User's Guide: Field 6
Selected SALT Survey Findings

What you are looking at
This chart shows two different kinds of SALT survey responses from 'core' teachers. (In secondary schools, 'core' teachers are those who teach math, science, language arts and social studies.) Using an "attitude scale," teachers report the extent to which they believe in certain broad, school reform directions, and these beliefs are graphically portrayed across the back wall of the chart. Those attitudes are compared with a "practice scale," which shows the extent to which teachers actually use certain practices associated with those beliefs in their classrooms. The three-dimensional bars in the chart's foreground indicate how frequently teachers report using said practices.

What you are looking for
You are first looking to see if teachers believe in the three core school reforms, literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, and standards-based instruction. Then, if teachers believe in them, you are looking for the extent to which teachers practice what they believe. Clearly, for all of the practices in the foreground to be at the "Daily" level would be inappropriate. Similarly, these practices should not be at the "Never" level either. For school improvement planning purposes, large gaps between belief and practice might indicate a need for professional development, stronger leadership or other forms of support. Large gaps between teacher beliefs and the school's stated goals (see the Web and/or school improvement plans), would certainly indicate structural barriers to school improvement. On the other hand, if the frequencies indicated in these responses already meet your and your school's approval, you will need to look elsewhere in the SALT data for information that would support your school's efforts to move students closer to the 100% proficiency goal.

No SALT survey standards
Unlike the assessments, the SALT survey data have no absolute standards nor will such standards ever be set. Taken as a whole, the survey data are designed to offer clues and guidance as to how student achievement might be improved.

Choosing indicators from among
the vast amount of SALT survey data
Isolating a relatively tiny sample of SALT data for a public report is not something these data were originally designed to do. On the contrary, the survey instruments were specifically intended to give schools a very comprehensive picture of how they function - their expectations, practices, climate, and more. Still, the statewide SALT data seemed to indicate that some of the state's major objectives -- literacy, numeracy and the move towards standards-based instruction -- are under-supported in practice at many schools. Much discussion went into identifying indicators for evaluating how well schools were structured to meet the state's goals. The chosen indicators are by no means definitive. Still, these responses illustrate aspects of a school's effectiveness in the selected areas.

Special to the district (student and parent responses)

What you are looking at
You are looking at student and parent responses to survey items designed to indicate how well the time spent out of school support students achievement. The student responses, by grade level, are represented by the three-dimensional bars in the foreground of the chart. The patterned bars along the back wall of the chart on the far right indicate the level of the parents' willingness to help their children with homework.

What you are looking for
You are hoping to see strong levels of student literacy independent of school assignments, very low levels of children left unsupervised for extended periods of time, and evidence that students are using out-of-school time to support their schoolwork by doing appropriate amounts of homework. Schools can not help students make large achievement gains by working in a vacuum, so you are looking to see if the larger community encourages the students with various kinds of good stewardship, such as independent literacy programs, after-school offerings and so on. Similarly, some schools more than others help the community and its parents by explaining clearly what supports would be helpful, such as how parents can help with homework.

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