TCLA's School Accountability Report Card Series: Reports
> Teaching Quality
Virtual School Report Card Santa Monica High
(SMMUSD)

Category: Teaching Quality

School Name: Santa Monica High School

Reported by: Moises Castillo, Cynthia Santiago, Anthony Simmons, Mayra Ramos, Felisa Castillo, George Acosta, Santa Monica High Students, & Santa Monica parents

Date: March 18, 2003

Teacher Interviews
Moises Castillo talks about two teachers who have been great resources and friends.

TCLA: You know you have a quality teacher when . . .

MC: They reach out to you and say that they are worried or concerned about your academic progress.

TCLA: Can you describe a teacher that has been the most inspirational, motivational, and/or helpful?

MC: I have had two. The teacher that has been the most inspirational has retired already and I couldn’t talk to him to interview him. That was Mr. Ernest Garcia. He not only helped me academically, but emotionally as well. He was someone that put out his time and gave me the extra push that told me that he cared. Mr. Garcia signed me up for the SAT and made me come to school on Saturdays to study. His words and his thoughts combined made me become a better person. He was an English teacher—mythology, short stories, and Greek life.

I chose to interview Mr. Hendrick who teaches Government and is also our leadership advisor. He is someone that although I haven’t known him for a long time, he has put himself out there for me to get to know him and I have responded the same way. That relationship has grown into a friendship into a much more respectful teacher-student connection. He puts his ideas out there and lets me develop them as opposed to other teachers that try to impose their views. Currently, he is changing my view on schools and politics. I have learned patience and understanding from him. He is a good source of information and knowledge.

TCLA: What did they do differently than other teachers?

MC: They listened and respected me as a students and person. Like in any relationship, if there is no respect it is not going to go anywhere. These two teachers put respect before anything else.

TCLA: How did they influence you as a student or as a learner?

MC: They encouraged me to succeed, but also pushed me to move on further in life and pursue higher education. They provided me with all sorts of ideas and made me think about what I wanted to do in 10 and 20 years and what roads I would take.

TCLA: How would you describe them in one word?
Teachers.

Moises talks to leadership advisor, Mr. Hendrick.

MC: What motivated you to go into teaching?

MH: I wanted a career where there would be life-long learning where I would grow and help others to grow as well.

MC: How long have you been teaching?

MH: I have been teaching for 12 years.

MC: What have you learned from teaching?

MH: I learn from students everyday. It is important to keep motivated so you can also motivate the students.

MC: Why did you choose to teach here?

MH: Santa Monica High School is in a great location and there is an environment of success and professionalism.

MC: What are methods that you use in teaching?

MH: I use a variety of methods that I use and combine so students can learn from different angles. I like involving students in debate, in question and answer sessions, games, competitions, and visual presentations as opposed to solely lecture.

MC: When students are having difficulties with a teacher, what steps can they take?

MH: Approach the teachers and be honest. Sometimes teachers don’t see or feel what students are going through and thinking. It is hard to solve anything when the teachers don’t know.

MC: What do you hope your students take with them after the year is over?

MH: The desire to question anything and everything. I want them to feel that they all can succeed.

MC: We know that the work of teachers can oftentimes be difficult or challenging—what conditions do you need to support your work as a teacher?

MH: A safe, clean, and professional environment. It is great to have nice facilities and we need materials, patience, time and trust available to all teachers.

Student Survey on Teachers

High School students developed many of these questions during a seminar at UCLA this past summer.

I consider my teachers highly qualified.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 2

3 = 8

 4 = 16

5 = 7

My teachers know the subject matter well.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 1

3 = 7

 4 = 16

5 = 9

My teachers believe that all students can learn.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 1

2 = 6

3 = 9

 4 = 11

5 = 6

My teachers want to teach at this school.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 2

3 = 13

4 = 9

5 = 9

My teachers are often available during their free time to provide students extra help.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 1

2 = 5

3 = 8

 4 = 15

5 = 5

My relationships with my teachers are based on respect.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 3

2 = 5

3 = 10

 4 = 10

5 = 5

My teachers value other students’ beliefs and ideas.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 1

2 = 4

3 = 12

 4 = 13

5 = 3

My teachers’ use creative methods to help me understand the lessons and materials.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 2

