Link/Roster verification Basics 2013 Resource for supporting awareness This slide presentation is to help support the basic understanding and connection of the Link/Roster Verification process to Ohio’s teacher value-added reports. Link/Roster verification Basics 2013 Resource for supporting awareness and understanding

Learning Targets Understand the fundamentals of the Link/Roster Verification process Understand the connection between Link/Roster Verification and teacher value-added reports

Link/Roster Verification Process Ohio’s Journey: Spring 2011 30% of Ohio’s LEAs Participated Spring 2012 60% of Ohio’s LEAs Participated Spring 2013 100% of Ohio’s LEAs Participate Take a moment to explain the “LEA” acronym used throughout the slides. (LEA) Local Education Agency: References a “district” and/or “community school” While approximately 60% of Ohio’s LEAs engaged in the Link/Roster Verification process in spring 2012 (and received teacher value added reports in the fall of 2012), all Ohio LEAs will participate in Link/RV this spring and receive teacher value added reports in the fall 2013. Presenter: Keep in mind this is 60% of LEAs, not schools or teachers. Many LEAs or districts have previously participated, but this may be the first year for a school, or new teachers or principals within an experienced LEA. Many of these first-time Link/RV principals may be participating in the session.

Link/Roster Verification Process What is Link? Why do we Link? Who Links? This slide conveys and organizes the sequence of the information for the upcoming 8 slides; knowing the answers are coming, participants may wish to delay their questions until you’ve had a an opportunity to address these introductory questions. Let’s first discuss Link/Roster Verification in terms of the most simple questions you may have; then, we’ll work toward more complex scenarios and questions you may have. Note: This session will not include “how” to link; focus on the “how to” Link is in the spring You can also get information on the “how” from the resources we will share at the end of the presentation.

What is Link? A process to capture the instructional linkage between teachers and students. Teachers verify 3 questions for each class roster: 1. I taught these students 2. During these months 3. For __% of instruction (sole or shared) Students are placed into the Link/Roster Verification database from an LEA’s student data base system. Students are placed on rosters from their teacher of record for a specific grade and content area. Teachers have opportunity to verify that those rosters are correct, and make changes if necessary. Teachers have the opportunity to mark whether or not they taught students for the entire school year, or make corrections for students who enrolled later, or withdrew earlier in the year. This information can be obtained from the principal or enrollment personnel at the LEA. Teachers determine what percentage of the instruction in that content area for that student that they delivered. If they shared the instruction with other teachers, protocols and examples for given scenarios are provided on the portal we will share as part of resources at the end.

Why Do We Link? To ensure the teacher value-added report includes accurate student-level information. When using teacher value-added information, it is imperative to have the most reliable information to ensure that teachers are not misidentified or mislabeled due to an analysis based on inaccurate data. Note: Take a moment to explicitly connect the Link/RV process to teacher value added reports. Participation in Link/RV is essential to ensure teachers have input and review of the students whose data are used to calculate their teacher value added reports. Thus, Link/RV is necessary to ensure the connections between teachers and the students they teach are accurate, before a VA teacher report is generated. This means, a teacher’s deep involvement in the Link/RV process is essential and critical to reliable VA teacher reports.

Why Do We Link? Existing data systems, such as those that capture student schedules, do not always capture the most accurate connection between teachers and the students they teach. Link/Roster Verification affords teachers and principals a solution to review, modify, and verify class rosters to ensure the instructional linkage between teachers and students is accurate. Perhaps share a few examples of the scenario in the first bullet. If students are served by more than one teacher in a classroom (special education inclusion models), often scheduling systems, such as EMIS, only capture the students on the roster of one teacher.

Who Links? Statewide All licensed/certified teachers planning and/or providing instruction for students in grades 4-8 Reading and Math.

3 Phases Phase 1: School Setup: Principals (and support team, as desired) verify the staff list and staff assignments. Phase 2: Teacher Roster Verification: Teachers verify their class rosters and set linkage attribution—the students they taught, how long they taught them, and the percentage of instruction they provided each student. Phase 3: Principal Review & Approval: Principals review staff linkages and alerts before giving final approval. Prior to teachers accessing the Link/RV application, principals and their support team access the Link application during Phase 1 to review and/or set up preliminary class rosters in preparation for teacher access. Teachers may access the Link/RV typically in April, and will continue to have access to their rosters for review through May . During the teacher roster verification phase, principals will find it most helpful to provide structured collaboration time for teacher teams to review rosters together. Simply setting aside 20-30 minutes of time before school or during common planning time can be very beneficial and sufficient for most situations. During the final phase of Link/RV, teachers no longer have access to the system. All rosters must be approved and submitted by the principals by the close of the Link window in June.

Link/Roster Verification Connection to Teacher Value-Added The students who are linked to a teacher in the spring months of a given year are the students whose test scores are used to compile the teacher’s value-added reports that are produced the next fall in the grade-level and content area of which he/she taught those students.

Resources http://portal.battelleforkids.org/ohio Click on Roster Verification on the top right of the page.

Teacher Value-Added Guide Book The Teacher Value-Added Guide Book is designed to support teachers through the access, interpretation, analysis and use of their reports when they receive them. It serves as a great resource to help them in the next steps of using the reports to support student learning and professional development.

Questions? Thank You!

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