STaR Chart Evaluation

Educator preparation is Cy Fall High school’s greatest weakness according to the staff’s perception on the STaR Chart. While I agree that no matter what training is given, there is so much new technology out there that one can never feel completely prepared in all technologies. But, my analysis is that the area of infrastructure is Cy Falls’ greatest weakness. I believe we are advanced in every area, but infrastructure is hampering many of our technology implementations. This is most evident in the area of the one-to-one laptop initiative because there have been many issues which could have been avoided if the wireless connections that were supposed to be in place were in place. We were supposed to have wireless connections throughout our building before the beginning of this school year, however we have yet to get that strong a connection and the school year is almost half-way over. Connectivity is a critical element and should be remedied as soon as possible.
According to the statewide summaries of the STaR Chart, most teachers feel they are developing in teaching and learning and educator preparation, while they rank themselves as advanced regarding administration and support and infrastructure. These assessments coincide with what the staff members of Cy Falls high school stated. In my opinion, however, the STaR Chart may not be an accurate measurement of teachers’ perceptions and their perceptions may not be completely accurate. My reasoning for this judgment is based on my experiences with getting teachers to complete the STaR Chart for the last few years. It has been my job to post dates for submission, facilitate the submission process for my entire staff, and continually check to see who has submitted the charts. And, what I have realized is that many teachers do not read the chart descriptions, and will not take the time to really analyze what the survey is asking in each question. Many teachers just try to complete the chart as quickly as possible. I think this chart would be more accurate if it was not completed in the middle of the school year when teachers are inundated with teaching and filling out other forms, mentoring students, and inputting grades, etc.