Wise Solutions.

Staff Evaluation

Staff wellbeing is a vital component of a happy, healthy school environment. 

Wise Solutions now offers a formal means of assessing sources of staff stress, staff wellbeing, staff levels of stress and staff levels of distress. The Staff Evaluation Package (SEP) and Individual Package (IP) both provide an opportunity to examine staff: Note: All reports take 10 working days

Sources of work stress

1. Work related and personal stress levels;
2. Psychological approaches to life and work and
3. Ongoing levels of distress and wellbeing.

Staff can be assessed individually or as a group.  Assessments are always confidential; anonymity can be assured if required. Please click on the topic buttons below to go to the relevant section of this page or, scroll down for a complete description of this service. Note: All reports take 10 working days

To place an order please click HERE. (PDF version)

To place and order please click HERE. (Word version)

Overview

School Assessment (SEP)

Individual Assessment (IP)

Measures

Outcomes: Staff package

Outcomes: Individual package

Process

Price List and Order Information

 

Overview (back to top)

Happy and confident teachers promote a happy and confident teaching experience for students.  Moreover, teachers with high levels of wellbeing are more productive, more mindful of others and  more motivated to be the best they can be, both in and out of the working environment.  Staff with a strong sense of wellbeing will work together more cooperatively and are more willing to take on new challenges and ideas to ensure that a school remains progressive and forward thinking. 

With the increasing demands placed on teachers today, staff often work long hours under extreme pressure.  As Wise Solutions is only too aware, staff not only take responsibility for academic outcomes, they must also take increasing responsibility for the social and mental health of their students.  It is not suprising that many teaching staff are becoming increasingly de-motivated and disillusioned with their chosen profession. 

One of the most fundamental ways to ensure that the staff at your school are effectively managing work stress and related difficulties is to take a real interest in their wellbeing.  A staff evaluation provides a clear and comprehensive examination of staff members’ source of stress and their experience of stress, distress and wellbeing.  Findings are discussed with reference to the meaning of the individual constructs being examined and the overall “picture” presented.  Recommendations focus on building strengths and reducing weaknesses.

All measures are based on internationally validated scales

Wise Solutions staff assessments examine the precise SOURCEs of  stress using an edited version of the “Sources of Work Stress Scale” (adapted for Australian schools).

Wise Solutions staff assessments examine staff  LEVELS of stress experienced using the “Perceived Stress Scale”. 

Psychological approaches to life are examined with both the three components of the “Framingham Type A Behaviour Pattern Measure” and the “Life Orientation Test”.

Wellbeing and distress are measured using both the “Hospital and Anxiety Scale” and the “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale”. 

All findings are discussed in relation to each other and to staff members’ requested background information.  This allows for a greater exploration of the meaning of the results in the context of a more complete examination of the individual. All of the scales used are described in greater detail, together with their corresponding psychological constructs, in the section on Measures.

School Assessment (SEP) (back to top)

A complete staff evaluation affords a school the opportunity to gain a real awareness of staff stress levels experienced, approaches to life and work and overall level of distress and wellbeing.  A detailed school report explores:

1. The key sources of stress within the work environment,
2. staff stress levels in relation to work, 
3. levels of personal stress experienced,
4. type A behaviour,
5. life orientation,
6. anxiety,
7. depression
8. self-esteem
9. together with a detailed discussion of their overall wellbeing. 

Mental health assessment is extremely therapeutic and can significantly improve staff wellbeing as a means of increasing awareness and opportunity to grow. 

Increased knowledge also provides an opportunity to target problem areas and to build on the strengths of the working environment. 

In addition, staff who are particularly vulnerable to clinical problems can be discretely identified for follow up if this is deemed appropriate by the school.

Individual Assessment (IP) (back to top)

Individual staff assessment is also available. Staff members complete the same questionnaires as in the school assessment but are provided with an individual rather than a group report.  Each questionnaire is subjected to detailed individual analyses enabling staff members to gain insight and understanding into the work related sources of their stress and their overall levels of stress, distress and wellbeing.

An individual staff assessment enables each staff member to obtain a comprehensive overview of their own wellbeing in relation to their work environment.  It provides them with a confidential report offering insight into their sources of work stress, levels of stress experienced, type A behaviour, life orientation, anxiety, depression, self-esteem and overall levels of wellbeing and mental health.

