Teaching Diverse Learners, The MetLife Teacher Survey

This yearly survey had a section devoted to teaching diverse learners in their preparation for college.

MetLife Survey of the American Teacher [MetLife website] The 30 page pdf of Part 2, Teaching Diverse Learners can be found here. It is estimated that at least 35% of international adoptees will have a special need. This has a link to English proficiency and learning disabilities which this survey covers. The summary is as follows: “Part 2 of the survey examines views among middle and high school teachers, students, parents and business executives from Fortune 1000 companies on what it takes to graduate each and every student from high school ready for college and a career, and the implications for teaching diverse learners –students whose low income status, limited English fluency, or learning disabilities make learning more difficult. The survey also explores both teacher and student perceptions of differentiated instruction efforts and teacher attention to individual students, and compares opinions regarding school and teacher quality.–students whose low income status, limited English fluency, or learning disabilities make learning more difficult.

The survey also explores both teacher and student perceptions of differentiated instruction efforts and teacher attention to individual students, and compares opinions regarding school and teacher quality. Among the major findings are: Addressing Needs of Diverse Learners is a High Priority – for Some Nine in ten teachers (91%) say that strengthening programs and resources to help diverse learners with the highest needs meet college- and career-ready standards should be a priority in education, including 59% who say this must be done as one of the highest priorities. Fewer Fortune 1000 executives see this as a highest priority than do teachers, with 31% of executives identifying strengthening programs and resources to help diverse learners as one of the highest priorities in education. Parents share a view similar to that of teachers; 57% say that strengthening programs and resources to help diverse learners must be done as one of the highest priorities in education.

Teacher Attention Makes a Difference to Students, But Not Enough Six in ten teachers (61%) say they are able to differentiate instruction a great deal to address the different learning needs of students within a class. Math teachers are the least likely to say they can differentiate instruction a great deal (46% vs. 60% of English teachers and 65% of teachers of other subjects). On average, students give their teachers a grade of B- for teaching individual students according to their different needs and abilities. High-need students grade their teachers lower in this area. Students who have considered dropping out of school are four times as likely as other students to give their teachers a grade of D or F (45% vs. 11%).

Opinions of School Quality and How to Assess Teacher Effectiveness Differ Significantly Only one-quarter of students (26%) rate the overall quality of the education that they receive at school as excellent. Students who plan on getting at least a bachelor’s degree are more likely than those planning for a technical, trade or two-year postsecondary education or those not planning for any education beyond high school to rate their school’s education quality as excellent (29% vs. 19% vs. 13%). A plurality of students (57%) rates the overall quality of the education that they receive at school as good. Low-income students are more likely than others to rate the overall quality of education at their school as fair or poor (22% vs. 14%), as are learning-challenged students (24% vs. 16%). There is a significant split among adult stakeholders as to whether using measurements of teacher effectiveness that are based in significant part on student achievement growth should be a priority. More than nine in ten parents (92%) and Fortune 1000 executives (97%) believe such measurements should be a higher- or lower-level priority. In contrast, 69% of teachers say that this is a priority.

Teachers in Schools with Many High-Need Students Place Higher Value on Reforms and Resources Teachers in schools with high proportions of low-income students are more likely than those with few low-income students to consider reform efforts to improve teacher quality to be a top priority. Teachers in schools with mostly low-income students (two-thirds or more) are more likely than those with few low-income students (one-third or fewer) to say that the following reform efforts must be done as one of the highest priorities in education: using measurements of teacher effectiveness that are based in significant part on student growth (35% vs. 19%); and giving schools more ability to remove teachers who are not serving students well (49% vs. 38%). Teachers in schools with many high-need students value a range of resources to address the different learning needs of individual students. Teachers with two-thirds or more low-income students are more likely than those with one-third or fewer low-income students to say the following resources would have a major impact on their ability to address these needs: access to online and other technology-based resources to help personalize education (72% vs. 59%); better tools for understanding students’ learning strengths and needs (70% vs. 56%);instructional strategies to teach effectively in a classroom where many students speak a language other than English (69% vs. 58%); and the availability of a learning expert (57% vs.42%).

Diverse Learners Differ on College Aspirations Learning-challenged students are less likely than others to say it is very likely they will go to college (62% vs. 78%); and are less likely to be very confident that they will achieve their goals for the future (30% vs. 50%). Low-income students are three times as likely to say their highest level of education will be no more than a high school diploma (19% vs. 4%) and are less likely to be very confident they will achieve their goals for the future (39% vs. 50%). A gender gap on college aspiration emerges in high school. While girls and boys in middle school do not differ in their aspirations for college, high school girls are more likely than boys to say it is very likely they will go to college (83% vs. 71%) and to say that they plan on getting a bachelor’s or higher degree (83% vs. 72%).”

REFORM Puzzle Piece