Teacher Autonomy Declined Over Past Decade, New Data Shows
Not exactly breaking news: Teachers believe their classroom autonomy suffered during the No Child Left behind era. According to just-released federal data from theNational Center for Education Statistics (NCES), educators reported less classroom autonomy in school year 2011-12 compared to 2003-04. That teachers felt their independence wane during a decade marked by standardization and high-stakes testing won’t come as a surprise to most educators, but having real data (a nationally representative sample of more than 37,000 American public school elementary and secondary teachers) to support this widespread belief is nonetheless significant.
Studies have repeatedly shown that classroom autonomy is a major factor in determining level of job satisfaction, simply because, says Richard Ingersoll of the University of Pennsylvania, it speaks to whether educators are treated as professionals.
“The data consistently show us that a big issue is how much voice, how much say, do teachers have collectively in the school-wide decisions that affect their jobs?” Ingersoll explains. “Teachers are micromanaged. They have been saying for a long time that one size doesn’t fit all, all students are different. But they’re told to stick to the scripted curriculum, which might work for a weaker teacher but it drives good teachers nuts.”
The NCES took data from the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) from three school years (2003-4, 2007-08, and 2011-12) to compare responses to one central question: “How much actual control do you have in your classroom over specific areas of teaching and planning?” These specific areas include textbook selection, identifying contents and topics to be taught, selecting teaching techniques, evaluating and grading students, disciplinary measures, and the amount of homework assigned.
Generally, eighteen percent of teachers perceived “low” autonomy in the 2003-04 school year, right as NCB was being implemented. That number increased to 23 percent four years later and again to 26 percent in 2011-12. In all three years, a majority of educators reported “moderate” autonomy but at a slightly smaller percentage in 2011-12.
Across all three school years, no specific area was categorized as one in which teachers reported having a “great deal of control.” Teacher techniques, evaluating students, discipline and homework levels all were labeled as “moderate,” although Teacher Autonomy Declined Over Past Decade, New Data Shows - NEA Today: