ensuring kids are accessing the content and able to engage. If it’s too hard or uninteresting the students typically won't engage in the materials. I was again surprised to learn that 90% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that the materials were engaging. In addition, 81% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed the materials and content were accessible to their students.
Teacher comments about the resource have been positive so far, they have also expressed a need for additional time to continue to dive into the materials and become better versed in them.
Survey Results:
CKLA Parent Survey
As you are aware, we have had some parents share concerns with CKLA, so I have been working to understand those concerns and address them. Most concerns have been related to a few stories in the texts. We’ve been working with teams to find optional replacement texts.
One parent recently shared their concern the take-home materials are not engaging, and I am taking that into consideration as well. For a long time, our practice has been to only use black and white print for take-home materials to save on costs. However, if we have enough funds in the future it might be something we can revisit.
Director Stuart and Wray have encouraged us to find additional opportunities for parent feedback. With that in mind, the K-4 leadership team is working on a survey all parents can access to provide us feedback on CKLA. We plan to offer this survey during conference week to ensure every family is given the opportunity to complete it and offer their input.
Once the data is complete we’ll pull together a committee of parents and staff to review the results and other feedback (including emails and concerns from last year) and make recommendations on how to move forward if specific areas of concern need to be addressed further.
New Hire Staff Surveys:
Each year I meet with each new hire to ensure their onboarding and first few weeks of school have been successful and well supported. I am nearly done with most of these interviews and will have an update with data in my next report. I am pleased that so far, newly hired staff feel well supported and welcomed by their colleagues and administrators. This type of feedback is why our staff retention rates are strong.