DENVER -- Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Commissioner of Education Katy Anthes urge all school-based educators and support staff to complete the statewide survey of teaching and learning conditions, which will be available Wednesday, Jan. 19, and will remain open for a month. Results from the Teaching and Learning Conditions Colorado Survey provide school, district and state policymakers with reliable data on teaching and learning conditions in public schools throughout the state. The results from the anonymous survey can give leaders information on areas that deserve attention in the school environment.

"The last few academic years have been particularly difficult for the people who work so hard for our schools and students," Gov. Polis said. "Our state is fortunate to have such incredible educators, but we know they can't continue their work without support. The quick and confidential TLCC survey will help us learn more about the challenges and opportunities taking place in classrooms. Feedback we receive from the survey will be used to make policy decisions at the state level and inform school improvement efforts. On behalf of all Coloradans, I sincerely thank all educators and school support staff for their service to our children and their families."

Commissioner Anthes called the survey one of the most powerful tools available to amplify educator voices.

"Educators and educational support staff are the ones working with our students each day and have invaluable insight when it comes to influencing student achievement, retaining educators and improving school climate," Anthes said. "Results of this survey are completely confidential and are critical to fully understanding educators' perceptions and experiences in Colorado classrooms."

For the first time, in addition to all school-based educators, education support professionals are eligible to participate in the survey as well, adding approximately 24,000 more eligible respondents. This group includes paraprofessionals who may not be licensed but provide direct instruction and support licensed staff.

To take the survey, individuals receive a personal online security code that allows them to anonymously provide their perceptions on the critical issues of time, facilities and resources, community engagement and support, student conduct management, teacher and school leadership, professional development, instructional practices and support, and resources for new teachers. This year questions about the health and well-being of educators and the perceived impact of the pandemic on students' social-emotional well-being have also been included. Even with these additional questions, the confidential survey can be completed in 15 minutes. The survey can be completed on all mobile devices.

The initial data release and state summary report will be available in April. The goal is for schools and districts to use the information to identify strengths and recognize areas in need of improvement. Each Colorado school and district receives their data for ongoing improvement planning if at least 50% of their staff participate and at least five responses are collected.

Results from the 2022 survey will show trend data with statewide comparisons back to 2015. The TLCC survey was last administered in January 2020, months before the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of the state's educators took the survey in 2020, giving administrators and policymakers an inside look at what educators think is working and what needs to change in their schools. Results from past surveys are available on the TLCC website: www.tlccsurvey.org.

About the TLCC survey

The TLCC survey was developed by the Colorado Department of Education, APA Consulting, University of Colorado - Denver, 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 will once again be administered through Cambridge Education.