1 of 42

Act 13

Educator Effectiveness in Pennsylvania

Module 3:

Educator Effectiveness as Professional Growth

2 of 42

Act 13 Training Series Overview

Module 1

Introduction

Overview
Observation �and Practice
Building Level �Score

Module 2

Local Measures

Teacher Specific Data
LEA Selected Measures

Module 3

Local Measures

Performing a �Self-Analysis
Designing an Effective and Appropriate LEA Selected Measure
Developing IEP�Goals Progress

Introduction

3 of 42

Moving Beyond Compliance to Professional Growth

Educator

Students

Experience

Competence

Traditional View of Growth

Introduction

4 of 42

Moving Beyond Compliance to Professional Growth

Educator

Students

Experience

Competence

Introduction

Ideal View of Growth

The diagram on this slide, however, suggests a another possibility for the attainment of growth. In this example, the educator’s level of competency does not stay static or the same, but also increases as a result of the teacher’s focus on her own professional growth. The expectation, then, is as a teacher continually works to improve her level of competency through professional growth and development, her students’ competency also grows, and perhaps surpasses even their initially expected levels of competency. This dual growth doesn’t occur through happenstance, however, it requires educators to take a deeper look at both theer needs and the needs of their students. Professional growth of the educator, then, has the possibility of resulting in even higher levels of student growth and educator growth.

5 of 42

Moving Beyond Compliance to Professional Growth

Educator

Students

Experience

Competence

Educator Growth Goals

Student Growth Goals

As you grow, your students grow!

- - - - - - - Alignment - - - - -

Introduction

6 of 42

Moving Beyond Compliance to Professional Growth

Introduction

A way to begin this process of alignment is with an honest self-analysis against the Observation and Practice framework. Since the Framework is the first and most heavily weighted measure within any educator’s evaluation, it makes sense to start with a look at the domains. We examined the framework in Module 1 and took notice of how the components and domains remained the same, while some of the verbiage was refreshed to reflect more contemporary thinking. Please find the Educator Self-Reflection Tool in the chat box now. Take a few moments to assess yourself on each framework component by checking off whether you are beginning, developing, established, or if that component is not applicable for you. For assistance in this task, you may need to refer to the complete Observation and Practice framework to inform this self-reflection. Please utilize the additional framework document if you need clarification on a domain or component. This framework has also been posted in the chat.

After you’ve completed the checklist, move to the bottom of the page and respond to the four prompts. Answer those prompts based upon your self-reflection responses. You will utilize the self-reflection tool and the personal insights you glean completing it later in this training. This activity is private and will not be shared aloud so please take your time and be as honest as possible. (Allow 7 minutes or a suitable amount of time for participants to complete this activity.)

7 of 42

Teacher Specific Data: IEP Goals Progress

LEA Selected Measures

Both require educators to plan for and capture student performance

Introduction

Moving Beyond Compliance to Professional Growth

8 of 42

Teacher Specific Data: IEP Goals Progress

LEA Selected Measures

Student Performance Measure Template

9 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Customizable/optional use

Assists in the alignment of a student challenge/need to teacher goals, school-level objectives, or district-level priorities

Encourages instructional innovation based on the latest research and trends

Facilitates active participation in the evaluation process by educators

Student Performance Measure Template

10 of 42

Step 5

Step 4

Step 3

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Step 2

Step 1

Identify a collective need among your current students.

Detail what your response will be to help meet that student need and describe the context and baseline to provide background information about your students.

Create a plan of action around your identified need.

Define what your levels of performance towards meeting success with these students’ needs are: Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, Distinguished.

State the student performance evidence or artifacts you will use to measure the progress and effectiveness of your response.

11 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Section by section explanation

Example response from an actual classroom teacher’s template for that section

Opportunity for you to begin completing your template after each section is reviewed

12 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Align your personal goals with student goals

The first part of the template asks you to identify and describe a student challenge or need you’re interested in addressing. Ideas about challenges or needs may originate from root cause problems addressed at your school, from local data discussed in faculty meetings, or as a part of planning or goal setting for your school; or perhaps you’ve had conversations with colleagues in your grade level or team about particular student challenges. As we explored earlier in this module, one pathway to begin could have you engage in an alignment of your personal professional goals your with student goals, derived from your self-reflection activity. The section for % weighting is an option if you are completing two or more student performance measures and wish to give them different values, all needing to add up to 100% of course.

