What is
“TELL HCPS” ?
TELL HCPS is an anonymous survey
of instructional and professional staff
(including principals) in HCPS that will
assess teaching conditions at the
school and district level.
Much like SCIP surveys you have
completed in the past, this survey is a
valuable feedback tool. The district is
committed to ensuring that every
educator has the supportive
environment necessary to succeed.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
What is the purpose of the 2013 TELL HCPS Survey?
The 2013 TELL HCPS Survey is an opportunity for all instructional and
professional staff (including principals) to provide input on teaching and
learning conditions such as:
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Time during the day for collaborative instructional planning
School and teacher leadership
Facilities and resources
Professional development
And other supports needed for educators to do their jobs well.
This survey will replace the SCIP survey this year. Survey data will be used
for school improvement and planning efforts.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Why are we doing the TELL HCPS Survey?
Through our work with the New Teacher Center (NTC) and its USDOE
SEED Grant, the district has agreed to collect data using the TELL
HCPS survey for the next 3 years.
Rather than ask our instructional and professional staff to complete another
survey during the year, the TELL HCPS survey will replace the SCIP
survey as the primary climate and feedback tool for this group.
Parents, students, and support staff will continue to complete the SCIP
survey during this period.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Why are teaching conditions important?
Teaching conditions matter:
•  For students (achievement) because they can result in school and
district improvements
•  For teachers (retention) because positive conditions can increase
morale and job satisfaction
•  Not everyone sees teaching conditions the same way, but it is
important to gather feedback when trying to change the status quo.
This work, including the TELL HCPS survey, is research driven and is
now part of national education reform initiatives.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Who are the partners supporting TELL HCPS?
District leaders have been working with:
CTA,
HASA, and
the New Teacher Center
to plan and prepare for the TELL HCPS survey.
This survey represents a joint effort to gain input from
instructional and professional staff throughout the district.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
What are the basics of the survey?
§  The survey is an anonymous, online survey of all school-based
instructional and professional staff in HCPS.
§  The survey will be live from January 28-February 22, 2013.
§  The survey can be completed from any computer with Internet
access, using an individual, anonymous access code.
§  Only schools with adequate response rates will have their school
data reported. This will protect anonymity of respondents for schools
with fewer than 5 respondents or less than 50% participation.
§  Results will be available in a secure format after the survey ends and
analysis is complete.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Who should participate in the TELL HCPS survey?
§  This survey is intended for:
§  Instructional and Professional personnel (classroom teachers,
specialists, Department Heads/SALs, counselors, coaches,
resource teachers, psychologists, social workers, nurses,
assistant principals, and principals)
§  The following groups should not participate in TELL HCPS:
§  Clerical or support personnel (secretaries, bookkeepers, custodial
and lunchroom staff)
§  Paraprofessionals
§  Aides
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Will there still be a SCIP survey?
§  To minimize the time required to participate in surveys, Instructional
and Professional Staff will only participate in the TELL HCPS survey.
§  The School Climate and Perception Survey (SCIP) will continue to be
administered to:
§  Parents (paper forms in English and Spanish)
§  Support Staff (paper forms in English and Spanish)
§  Students (online survey in English)
§  Information about SCIP will be sent to sites separate from the TELL
HCPS survey materials.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
How do we know when a school reaches the minimum 50%
response rate needed for school-level data?
While the survey is open, you can click on www.tellHCPS.org to view the
real-time response rate at any school.
How long does it take to complete the survey?
TELL HCPS takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
You must complete it in one session, and be sure to click “submit” when
you are finished.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
How can I access the survey?
Once you receive your
anonymous access code, visit
www.tellHCPS.org
ü  24 hours/day
ü  Use any computer with Internet
access
ü  View the survey questions and realtime response rates
ü  Read about the research
ü  Take the survey!
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
How will teachers and administrators receive their
anonymous access codes?
Your HCTA Building
Representative, or a
designee, will receive a
packet of letters and codes
during the week of January
22, 2013.
Instructions for the survey
and a letter for each
participant will be included
in the letter with your code.
Your individual,
anonymous
access code!
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Instruction
Letter
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Why is it important to complete the TELL HCPS Survey?
