"This teaching and learning conditions survey is an excellent tool to gauge what educators think is really needed in our public schools. The data collected highlights the key areas that are essential in making real improvement in our schools. The Survey's focus on time, decision-making, facilities & resources, leadership, induction & mentoring and professional development ensures that our teachers are prepared to help students become globally competitive in the 21st century." - Jo Anderson, Executive Director, Illinois Education Association

Results

Nearly 3,000 educators in participating school districts across the state completed the Illinois Teaching, Leading and Learning (TeLL) survey. For those districts opting to participate, the data provide critical information for making local and state level decisions to improve Illinois schools. Data reports are only released at the school level if a minimum of 40 percent and at least 5 of the school faculty responded to the survey. Schools and districts with a sufficient response rate received a password to access their data for their own school improvement planning.

Click here to access school level results if you received your password.

The Illinois TeLLS final report documents important findings about the teaching conditions across participating districts. Teaching conditions are an important influence on future employment plans and educators in different locales view these conditions differently. A research brief specifically on induction demonstrates that many novice educators in Illinois are not receiving critical support to enhance their teaching and keep them working in Illinois schools. Click here to view a presentation of analyses and recommendations from the final report.

"Teachers today know they have many more options. Often, they've chosen teaching because it means more [to them] and they want to work with young people. If conditions preclude their success in these classrooms, they're much more likely to leave than their predecessors." - Susan Moore Johnson, Professor of Education, Harvard University

Using the Data

The success of the TeLL initiative depends on the extent to which school communities can use the resulting data to inform real school improvement processes. Toward that end, the New Teacher Center created a resources page to help schools and communities engage in ongoing and meaningful conversations about strategies to improve teaching and learning conditions.

"We will never significantly improve student learning without providing teachers with the necessities of materials, technology, class size, professional development, collegiality and effective leadersip." - Alida Graham, President, Decatur Education Association

Partners

A collection of stakeholder groups representing teachers, superintendents, communities and business groups (listed on left side of this page), worked collectively with the New Teacher Center (NTC) to conduct the survey. NTC is a nonpartisan organization with a mission to support the development of an effective, dedicated and inspired teaching force. NTC also has extensive experience conducting similar surveys across the country.