The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is an organization that collaborates with state education agencies, school districts, and community-based organizations to build partnerships designed for exponential impact. The TNTP team designs and researches to answer the most pressing questions around the state of education today. The analysis of collected data uncovers insights for school leaders and delivers key takeaways in digestible, compelling, and action-oriented formats.

This spring, redefinED atlanta piloted an initiative using TNTP Instructional Culture Insight Surveys to better understand the climate of the newest schools in our portfolio. The following glows (strengths) and grows (opportunities) came out of the survey and reflect the voices of school staff and families from:

• Liberation Academy
• Miles Ahead Charter School
• PEACE Academy
• Sankofa Montessori
• The Anchor School

A total of 49 teachers and 260 families participated in this pilot. 

GLOWS

Teacher perceptions at redefinED atlanta’s portfolio schools fell above the national average in 11 out of 16 domains, with 4 domains falling above the national top-quartile of schools (Workload, Career Progression, Teacher Compensation, Hiring Process).

Teacher survey highlights:

• 89% of Teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Leaders at my school value all aspects of my identity (e.g., gender, race, culture, ability, sexual identity, learning differences).”

• 84% of Teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Families at my school regularly receive useful updates about their student’s progress.”

• 77% of Teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My school leaders articulate a clear, overarching vision that drives priorities, goals, and decision-making within the school.”

Family perceptions at redefinED atlanta’s portfolio schools fell above the national average in ALL 8 surveyed domains. The highest Family domain scores were for the Value of Feedback, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and School Leadership.

Family survey item-level highlights:

• 99% of Families agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My child’s school is welcoming to students and families of all identities.”

• 96% of Families agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I feel welcome at my child’s school.”

• 95% of Families agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “School leaders care about my child’s success.”

• 90% of Families agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Leaders at my child’s school value my feedback.”

• 90% of Families agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “There is someone at my child’s school with whom I feel comfortable sharing my concerns.”

• Only 6% of Families agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “If I could send my child to another school, I would.”

GROWS

Teacher perceptions at redefinED atlanta’s portfolio schools fell below the national average in only 5 out of 16 domains: Peer Culture, School Operations, Observation and Feedback, Academic Opportunity, and Instructional Planning for Student Growth.

Some of the lower teacher perceptions were about instructional leadership. These insights highlight an opportunity for redefinED to expand investments into mid-level talent pipelines, strengthening school leader development and teacher retention and promotion.

• 36% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “An instructional leader at my school or network regularly reviews student work from my classes.”

• 44% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “At my school, I have seen someone model lessons where students are doing the majority of the thinking.”

• 50% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I regularly discuss feedback about my teaching with an instructional leader at my school.” 

• 51% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Teachers at my school share a common vision of what effective teaching looks like.”

Family perceptions at redefinED atlanta’s portfolio schools were lowest in the Rigor in the Classroom and Trusting Relationships with Teachers domains. However, both scores were still well above the national average.

Some of the lower Family perceptions were in the following areas. As you can see, participating schools in our portfolio have opportunities to grow but already perform well compared to national benchmarks, especially for schools in their first year of operation.

• 72% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I receive enough communication from my child’s teachers about my child’s progress.” 

• 73% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “Non-academic services at my child’s school, such as buses and school meals, are well managed.” 

• 74% of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “My child’s school schedules events at times that are convenient.” 

• 75% of teachers strongly agreed with the statement, “My child completes writing assignments in multiple subjects (not just in Language Arts).”

   

The TNTP survey has provided valuable insights into the instructional and cultural landscape of the schools that are part of redefinED’s portfolio. The glowing feedback from both teachers and families underscores our schools’ commitment to inclusivity, clear vision, and engagement. While celebrating these strengths, the identified growth areas signal opportunities for further development, particularly in enhancing instructional leadership, fostering trusting relationships, and ensuring academic rigor.

Through continued collaboration and targeted investments, redefinED atlanta remains poised to support these schools in their growth, empowering them to thrive and deliver exceptional educational experiences for their students and families. We intend to scale the TNTP Instructional Culture Insight Surveys to our larger network of school partners in APS, Clayton County, and South Cobb. We will focus our coaching and technical assistance on analysis and growth in the noted areas.