Tips and Hints for Taking the SEC (Administrators)

Oregon SEC Collaborative

Having agreed to take the survey you understand the commitment that is necessary to provide an accurate picture of instruction in your school/district. This document is based on the experiences of individuals who have administered the survey and is designed to provide you with the information they “wished they had known” when they began the process.

Note: Taking a complete survey yourself will provide you with a better understanding of the survey process and make you more familiar with what teachers are committing to.

  • Be sure your computers meet the system requirements necessary for teachers to complete the survey. To check the system requirements go to:
  • If surveys will be taken on Macintosh computers, do not use Internet Explorer. Use another web browser such as Mozilla or Firefox.
  • When registering your district to participate in SEC, let SEC Project Staff know ahead of time the dates your district will be taking the survey. This will help ensure website availability.
  • To view contour maps, you will need to download Macromedia Flashplayer 7 if it is not already installed on your computers.
  • Help teachers remember their usernames and passwords. Provide them with an “SEC Binder” that has a spot to write this information in it, or have them write their usernames and passwords on a piece of paper, put it in a sealed envelope, and give to a designated district staff person for safekeeping.
  • Suggestions for getting teacher buy-in:
  • Provide a clear plan and purpose to teachers for the district’s use of SEC. Why are you asking teachers to take the surveys? What is the timeline? How will they use the data? What’s in it for them?
  • Give teachers time to take the survey and analyze the data. Plan in-services on the calendar year specifically for this purpose.
  • Let teachers know who the lead person is in your district for the SEC process. Who can they contact if they have questions, comments, or suggestions?
  • Give teachers plenty of notice that your district will begin the SEC process.
  • Provide proper training on understanding the vocabulary and rubrics used in the surveys.
  • Enable teachers to look at their data immediately – even as soon as the day the surveys are taken.

The Oregon SEC Collaborative is a partnership between the OAESD Instructional Leadership Council and the Oregon Department of Education

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SEC 201(Updated 12.14.06)