What School Board Members Need To Know About Student Growth

Dr. Richard VoltzIASA Associate Director

Student Growth Presentation for IASBcan be found at

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In 2010, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA),

which changed how teachers’ and principals’ performance is

measured in the state.

Important Question:Is your district’s teacher evaluation

plan presently in the contract?

This process will test the TRUST and RELATIONSHIPS between

Board/Administration and Teachers.

Two Parts

Teacher Practice Student Growth

Danielson Frameworks for Teaching is the PEAC recommended

model, not the state default.

Step 3Change the Focus

First Observe the Student Then The Teacher

Observe More

Teacher evaluation based on infrequent, announced classroom visits is

inaccurate, ineffective, and dishonest.

No more…

Increased observations

Teacher evaluations typically look like this...

Each teacher teaches 900 lessons per year, 1,800 for two years

Instead it should

look like this.

It needs to look more like a Gallop Poll, random and 10 times per cycle.

“Reflection is Key”

Danielson definition of engaged learning…

The student is intellectually engaged in

the work.

Evaluators look for “Engaged Learning Evidence”

What are the students learning?

Not what are the students doing.

PERA requires data and indicators of student growth as a “significant factor”

for principal and teacher evaluation.

RV Recommendation #1Learn via Video

Will PERA change anything?

Main emphasis should be on professional development of both

principals and teachers.

This new system is not about dismissing teachers, it is about

improving teaching and learning.

Your district’s decision on how to measure student growth may be the single most important decision your

district will ever make.

For this to be done right, evaluators and teachers need time to develop and

implement.

Medical Model Analogy

PERA Joint Committee

• Each district will convene a PERA joint committee of equal representation of teachers and administrators “Joint committee” means a committee composed of equal representation selected by the district and its teachers.

Collective Bargaining?

• Between teachers and administrators and not school board.

• For student growth only.• Once PERA Joint Committee officially starts

the parties have 180 days to develop plan OR the plan will default to State Performance Evaluation Model.

Timelines

• Chicago and RTTT Districts already in.• Lowest 20% by September 2015

– Were notified by ISBE on 9/22/14• All other districts by September 2016

Student Growth Decisions

“Demonstrable change in a student’s learning between two or

more points in time”

Teachers will want the assessment to match the content that the

teacher(s) intend to teach.

What percentage should student growth count for PERA?

Round Up Model

Types of assessments?

Type I Type II Type III

An assessment that measures a certain group of students in the same manner with the same potential assessment items, is scored by a non-district entity, and is widely administered beyond Illinois

An assessment developed or adopted and approved by the school district and used on a district-wide basis that is given by all teachers in a given grade or subject area

An assessment that is rigorous, aligned with the course’s curriculum, and that the evaluator and teacher determine measures student learning

Examples: Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) MAP tests, Scantron Performance Series

Examples: Collaboratively developed common assessments, curriculum tests, assessments designed by textbook publishers

Examples: teacher-created assessments, assessments of student performance

Student Groups

• Districts may want to consider dividing students into groups for evaluation purposes.

• Examples– Regular education– Special Education – by disability or maybe even by

individual– ELL– Low Income– Other as is appropriate

Grouping students?

Scoring of student growth?

Default Student Growth Rating Scale

• Excellent = 76% to 100% of students met the indicated growth target

• Proficient = 51% to 75% of students met the indicated growth target

• Needs Improvement = 25% to 50% of students met the indicated growth target

• Unsatisfactory = Less than 25% of students met the indicated growth target

Potential Problems

Teachers do not agree that a Type I or Type II assessment can be

“identified” and thus the default is two Type III’s.

Type III Assessments areteacher created.

All assessments SHALL be aligned to Illinois Learning Standards and

the Common Core Standards.

Midpoint review could be THE critical point, especially early in the

implementation phase.

What is the cut score?

Rating Example“Divide by 2”

• Pre test students and then sort students by score by student category (reg. ed., sp. ed., etc…)

• Group students together for scoring purposes into levels

• Use “Divide by 2” strategy to determine growth target

• Decide on growth goal – Example (80% of students in this group will make target equals excellent)

More Questions

• How will the district– Assess non-core areas?– Co-teaching?– Students who change classes as semester?– Student attendance?– Student transfers?

What are SLO’s

Are SLO’s required?

School Service Personnel are not required to have student growth as

a component for evaluation.

Is there any research to support the use of student growth for teacher evaluation purposes?

Some Problems

1. Non-teacher effects may cloud the results2. Data may be inaccurate3. Student placement in classrooms is not

random4. Student’s previous teachers can create a halo

(or pitchfork) effect5. Teacher’s year-to-year scores vary widely.

Amount of time required for both teachers and administrators.

Teachers may/will want

all student growth

assessments to be directly

related to what they

actually teach.

Q. What happens to a school district that does not meet the statutory deadlines? A. Districts that are not compliance with either PERA or SB 7 may have their recognition status reduced pursuant to 23 Ill Admin. Code 1.20. In addition, evaluation plans and tools that are not compliant with the requirements of the law may undermine dismissals (including non-renewals of nontenured teachers), discipline, and reductions in force.

Student Growth Metrics should align to Education Best Practices

• Standards based• Team Teaching• Professional Learning Communities• Do not put teachers into competition with

each other• Each teacher should be compared to a

standard so all could potentially receive favorable ratings

RV Recommendation #2

• 30% Student Growth Rating should be based on the following:– 10% All school reading and math scores– 10% Type III assessment tied to standards– 10% Student survey of teaching based on a model

such as was reported in the MET Study

For additional information contact:

Dr. Richard Voltzrvoltz@iasaedu.org

217-741-0466http://

richvoltz.edublogs.org