News Release - Statewide survey results show most educators agree their schools are a good place to work overall

May 11, 2022

Statewide survey results show most educators agree their schools are a good place to work overall

Time and professional development remain challenges

DENVER -- Eight out of 10 Colorado educators agreed that, overall, their school is a good place to work and for students to learn, according to the results of the biennial Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado survey released today.

This winter’s administration of the biennial TLCC survey was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic. The anonymous survey that provides administrators and policymakers an inside look at what educators think is working and what needs to change in their schools was completed by more than half of the state’s educators, including teachers, special service providers, educational support professionals and school leaders.

“Thank you to every educator, school staff member, support professional and school leader who took the time to complete the TLCC survey this year,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes. “We know that it is another task among all the other hard work you do, but results are vital to finding ways our school-, district - and state-level education systems can continue improving and supporting you and your students.”

Some highlights from the survey include:

• 74.4% agreed (50.8%) or strongly agreed (23.6%) that they would have access to the support they need if they were concerned about their mental health.

• Most respondents expressed concern over the impact social isolation has had on their students.

• Almost every school staff respondent agreed (22.9%) or strongly agreed (75.8%) that they valued being a trusted adult for students in their school and felt adequately prepared to support their students' social-emotional well-being.

• Respondents expressed their concerns over increases in learning gaps, insufficient support at home and decreases in student emotional well-being.

• Nine out of 10 school staff (92%) consistently agreed that their school is a safe place to work.

• 81.3% were comfortable working in their school given the safety and health protocols currently in place

Challenges indicated in the survey

Lack of time remains the biggest challenge for educators, with 40.9% saying they do not have adequate time to prepare for their primary duties. Nearly half (49.6%) of respondents also reported they were not given enough time to determine the effectiveness of new initiatives such as curriculum, assessments and instructional approaches. Time is also a challenge for the 52% teachers who said they do not have enough time to analyze and respond to student assessment data.

Satisfaction with professional development opportunities remains the second lowest rated surveyed topic, with satisfaction decreasing from 68.4% in 2020 to 66.3% in 2022. Nearly 45% of respondents perceived the effectiveness of professional development might not be assessed regularly or should have been assessed more regularly. Areas of professional development that are considered the most beneficial are  supporting students experiencing trauma, learning more about social-emotional needs of all students and teacher’s content areas.

About the TLCC survey

The TLCC survey was developed by CDE, APA Consulting, districts and partner organizations, including the Colorado Association of School Boards, Colorado Association of School Executives, Colorado Education Association, Colorado Education Initiative, Colorado League of Charter Schools and the Colorado Rural Alliance.

The survey was administered through Cambridge Education and provides feedback from educators on such indicators as school and teacher leadership, instructional practices and support, professional development, facilities and resources, managing student conduct, time for collaborative instructional planning, facilities and resources, community support, and involvement and other supports.

New for 2022, questions were asked about student and staff well-being, school supports, pandemic impacts, and for education support professionals, job satisfaction and roles and responsibilities.

The 2022 administration was the third time the TLCC survey was given following the revamp of the TELL Colorado survey. Results from the 2022 survey, as well as all past iterations, are on the TLCC website: www.tlccsurvey.org.