Each individual report explores

1. The key sources of stress within the individual’s work environment,
2. personal stress levels in relation to work, 
3. levels of overall stress experienced,
4. type A behaviour,
5. life orientation,
6. anxiety,
7. depression
8. self-esteem

Measures (back to top)

Each of the measures used in the staff questionnaire is described below:

Stress

Work stress is the single most important source of stress throughout the developed world (Powell, 2000).  An estimated 17% of employees experience daily work stress, moreover an estimated 60% of absences from work are caused by stress related disorders – the equivalent of 2-3% of the gross national product.  In schools these figures are even higher with stress often cited as the key reason teachers leave their chosen profession.

The two scales used to assess stress measure the LEVEL of stress experienced by staff members and the SOURCE of that stress in the work environment.

Sources of Work Stress Scale

T. Powell, 2000 (adapted for teaching staff in Australian Schools by Helen Street, 2007)

Despite an awareness of the symptoms of stress at work, staff are often unable to pinpoint the exact SOURCE of their stress.  Instead they tend to feel demoralized or just fed up.  The Sources of Work Stress scale enable identification of sources of work stress across EIGHT key work domains (quantity/quality, role issues, responsibility/authority, social relationships with staff, social relationships with students, job satisfaction, organizational issues and domestic effects) The Work Stress Scale has been adapted by Dr Helen Street from Dr Trevor Powell’s original scale devised in 2000 in the UK.

 

Sample questions:

 

In the last month, how often have you experienced stress in relation to the following aspects of work …	never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly Often	Very often
…working long or unsociable hours
…current career and promotion prospects

 

 

The Perceived Stress Scale

(Cohen, Kamark & Mermelstein, 1983)

The Perceived Stress scale measures the LEVEL of stress experienced by a staff member and relates this to levels of stress found in the general adult population.  This scale has been used internationally and has been found to be consistently reliable and valid as a measure of stress levels experienced. The scale items refer to events occurring in a one month time frame.

 

Sample questions:

 

 

In the last month, how often have you …	never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly Often	Very often
…been upset because of something happened unexpectantly?
…felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?

 

Anxiety & Depression:  Anxiety and depression are two of the most common psychological problems experienced  in Australian adults to-day. About 10% of the population experience severe anxiety and 12% depression severe enough to warrant treatment at some point in their lives. Increased awareness of each of these problems is the first step towards reduction of distress and increased wellbeing.

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

(developed by Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) 

 

Since its original conceptualization in the early 1980s, the HADS has become a worldwide standard measure of both depression and anxiety.  The scale has repeatedly been found to be reliable and valid in addition to being user friendly and easy to complete.  Norms are provided for clinical cut off points and for assessment of both mild and moderate anxiety and/or depression.

Sample questions:

 

I get a sort of frightened feeling as if something is about to happen	Tick appropriate box
...Very definatley and quite badly
...Yes, but not to badly
...A little, but that doesnt worry me
...Not at all

 

 

Self-esteem

Self-esteem plays an important role in wellbeing with individuals high in self-esteem more resilient, more confident and possessing a greater sense of worth than individuals low in self-esteem.  Moreover, low self-esteem has been linked to many psychological problems and to difficulty coping with negative life events and stressful situations.

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

(developed by Rosenberg, 1989)

The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was originally developed by Rosenberg in 1965 but was reprinted in 1989.  It remains an internationally used scale with good psychometric properties

Sample questions:

  

	Strongly agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
On the whole, I am satisfied with myself
At times I think I am no good at all

 

 

Type A Behaviour (TAB)

Type A behaviour is characterized by a sense of time urgency, hostility, hard driving competitiveness and irritability.  Although many individuals with Type A behaviour achieve far reaching goals, research suggests that they are particularly vulnerable to stress and to physical and mental illness.  In 1974, breakthrough research from Friedman and Rosenham presented evidence for a significant link between Type A behaviour and coronary heart disease (CHD) over the following eight years. 

Framingham Type A Behaviour (TAB) Pattern Measure

(developed by Friedman and Rosenham, 1974)

The TAB has been found to have excellent psychometric properties and has been tested widely on a variety of people.  Research into the ilnk between TAB and CHD has used this scale and found that TAB provides an independent risk factor, separate from blood pressure or cholesterol.