13 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Teacher

Example

Joe’s example and commentary:

-As a history teacher this one is perfectly aligned with the things that I want from my students in a history class, to allow them to look at a multitude of different sources to broaden their awareness of what American history is, but then I had to pause again and think well how did I even come to this need. The first day of school, I simply asked my students, a question: What image, or what person comes to mind when you think of American history. The responses I got back from from that challenge question we're telling 80% of students responded with an image of George Washington are drawn image of Abraham Lincoln and only two students responded with either woman, or black indigenous person of color as their answer and that made me think, okay, well, this is an opportunity for growth.

Now, in your own practice template, jot down your ideas for these first two boxes in Part I. (Allow a few minutes for your participants to complete these two boxes before proceeding.)

14 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Remember “resources” can include training or other supports

The next section begins your Plan of Action. You first need to describe, in general, what your proposed response will be to the challenge you selected. When you compose your response, make it concise, but also write it in a way that will sense to the principal or supervisor who is reading it. Create a description that someone who does not teach in your area, or hold your same certification, will understand. A good way of thinking about it is if you ask yourself, “if my principal handed this document to my superintendent or a School Board member to read, would they understand what I am proposing to do?”

The next two boxes require you to think about the resources at your disposal that will help you in your response, and the resources you may not have, but are necessary. Remember that “resources” can include not just curriculum, manipulatives, or electronic subscriptions, but also any training or other supports required to help you address the student problem.

Once again, it will be wise to tap into the self-reflection you completed earlier to identify both areas of strength and weakness that you may need to leverage, or address to help you achieve the goal and grow students, as well as yourself in this process.

15 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Teacher

Example

16 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Refer back to your self-reflection to more easily identify your Framework alignment

17 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Teacher

Example

18 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

19 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Teacher

Example

20 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Your description in the first area should provide more details about your selection from the second area

Part 2 of the template begins with your description and identification of the Student Performance Measure you will employ to determine if you have grown your students in your selected area. There are many possibilities for this choice. Under the old SLO format, teachers were confined basically to comparing test data from two points to measure an increase in scores. With Act 13 allowing for both quantitative and/or qualitative student goals, you can choose a method that will best capture the information you need. You will notice the six options provided by the law in the check boxes. You need to select one of those options. Your description in the first box above will elaborate the selection you made in the lower section so don’t get hung up on whether you’ve chosen the correct box or wording, rather, focus on the description of your idea are for moving students forward.

21 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Teacher

Example

22 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Suggestion:

Start by defining proficient

23 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Teacher

Example

24 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

25 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

Student Performance Measure challenge topics can be repeated if revised and updated each year and with the approval of your supervisor.

26 of 42

Initial Conference

Prepare draft of goals for students’ needs and meet with supervisor to discuss
Compose criteria for each level of performance (Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, Distinguished) and weighting if more than one goal
Agree to school year conference dates and sign/agree to yearly goal(s)

Mid-Point Conference

Complete a mid-point reflection and examine initial evidence and progress with identification of any additional supports needed to achieve goal(s)
Make mutually agreed upon modifications or changes if needed

End-of-Year Conference

Reflect upon successes, unanticipated barriers, and supports that might have been useful
Review and discuss relevent evidence gathered on student performance
Supervisor uses predetermined criteria to assign a rating to the educator

Student Performance Measure Template

LEA Selected Measures

27 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Section by section explanation

Example response from a classroom teacher’s template for that section

Opportunity for you to begin completing your template after each section is reviewed

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

28 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Like the last template, the IEP Goals Progress Performance Measure asks you to identify a student challenge or need. In this case however, you will be focusing on the needs of your students with IEPs and considering ways that you, as a classroom teacher, can assist them on making growth toward one of their collective goals. This brainstorming will likely require you to confer with the special education teachers that service your assigned students this year. The aim of this collaboration is to determine if there is a common or similar academic or non-academic goal among a group of your students from which you could create a collective improvement goal for the group. A group of students is not necessarily in a single class but may cross over multiple courses. Your rating will be based on progress toward moving that group of common-goal students forward. After identifying that student need/challenge, you would then state what your proposed response would be. Let’s take a look at an example of this first section in the next slide.

