Background

This document presents the results of GAO’s Web-based State Surveys on Efforts to Coordinate Teacher Quality Initiatives. We administered two identical Web-based surveys-one that was sent to state education agency (SEA) officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; and a second to state agency for higher education (SAHE) officials in 48 states and the District of Columbia. We did not send a SAHE survey to New York or Michigan because (1) in New York the executive official of higher education is also responsible for directing kindergarten through twelfth grade education, and (2) in Michigan there is no state agency or officer with governance authority over higher education. We received 48 completed SEA surveys for a response rate of 94 percent and 47 completed SAHE surveys for a response rate of 96 percent.

The surveys were designed to understand the challenges facing state agencies’ in their efforts to collaborate within their states on efforts to improve teacher quality. The questions in our surveys were posed to obtain information on: 1) state agency initiatives across a wide range of teacher quality areas; (2) state agencies’ collaborative activities within their state; (3) the role of a state coordinating body (where applicable) in teacher quality initiatives; and (4) the usefulness of federal grant funds and technical and other assistance provided by Education.

A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology is contained in our report, Teacher Quality: Sustained Coordination among Key Federal Education Programs Could Enhance State Efforts to Improve Teacher Quality GAO-09-593 (Washington, D.C.: July 6, 2009). We administered these surveys from August 2008 to November 2008, and conducted all work in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.

Instructions for Viewing these Surveys

How to View The Surveys

• We present the results of two surveys concerning State efforts to coordinate teacher quality initiatives.
• Click on the "Selecting a Survey to View Survey Results" link located in the lower right of this screen to make your selection. To read to the bottom of the screen, you may need to use your scroll bar on the right side of this screen.
• Once you have selected a survey, the next set of screens in each of the surveys is an introduction and general information that was sent to and viewed by recipients of the survey. There are no survey results to view on this screen. This screen is for information only and you may by-pass it by clicking on Next located at the bottom of the screen in the lower right.
• The survey may have links to allow respondents to bypass inapplicable questions (skip patterns). While these were active links during the data collection period, they have now been disabled.

How to View the Responses for Each Question

• To view the responses to each question, click on the question number (Links to survey questions will look like this: 1., etc.).
• After viewing the responses to each question, click on the "x" in the upper right corner of your screen to close that window and return to the questionnaire.

How to Return to a Page That You Previously Visited

• To return to the last screen you viewed, click the Previous button on the lower right corner of the screen.
• Click the Next button to advance to the next screen.

How to Make the Font Larger on Your Screen

• You can make the font larger by changing your browser setting. For example, on Internet Explorer you can change the font size by going to View and selecting Text Size.

Contact Information?

• If you have questions concerning these data, please contact Cornelia Ashby at (202)202-512-8403 or Ashbyc@gao.gov.