ESEA FLEXIBILITY RENEWAL PROCESS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS January29, 2015

Principle 3: Supporting Effective Instruction and Leadership

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL PRINCIPLE 3 REQUIREMENTS - ALL SYSTEMS MUST: 1.Inform continual improvement of instruction; 2.Meaningfully differentiate performance using at least three performance levels; 3.Use multiple valid measures in determining performance levels, including, as a significant factor, data on student growth for all students (including English Learners and students with disabilities) and other measures of professional practice; 4.Evaluate teachers and principals on a regular basis; 5.Provide clear, timely, and useful feedback, including feedback that identifies needs and guides professional development; and 6.Inform personnel decisions. 3

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Timeline for full implementation of teacher and leader evaluation and support systems (Question F-1)  WINDOW 1&2 STATES  PILOT: SCHOOL YEAR  FULL IMPLEMENTATION: SCHOOL YEAR  RESULTS FROM USED TO INFORM PERSONNEL DECISIONS  WINDOW 3&4 STATES  PILOT: SCHOOL YEAR  FULL IMPLEMENTATION: SCHOOL YEAR  RESULTS FROM 16-17USED TO INFORM PERSONNEL DECISIONS 4

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY PREVIOUSLY OFFERED ( QUESTION F-1) Flexibility ED Offered on Timing of Implementation of Teacher and Principal Evaluation and Support Systems:  June 18, Flexibility to delay use of results of new evaluation systems to inform personnel decisions until for window 1& 2 States. In Renewal  Flexibility to defer incorporating student growth based on statewide assessments into evaluation system results until due to transition to new assessments aligned to college- and career-ready standards.  Flexibility to make other adjustments to timelines and sequencing of implementation steps in order to reach full implementation of systems aligned with all Principle 3 requirements. 5

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Multiple valid measures (Question F-7) Ratings based on multiple measures of performance. Examples Include:  Growth on state tests where available  Student Surveys  Student learning such as student learning objectives and portfolios of student work.  Artifacts demonstrating planning and preparation (such as lesson plans and descriptions of instructional strategies used for students with diverse needs). 6

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Student growth as a significant factor (Question F-6) Student growth must be included as a significant factor in teacher and principal evaluation and support systems.  The use of student growth should ensure that teachers and principals with very different levels of student growth but similar ratings on other measures receive a different summative ratings. 7

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Ways to include student growth (Question F-6) 3 Ways to Incorporate Student Growth 1.Mathematical Model: evaluate performance in which student growth is given a specified, significant percentage “weight” along with other components. 2.Matrix Model: Places student growth on one axis and other measures on the other axis. 3.Overarching rules: Business rules that require certain results for specific levels of student growth - i.e. can’t be effective overall unless student growth is x 8

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Student growth as a significant factor (Question F-6) Alternative: An SEA may choose to demonstrate that its systems include student growth as a significant factor by submitting an analysis of either: (a)actual teacher and leader performance data; or (b)simulations of teacher and leader performance data. Actual or simulated data analysis must demonstrate that teachers or principals who make significantly different contributions to student growth receive different summative performance ratings 9

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL: PRINCIPLE 3 ASSURANCES 10

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-2) Option A: 15.a. An SEA is fully implementing its Teacher and Principal Evaluation and Support System in the school year should check Assurance 15.a under option A of the Principle 3 assurances. 11

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-2) Option A Continued:  SEAs are NOT required to update their ESEA flexibility request for Principle 3.  SEAs may choose to submit any amendments to their Principle 3 that are consistent with Principle 3 of ESEA flexibility Example:  A change in the minimum number of performance levels from 3 to 4 12

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-2) Option B: An SEA that is administering new State assessments during the 2014  2015 school year and is requesting one additional year to incorporate student growth based on these assessments will… 15.b.i. Continue to ensure that its LEAs implement teacher and principal evaluation systems using multiple measures, and that the SEA or its LEAs will calculate student growth data based on State assessments administered during the 2014  2015 school year for all teachers of tested grades and subjects and principals; and 15.b.ii. Ensure that each teacher of a tested grade and subject and all principals will receive their student growth data based on State assessments administered during the 2014  2015 school year. 13

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-2) Option B continued:  This applies to SEAs that are:  Administering new State assessments this school year.  Requesting only 1 additional year to incorporate growth on new State assessments into educator ratings.  Option B SEAs must: Check both assurances (15.b.i and 15.b.ii) Include in redlined request updates to Principle 3 reflecting the timeline change Include in redlined request any other amendments to their Principle 3 that are consistent with Principle 3 of ESEA flexibility 14

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-3) Option C: If the SEA is requesting modifications to its teacher and principal evaluation and support system guidelines or implementation timeline other than those described in Option B, which require additional flexibility from the guidance in the document titled ESEA Flexibility as well as the documents related to the additional flexibility offered by the Assistant Secretary in a letter dated August 2, 2013, it will: 15.c. Provide a narrative response in its redlined ESEA flexibility request as described in Section II of the ESEA flexibility renewal guidance. 15

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-3) All Option C States must: Describe progress to date in ensuring each LEA is on track Include clear descriptions of actions taken to date Include a clear description of a timeline for future action Examples:  Description of system pilots  Description of how educator ratings are (or will be used) to inform improvement plans and professional development.  Description of training provided (or planned for) evaluators to prepare and ensure inter-rater reliability.  A timeline of when educator ratings and feedback has been (or will be) provided to all teachers and principals. 16

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-4) Option C States with approved guidelines must: Describe how any proposed changes will lead to successful implementation that will still meet the required components of Principle 3 Option C SEAs without approved guidelines must: Describe how its proposed updates to Principle 3 address the issue(s) that have thus far precluded guideline approval. Describe how the updated guidelines will lead to a successful implementation that meets the required components of Principle 3. 17

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL Principle 3 Assurances (Question F-5) All Option C States will describe: How they will ensure continuous improvement of evaluation and support systems that result in instructional improvement and increased student learning. How the SEA and its LEAs determine or will determine if the implementation of the evaluation system is high quality and meets the six required components of Principle 3. The States authority to ensure that any LEA systems not meeting requirements of Principle 3 are improved. How the SEA and its LEAs monitor or will monitor implementation of evaluation systems. 18

SUPPORT WITH RENEWAL REQUESTS RESOURCES, SUPPORT AND KEY CONTACT INFORMATION  For technical assistance or resources regarding teacher and principal evaluation and support systems, reference F-8 in your FAQs.  If you have questions and the ESEA flexibility Renewal Process, please contact your current ESEA flexibility state lead.  You may also submit questions to  If you do not know who your current ESEA flexibility contact is, please use the address above to contact the Department. 19

Questions

PRINCIPLE 3 IN RENEWAL: EXAMPLE TIMELINE Fall 2014 – Spring 2015School year (SY) observations Spring 2015SY State assessments Spring – Fall 2015Teachers receive ratings based on SY performance, including data on student growth as significant factor Fall 2015Develop improvement plans based on SY ratings Fall 2015-Spring 2016Professional development based on improvement plans. SY observations Spring 2016SY State assessments Spring-Fall 2016Teachers receive ratings based on SY performance, including data on student growth as significant factor Fall 2016Develop improvement plans based on SY ratings Fall 2016-Spring 2017Professional development based on ratings Winter-Spring 2017Personnel decisions informed by ratings Spring 2017Hiring informed by ratings 22