29 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Teacher

Example

Teacher Example: You will notice in this regular classroom teacher’s statement of Challenge/Need addresses the general goal of coming to class prepared. It also references the wording of an actual IEP goal. The lower box illustrates the rationale of why this teacher sees a need to address this area and improve her students’ growth. You’ll notice that the context provided includes a rationale from the teacher that references baseline data from similar IEP goals and states the impact of disruptive transitions on IEP students’ learning time. Take a moment to read through the slide on your own now. When you’re done, go into your own template and note some ideas on possible student challenges or needs that you may be able to address this year for this measure. Provide your reasoning by way of giving a context of what is going on now in the second box. (Allow for 3 minutes or a suitable amount of time for your participants to brainstorm ideas.)

30 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Be sure to carefully consider the supports you may need to accomplish your goal

31 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Teacher

Example

Teacher Example: In this example, the teacher is proposing that her collective response to unpreparedness for class by her IEP students will be incorporating classroom routines and rituals. In her available resources section in box 2, she provides what she currently has at her disposal to help her in her response, and lastly, lists the additional needs she feels she requires to adequately help her students. Take a minute now to read through these three boxes on your own. (Provide two minutes for your participants to read and process these boxes.) Returning to your own practice template, jot down some bullet points or ideas about how you could respond to challenge you mentioned earlier, as well as the resources you have at hand, the second box, and the additional resources you would need, third box, to address your stated challenge properly. (Provide 3 minutes or an appropriate amount of time for participants to gather ideas and record them on these three boxes.)

32 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

33 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Teacher

Example

Teacher Example: This teacher example provides steps that are reasonable and achievable. In order to assist her IEP students, the classroom teacher will start by scheduling dedicated collaboration times with the Special Education teacher. Then, through that collaboration, create an appropriate student checklist of classroom materials. The action steps also incorporates introducing the checklist to the students, reviewing it, reinforcing successes with it, and making adjustments to the process as needed during the school year. Take a minute now to read these example action steps. (Provide a moment for participants to read through the example on the slide.) Now in your own practice template, think of some major steps you think you would need to make to accomplish your student growth goal for IEP Goals Progress. (Allow for 3 minutes to complete some initial ideas of action steps.)

34 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

35 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Teacher

Example

36 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

37 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

Teacher

Example

Teacher Example: For evaluation purposes, this teacher determined that in order to be Proficient at the goal of having IEP students come to class prepared, she states that a majority of those in her IEP group will have been 80% prepared for class during the selected time period. In order to be distinguished, ALL of her students must be prepared for class. Next, she states that anything less than a majority of her students coming to class prepared would be rated Need Improvement and little to no students coming to class prepared would be Failing. Of course, these levels of performance will need to be discussed and approved by her supervisor or principal, then signed off on, before she commences toward her action steps. Take a moment now to read through these performance level descriptor examples. (Provide enough time for your participants to read all four descriptors.) Now, in your own practice template, start with your descriptor for what your performance should be like for Proficient. If you have time, you can start to sketch out the other levels of performance, but make sure you complete the Proficient box first. (Allow 3 minutes or an appropriate amount of time for your participants to devise a draft of their Proficient level of performance for their draft idea. The other levels of performance can be done on their own time later. The aim is to get them to have a solid idea of what their proficient performance should look like before moving on.)

38 of 42

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

39 of 42

Initial Conference

Prepare draft of goals for students’ needs and meet with supervisor to discuss
Compose criteria for each level of performance (Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, Distinguished) and weighting if more than one goal
Agree to school year conference dates and sign/agree to yearly goal(s)

Mid-Point Conference

Complete a mid-point reflection and examine initial evidence and progress with identification of any additional supports needed to achieve goal(s)
Make mutually agreed upon modifications or changes if needed

End-of-Year Conference

Reflect upon, review, and discuss evidence gathered that demonstrates the meeting the IEP Progress goals
Supervisor uses predetermined criteria to assign a rating to the educator

Student Performance Measure Template

Teacher Specific Data:

IEP Goals Progress

40 of 42

LEA Selected Measures and the IEP Goals Progress templates both have a similar design to help you set your goals, plan for action, and determine student growth using an optional and customizable template.

While the use of the Student Performance Measure Templates we reviewed are not required, a rating for each of these measures is required if applicable.

Review

41 of 42

Student Performance Measures are a yearly process wherein a classroom teacher meets with a principal/supervisor to plan for, check progress on, and determine a final rating

Each of the optional Student Performance Measure Templates contains information that serves as guidance for using the documents. It is highly encouraged that you refer to these directions when planning for and using the templates to more easily facilitate your collection of student growth.

Review

42 of 42

Act 13

Educator Effectiveness in Pennsylvania

Module 3:

Educator Effectiveness as Professional Growth