Sample questions:

 

At the end of an average day at work do you feel
...Often very pressed for time?
That work stayed with you so that you were thinking about it after work hours?

 

Life Orientation

Our underlying beliefs about ourselves and our world contribute to our overall interpretation of our day to day lives. Some of us see the glass as half full, some of us see it as half empty.  Both interpretations are correct but one is certainly more optimistic than the other.  The difference ways in which we interpret events in our everyday lives, and just as importantly, the direction in which our lives are heading, make up our life orientation.  The life orientation of an individual can impact heavily not only on their day to day wellbeing but also on their ability to deal with stress and negative life events in a healthy and resilient way.

Life orientation test

Sample questions:

 

 

In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.	I agree alot	I agree a little	I neither agree or disagree	I disagree a little	I disagree a lot
It's easy for me to relax

 

Outcomes: Staff package(back to top)

 

The final report describes the overall findings of the school.  The results of each of the measures are discussed in relation to each other and in relation to expected adult norms.  Results are then pooled into an overall exploration of the overall strengths and weaknesses in the school.  In so doing it is possible to identify some of the following outcomes:

 

1. The key sources of work related stress experienced by the staff.  For example, staff may be particularly stressed with confused roles or with staff-student relations.
2. The overall staff levels of stress
3. The overall staff levels of self-esteem, anxiety and depression and conversely the overall presence of wellbeing as indicated by high self-esteem and low levels of anxiety and depression.
4. The school culture in terms of life orientation and type A behaviour.  For example, staff may be encouraged to race against time and be seen to be constantly achieving career goals.  Similarly, staff may encourage each other to take a pessimistic rather than optimistic approach to teaching. 
5. An overall view of the culture of staff attitudes and beliefs and the relationship of this culture to stress, distress and wellebign levels.
6. The overall strengths of the school
7. The key problem areas requiring attention
8. Suggestions to help the school build on strengths and address weaknesses and problem areas of functioning
9. In addition vulnerable staff can be identified if the school deems this to be appropriate (please see section on dealing with vulnerability).

 

 

Outcomes: Individual Package (back to top)

The final individual report describes the overall findings of an individual staff member and can be provided to that staff member or to the school with the staff members permission.  The results of each of the measures are discussed in relation to each other and in relation to expected adult norms.  Results are then pooled into an overall exploration of the overall strengths and weaknesses of the individual in terms of their wellbeing at work.  In so doing it is possible to identify some of the following outcomes:

 

1. The key sources of work related stress experienced by the individual.  For example, an individual may be particularly stressed with lack of pay or with communication problems with other staff.
2. The overall staff levels of stress
3. The overall staff levels of self-esteem, anxiety and depression and conversely the overall presence of wellbeing as indicated by high self-esteem and low levels of anxiety and depression.
4. The individual approach to life and work in terms of life orientation and type A behaviour.  For example, an individual may feel compelled to race against time and be seen to be constantly achieving career goals.  Similarly, an idnividual may have learnt to take a pessimistic rather than optimistic approach to teaching. 
5. An overall view of the individual’s attitudes and beliefs about their own work related goals and life and the relationship of these to stress, distress and wellebign levels.
6. The overall strengths of the individual
7. The key problem areas requiring attention
8. Suggestions to help the individual build on strengths and address weaknesses and problem areas of functioning
9. In addition clinical vulnerabilities can be identified and confidentially discussed with the individual (please see section on dealing with vulnerability).

 

Process (back to top)

Once you have placed an order staff complete questionnaires either 

• Online using our confidential online data entry system.
• By printing out a paper copy from our questionnaire templates.  If this option is chosen then completed questionnaires can

1. be entered onto a spreadsheet which is returned to us electronically or
2. posted directly to us for data entry and analyses. 

 

We send you completed reports as a confidential email attachment to a previously approved email address

If you are completing a Staff Package: If requested by the individuals participating in the assessment, confidential information is sent alerting relevant staff members to vulnerable staff (please see section on dealing with vulnerability).

If you are completing an Individual Package, we will comment on clinical vulnerability in a separate letter accompanying your report.

Price List and Order Information (back to top)

Staff can be assessed individually or as a group. 

Prices start from $595 for a confidential online assessment of an individual, and $1100 for an entire school assessment (100 staff members). 

Both individual and group assessments are accompanied by a personal detailed report. Anonymity can be assured if required. 

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