Today, the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University launched the 2021 Tennessee Educator Survey across the state.
All educators, administrators, and certified school staff in Tennessee are invited to take the survey and share their perspectives and expertise on education issues affecting their classrooms and schools, and regarding the unique circumstances presented by COVID-19, to inform strategies and goals at the state, district, and local school levels. Last year, over 37,000 Tennessee educators (51 percent) completed the survey in the midst of the COVID-19 school closures.
All educators will receive an email with a personalized survey invitation link this week. The survey is voluntary and confidential and is open from March 10- April 23. Additionally, schools have an opportunity to receive a grant for high participation rates. To learn more about this year’s survey, click here.
“Each year, the Tennessee Educator Survey gives every educator in the state an opportunity to share their experiences and provide input for the department to consider in our work,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “I encourage Tennessee teachers to complete the survey so we can continue to identify, hone and refine the supports and resources that teachers need to provide the best education possible for all students in the state.”
In its 10th year of existence, the survey measures key topics that district and school leaders monitor year after year, including school climate, educator evaluations, instructional practice, professional learning, and specific state initiatives. There are also specific questions around the challenges educators have faced during the pandemic.
This summer, schools and districts with at least a 45 percent participation rate will receive aggregate results, which will be made publicly available here. To encourage strong participation, schools meeting the threshold of 65 percent participation and above will be entered into a lottery to receive staff appreciation grants of up to $5,500. Additionally, schools that did not reach the 45 percent threshold in 2020 but do so this year become eligible for a school-wide Newcomer Award of $2,500.
"The Educator Survey is a longstanding, critical tool to ensure that teacher and leader voice is reflected in the work researchers do here at Vanderbilt,” said Erin O’Hara, executive director of the Tennessee Education Research Alliance. “Together with our state partners, the survey helps us learn more about what policies are working and what improvements could be made in Tennessee’s education system.”
For more information about the Tennessee Educator Survey, click here.