Nearly every teacher in the U.S. now , and 73 percent of math, English, science, and social studies teachers in states that have adopted them say they are enthusiastic about their implementation, according to a new survey.
Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, joint sponsors of the study, have released only a preview of the findings from 鈥淧rimary Sources: America鈥檚 Teachers on Teaching in an Era of Change.鈥� The full report is based on a national online survey of 20,000 pre-K-12th grade public school teachers conducted in July. (91直播 receives support from the Gates Foundation for coverage of business and innovation topics.)
Some notable findings highlighted by the preview include:
鈥� 97 percent of all teachers and 100 percent of teachers in states implementing the common core are aware of the standards.
鈥� 57 percent of teachers in common-core states said the standards will be positive for students, 35 percent said they will make 鈥渘ot much of a difference for most students,鈥� and 8 percent said they will be negative for students.
鈥� 77 percent of math and/or English language arts teachers in common-core states said the standards will have a 鈥減ositive鈥� or 鈥渧ery positive鈥� impact on students鈥� critical thinking and reasoning skills. 12 percent said the impact would be 鈥渘either positive or negative,鈥� 10 percent 鈥渄on鈥檛 know enough to say,鈥� and 1 percent said the impact would be negative.
鈥� Half of math and English language arts teachers in common-core states said implementation 鈥渋s fully complete or mostly complete in at least one of these areas.鈥� Forty-two percent said implementation is 鈥渋n its early stages.鈥� Six percent said it has not yet begun.
鈥� In schools where implementation has begun, just 62 percent of core-subject teachers said it is 鈥済oing well.鈥�
鈥� While nearly three-quarters of core-subject teachers in common-core states say they鈥檙e enthusiastic about the standards鈥� implementation, elementary teachers are most likely to feel this way (81 percent) and high school teachers are least likely (57 percent).
鈥� 73 percent of math, English, science, and social studies teachers agree 鈥渟trongly鈥� or 鈥渟omewhat鈥� that implementation of the standards 鈥渋s or will be challenging.鈥� Seven percent 鈥渄on鈥檛 know enough to say.鈥�
鈥� Nearly three-quarters of teachers in common-core states say the new standards will require them to change their teaching practices. Eight percent were not sure and 18 percent said they would not require changes.
According to Anne Sparkman, spokesperson for Scholastic, the common-core-related data released in the preview 鈥渋s reflective of the attitude we are seeing in the full set of data of the representative sample of 20,000 teachers. On each point, we see an encouraging positive outlook but, as the preview pointed out, an awareness of the challenges and a need for resources.鈥�
The survey also asked teachers about their job satisfaction. According to the preview, 38 percent of teachers said they are 鈥渧ery satisfied鈥� and 51 percent said they are 鈥渟atisfied鈥� with their jobs. This is in line with the results from the most recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, which found that 39 percent of teachers were 鈥渧ery satisfied鈥� and 43 percent 鈥渟omewhat satisfied.鈥�
Sparkman said Scholastic and the Gates Foundation are aiming to publish the full report, which will include a more detailed analysis of the common-core findings, 鈥渂efore the end of the year.鈥�
(Primary Sources 2013: A project of Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)