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A growing body of research shows the importance of positive teaching
conditions to student learning and teacher retention. (
http://www.newteachercenter.org/tlcsurvey/index.php#tlc)
HCPS District Leaders want to hear from every teacher and
administrator in order to make informed decisions about facilities and
resources, professional development, time for collaboration, and ways
for improving instruction.
TELL HCPS will provide that data and much more.
Your voice will help determine what decisions are made not only at your
school, but also in the district.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Do administrators take the same survey as teachers?
While administrators will use the same website (www.tellHCPS.org) to access the survey,
they will respond to somewhat different questions.
Administrators should also receive a letter with an anonymous access code when these are
distributed at the school so that they can participate. At the very beginning of the survey,
participants will be asked to indicate his/her school position.
When the principal selects “Administrator” he/she will then receive some of the same
questions as teachers, but there will also be questions specifically designed for
administrators.
These additional questions are intended for administrators only and will help assess district
level supports needed to do their jobs well.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
How are the administrator results reported?
To ensure anonymity of all respondents, all responses for administrators
are reported at the district level only.
Can you ensure that this is anonymous?
§ 
The survey is about the school environment - not about any one person or
individual.
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There are NO questions asked that refer to an individual educator or
administrator rather, questions refer to “leadership” at the school.
§ 
There are no questions on the survey that specifically ask about subject areas or
grade levels.
§ 
Given these measures and the access codes used, we can assure participants
that the survey is anonymous.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
What if I’m the only new teacher? Or the only ELL teacher?
How will my response really be anonymous?
There is a minimum requirement that at least 5 respondents are received for
any school data to be reported. Also, at least 50% of the staff must participate
for the school data to be reported.
So, unless there are at least 5 teachers within any given category, no data will
appear on the school report for the “New Teacher Section.”
Additionally, individuals have added security knowing that:
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It is not possible to view data by role, years of experience, or any other demographic
information at the school or district level.
Demographic data will only be reported at the district level.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Can you ensure that this is anonymous? (cont.)
§  When the school reports are compiled, for schools that reach at
least a 50% response rate with a minimum of 5 teachers
participating, there will be no indication or groupings by type of
teacher, role, or other identifiable category.
§  While there are some demographic questions on the survey, the
answers to these questions are only reported at the district level,
and not at the school level.
§  There is no way to determine which teacher or principal provided a
certain response once the data are reported.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
When will the results be ready? How can they be viewed?
All data will be available on the www.tellHCPS.org website in a secure
format after the survey ends and analysis is complete.
•  Results will be passcode protected
•  Results show answers to every question by school* and district
•  Results can be downloaded in an Excel format
There will be Guides posted on www.tellHCPS.org that will describe how
schools can use the data for school improvement planning.
District results will be linked to student achievement and teacher retention
and will be analyzed and reported by NTC in Fall 2013.
*Results for schools reaching the minimum threshold for response.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
What can I see if I visit www.tellHCPS.org ?
ü  Entry to the survey via individualized, anonymous 6 digit access
code through letters to schools;
ü  Real time response rates per school and district during the
administration window;
ü  Help Desk via web, email and phone throughout survey;
ü  News Items; and
ü  Results once they are available.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Who is administering this survey?
HCPS has contracted with the New Teacher Center (NTC) to administer the TELL
HCPS survey.
NTC is a national organization dedicated to supporting the development of a
high-quality teaching force. NTC has conducted similar surveys in several states
and districts throughout the nation. Since 2008, the NTC has collected almost
one million surveys in 20 states, providing critical information to the faculty in
more than 19,000 schools about issues such as planning time, facilities and
resources, professional development, school and teacher leadership and other
aspects of the school environment that can influence teacher effectiveness.
NTC provides induction and professional development for teachers and principals
across the country.
Learn more at: http://www.newteachercenter.org/tlcsurvey/index.php
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.
Where can I get help with the survey?
If any questions or concerns arise about the TELL HCPS survey, you have
several options:
1.  During the survey window, contact the NTC Help Desk by calling
1-855-258-2818 or emailing [email protected], or send an Instant
message to the Help Desk.
2.  Ask your CTA Building Representative for help.
3.  Contact the HCPS Assessment Office for clarification on dates,
procedures, materials, etc. by calling 813-272-4341.
Copyright © 2011 New Teacher Center. All Rights Reserved.