2 = 3

3 = 13

 4 = 11

5 = 4

Additional Comments:

"I have been extremely lucky with my teachers who are all smart and eager to teach."--12th grader

"Certain teachers are highly creative and more qualified than others. Even though I have a few teachers that would require a higher rating, the not-so-good ones bring everyone's scores down."--11th grader

Student Reports

Make up of a Quality Teacher by Mayra Ramos and Felisa Castillo
---------------------
Text extracted from PowerPoint presentation given in George Acosta's class. George Acosta, an English teacher at Santa Monica High School (Samohi), teaches Education and Power, a college course she offers to students through the UCLA Extension. In the course, students learn to analyze the extent to which California’s public school system provides the educational resources, facilities and opportunities outlined in A Student’s Bill of Rights.

Last semester, George’s students researched to what extent Samohi provides students access to high quality teachers and to adequate school facilities. They created PowerPoint presentations detailing questions, methods, findings and analysis of their research projects and presented their PowerPoints to students, faculty and staff in the Samohi community.

Table of Contents
• Problem Statement
• Research Questions
• Research Methods
• Findings
• Analysis and Implications

Problem Statement
• As students at Samohi, we have found that some teachers are ineffective because they don’t validate students’ opinions. Instead, they do what they believe is right without considering the perspectives of a diverse population of students.

• By the year 2010, the United States will need 2 million new teachers. This means that school districts will be competing for high quality teachers. Most likely, those districts that can offer good working conditions and higher salaries will have greater access to the most qualified teachers.

• As school districts continue to fill new teaching positions, it is important that school officials take into account not only teachers’ credentials, but also the qualities that students associate with good teaching.

Research Questions
• Are teachers at Samohi of high quality?
• Does a teaching credential alone make a high quality teacher?
• What are some main qualities students associate with high quality teachers?
• What can be done to improve the quality of teachers for all students?

Research Methods
• Surveys – 40 sophomores
• Educational Websites
• Anecdotes

Are teachers at Samohi of high quality?
• Most males and females were undecided
• Male: no-1
– yes-3
– undecided-8
• Female: no -3
– yes -6
– undecided-19

Do credentials automatically indicate that a teacher is of high quality?
• Most males and females answered no
• Male: no-9
– yes- 5
– undecided-2
• Female: no-16
– yes-5
– undecided-7

Quality Teachers and Subjects: According to students, what percentage of teachers in English, Math, Science and History are of high quality? Math 87.5% English 75% History 55% Science 32.5%

Top five qualities students associate with a high quality teachers.
According to students, these are the five most important qualities of a high quality teacher:
#1 Willing to spend time to make sure that every student learns the material.
#2 Willing to teach in different ways and acknowledge that students learn differently and have different talents.

#3 Caring.
#4 Adequately qualified through credentials and tests.
#5 Understanding of cultural differences.
#6 Passionate.

Top five qualities students associate with a high quality teachers.
Our Ideas -- Simulated classroom experiences, student-led workshops for teachers, pair teachers together to observe each other and discuss strengths and weaknesses in a non-threatening forum, increase teacher salaries, reduce class size.

• President Bush’s Ideas--Increase funding to improve school conditions, provide expanded student loan forgiveness for teachers.

Analysis and Implications
Many times students’ opinions are overlooked, even though is it their education that will suffer if they do not have quality teachers. Credentials are the school officials’ priority. However, to a student’s mind it is more important that teachers are more open listening to students and their concerns. If teachers are given more options to have non-threatening discussions about their strengths and weaknesses, their teaching will improve. Furthermore, knowing what is truly on students’ minds as told by students can help guide teachers to what will help students learn.

Parent Reports

Parents attending the Parent Leadership Institute
-----------------------------

This survey was created by parents attending the Parent Leadership Institute sponsored by UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access.

