Gallup didn't have to bid on this project, Starr just handed them the cash.
What is in the Gallup poll that cost $900,000? 19 questions. That's all.
Here are the 19 questions the Gallup poll asks staff, and the Gallup summary provided to the Board of Education.
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On a 5 point scale, where 5 means extremely satisfied and 1 means extremely dissatisfied, how satisfied with your organization as a place to work?
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| From 2012 Gallup Report on MCPS (Results for individual questions were not reported to BOE) |
- I know what is expected of me at work.
- I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
- At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
- In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
- My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
- There is someone at work who encourages my development.
- At work, my opinions seem to count.
- The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important.
- My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
- I have a best friend at work.
- In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
- This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.
And, the MCPS specific questions:
- I would recommend my school or worksite to friends and family as a good place to work.
- My supervisor involves me in decisions affecting my work.
- My supervisor fosters a collaborative work environment.
- My supervisor is an active supporter of the changes that affect our workgroup.
- There is open communication throughout all levels of MCPS.
- Leaders in MCPS help me see how changes made today will affect my organizations future.
Here are the 2012 Gallup survey results for the MCPS specific questions.
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| From 2012 Gallup Report on MCPS |
We aren't the only ones who think it was a waste, trust me, so do the teachers themselves! Being asked, among other things, "do you have a best friend at work". This is what Gallup claims about this question:
ReplyDeleteGallup discovered the power of this item in identifying talented workgroups -- that the strongest agreement occurred in the most productive workgroups. Because some employees had difficulty with the word "best," Gallup went back to those groups and softened the word to "close" or "good," or excluded the word "best" entirely. When this was done, however, the item lost its power to differentiate highly productive workgroups from mediocre workgroups. This suggested that the use of the word "best" actually pinpoints a dynamic of great workgroups.
I guess rather than be worried about whether the teachers are focused on the students, we should be more worried about whether or not after 10, 15, 20 years they have a "best friend" at work as that will make them more "engaged" team members. What a crock. How about we focus on teachers who are providing good teaching in the classrooms, get the administrators some actual training in leading adults, and the whole system could be overhauled so there is more communication internally and externally. Wait, we wouldn't want to do that - it makes sense.
If MCPS is trying to assess teachers' engagement with their particular school, then a more telling question would have been: "I plan to apply for a transfer for the next school year."
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, the questions in the post are not exclusive to MCPS. For $900,000 you didn't expect Gallup to fashion questions specifically for an educational institution, did you? No, those are the exact same questions asked at many different organizations, no matter whether they are businesses, schools, or offices. That is how your elected County Council officials decide to spend your money. That is why Standard & Poor just gave the county a 'AAA' rating. Because, as they stated in their report, Montgomery County can rely on its "unlimited taxing power" direct quote. yeah.
ReplyDeleteSo didn't Gallup predict a Romney win in 2012? Hmmmm.....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gallup.com/poll/158519/romney-obama-gallup-final-election-survey.aspx
Can't wait to see the new results for the latest Gallup Poll! What's going on in the schools is a disaster with the new 2.0.
ReplyDelete