By Reino Makkonen, Senior Policy Associate at WestEd

Dear California teachers and principals:

If you received an email invitation in late October asking you to respond to a survey about your experience implementing California’s new English language arts and math standards, this is a gentle reminder to please fill it out by December 1.

We work with teachers and principals all the time, so we appreciate that you are some of the busiest people on the planet. Given all of the duties you have on your plate this time of year, answering a survey from the state is probably not high on your to-do list.

But your feedback really can make a difference in the level and quality of support you receive in the coming years. The state and other groups involved in this effort want to know what has helped you implement the standards in your classrooms and schools, and what additional assistance you need. Your responses can help shape policy for the future.

You will receive $20 in Amazon gift cards as a thank you for completing the survey.

In case you have questions, here’s a quick little FAQ:

Q: Who is being surveyed?
A: Separate online surveys went out to three groups of educators in late October — all principals and superintendents across the state, and to a representative sample of 7,000 California teachers.

Q: So I can look it up in my Inbox, who was the sender and what was the subject line of the initial survey email in late October?
A: The survey email is from the “California Standards Implementation Survey” and the subject line is “Your input requested about the implementation of new standards.” (Since then you have likely also received one or two reminder emails as well.)

Q: How long will it take me to fill out the survey?
A: It’s an adaptive online survey, so it could take you anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending upon your answers.

Q: Who is going to actually act on the results of the survey?
A: WestEd will analyze the survey data and disseminate the results to a broad array of groups across California in early 2016, to help them better understand the current status of standards implementation and make informed decisions. Ultimately, the California State Board of Education will use the results to consider policy guidance to more effectively support teachers and principals around the new standards.

Q: I hear that the surveys are over 10 pages long. Are they really?
A: No, because the surveys are adaptive, you will be presented with a subset of questions, depending on your answers.

Q: Why is WestEd publishing this message to teachers and principals on your News & Events blog?
A: Because we work with teachers and principals a lot, and because we’ve been helping the California State Board and California Department of Education coordinate the survey administration, we wanted to make sure you understood how helpful this survey could be for your future work.

Q: Whom can I contact if I have any questions about this?
A: You can email me at CaliforniaStandardsImplementation@wested.org, and I will make sure your questions get addressed.

Now, go check your inbox from late October and fill out that survey!

Thanks!

Reino Makkonen
WestEd