1. Is your child eager to go to school and learn?

Yes = 19 No = 9

2. Does your child express interest in what he or she is learning in school?

Yes = 21 No = 7

3. Is your child eager to got to school and learn?

Yes = 17 No = 11

4. Is your child's teacher available to meet with as needed to discuss your child's progress?

Yes = 15 No = 13

5. Does your child's teacher inform you when your child is experiencing difficulties in his or her work?

Yes = 9 No = 20

6. Does your child's teacher value the voices of all the students in the class?

Yes = 9 No = 16

7. Does your child's teacher understand and follow the state curriculum standards?

Yes = 12 No = 12

8. Does your child's teacher provide a safe and well-ordered learning environment?

Yes = 16 No = 9

9. Does your child's teacher motivate your child to do well in school?

Yes = 12 No = 14

The thing that pleases me most about my child's teacher is...
Lo que me agrada más del maestro/a de mi hijo/a...

  1. He/She helps my child.
  2. He/She lets me know when he is not doing so well in class.
  3. He/She tells me about the progress of my daughter.
  4. They communicate with the parents.
  5. The way he guides him and pushes him to study a lot in English.
  6. I hardly have communication with them.
  7. The geometry teachers is very skilled.
  8. He/She observed my son’s potential and provided positive feedback.
  9. She helped me solve problems with my daughter.

If I could change one thing about my child's teacher, it would be...
Si podría cambiar un aspecto del maestro de mi hijo/a, eso sería...

  1. More communication with my child, as well as support.
  2. That he/she initiates communication and gives my child support so she can do better and improve her grades.
  3. Increase motivation.
  4. That they would call me and get to know me.
  5. Increase communication.
  6. The way she motivates my son.
  7. For them to call me when my child is not doing well in class.
  8. To focus more on the students.
  9. To value my son as a person.
  10. To motivate them and support them so we can improve their grades and communication with the parents.
  11. I think that when students are not doing well, the teacher should offer the student options.
  12. To accept my daughter as a competent student like she deserves.
  13. For me to get more information on how my daughter is doing in her classes.
  14. Be open to all students and be ready to fight for individual students as well as a whole.
  15. Instruction methods.
  16. That they have patience with the kids and like the work that they are doing.
  17. That my teachers be caring and for them to do out of love of the community. For the teacher to believe in the students.
  18. The way they teach. Some of the teacher teach right out of the books and the kids don’t understand them sometimes.

Teacher Belief Survey

I believe that all students can learn, no matter their background or ethnicity.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 0

 4 = 1

5 = 15

I believe that a child's classroom experience is precious.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 0

 4 = 3

5 = 13

I believe that all teachers should show an interest in their students' lives.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 1

 4 = 2

5 = 13

I believe that teachers should challenge the students to challenge themselves.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 0

 4 = 3

5 = 13

I believe a teacher should ensure a safe environment for students.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 1

 4 = 1

5 = 14

I believe that the teacher should make each child feel valued.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 0

 4 = 2

5 = 14

I believe that teachers should communicate regularly with parents.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 7

 4 = 4

5 = 5

I believe that teachers should notify parents when a student's behavior or performance in class has changed.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 5

 4 = 3

5 = 8

I believe that parents generally care about their child's academic success.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 5

 4 = 3

5 = 8

I believe that parents are a child's first teacher and that it thus is my role to partner with the parents.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 1

3 = 1

 4 = 7

5 = 7

I believe that teachers should tell students that everyone makes mistakes -- even teachers.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 2

 4 = 2

5 = 13

I believe that it is my role to inspire my students to acquire knowledge.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 0

 4 = 3

5 = 14

I believe that it is my role to use different strategies to communicate the subject matter to my students.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 1

 4 = 1

5 = 15

I believe that teachers need ganas (desire) to teach our kids.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 0

 4 = 4

5 = 13

I believe that all students' cultural identities and values should be affirmed.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 1

 4 = 2

5 = 14

I believe that some children may require more focused support and attention and motivation and I am committed to providing this.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 2

 4 = 8

5 = 7

I believe every student brings a unique richness to the classroom setting.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 1

 4 = 3

5 = 13

I believe that the teacher should be like a second parent (a compadre).

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 2

3 = 6

 4 = 3

5 = 5

I believe that teachers need passion.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 1

 4 = 2

5 = 14

I believe that teachers should love their students.

No
Somewhat
Absolutely
1 = 0

2 = 0

3 = 5

 4 = 0

5 = 12

Click here to compare with Santa Monica High's official School Accountability Report Card.
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