Teacher Effectiveness Focus Groups

Observations - things you heard from participants, read (such as on feedback forms, comments, or other sources outside the focus group), or saw in the way people responded. For example, an observation might be that teachers, parents, and external partners did not know what Budgeting for Student Achievement was and how it might impact them; only principals and directors knew that district-wide implementation of Budgeting for Student Achievement has been delayed by the state’s fiscal situation.

Stories - specific quotes or snippets that illustrate someone’s authentic experience in the district. A story then might be that one participant noted that LAUSD couldn’t do it under LAMP and LEARN, saying, “I would really like to see this happen, but my more inexperienced colleagues are afraid it will be too much work and they are just overwhelmed.”

Themes - something for which you have multiple observations. They aggregate the observations and stories and demonstrate where there is commonality. Themes might be that directors and principals say their colleagues’ responses ranged from relief to disappointment to skepticism about the district’s capacity to implement this reform.

Opportunities for action - start with a “what if” — “What if we put out a clear timeline for implementation and set dates by which each category of school needed to phase in?”