Interview methods and applications

Administrator and Teacher Interview

I elected to interview a vice-principal, a fifth grade teacher, and a third grade teacher. I selected these interview subjects because vice-principals are often intimately involved in the day-to-day oversight of the school, and because of the increased focus on middle-school children in evaluations of school performance through standardized testing.

The questions I asked fell into two basic categories: that of questions specific to curriculum development and teacher performance, and more general questions about the overall performance of students at the school. The interviews were conducted in a fairly structured format, which enabled the comparison of the interview data sets.

One concern that occurred and reoccurred in the responses of the vice-principal was the need to improve student test scores to demonstrate to parents and to the state that the school was performing optimally. Although teachers acknowledged the need for standardized performance measures, they were more concerned about the actual content of the test, which they did not always believe reflected their students' abilities and unique talents. They also felt that small but subtle improvements amongst student populations were not adequately assessed by the test, particularly for students facing additional challenges, such as learning disabilities.

For teachers, the narrow way that they were evaluated was of greatest concern. They felt that they were often not given adequate flexibility to address student needs and to teacher. For administrators, the challenge of addressing a large, diverse student body within funding guidelines was paramount. The vice-principal also noted that certain types of teachers, such as math, science, and special needs educators were in short supply.

Both teachers and the vice-principal said that professional development was necessary. Teachers agreed that they could benefit from sharing different pedagogical approaches with one another more directly. The vice-principal echoed these comments. However, teachers also felt that although they were encouraged to get their MA or to pursue additional education, not enough support was offered for the time and money this would cost them.

Regarding plummeting math scores for third graders, teachers were inclined to identify a wide range of psychological issues. Even parents are more beholden to electronic devices that make counting change or doing simple math less necessary. A larger range of ESL students makes it particularly challenging to address abstract concepts in a manner that all students can understand. The vice-principal was more apt to target educational strategies that had not kept pace with new developments in the field and inadequate numbers of teachers in these subject areas.

Part Three