PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EVALUATORS DAY 2 Leveraging Performance Management to Support School Priorities

Getting Started: Revising Goals Please read the goals and list revisions that could be made to improve them. Characteristics of high-quality goals: SMART Aligned to school priorities High leverage Includes mid-year benchmark

Today’s Agenda Creating Goals & Action Plans Collecting Evidence through Artifacts & Observations A Closer Look at Observations A Closer Look at Artifacts

Creating Strong SMART Goals Turn & Talk: What was your experience with the goal proposal & approval process like?

Creating Strong SMART Goals Examples of the goal-setting process from different schools : Sample from an Elementary School Charlestown Edison

Creating Strong SMART Goals Helping someone strengthen a goal: “One of my individual goals is to increase communication with parents/guardians. I plan to maintain a phone and log to document my outreach efforts.”

Creating Strong SMART Goals Helping someone strengthen a goal: "In order to provide constructive feedback to students, I will establish a dialogue with students about performance, progress and improvement. I will measure this goal by keeping records of the feedback, in its various forms, that are given to students.” But- 1. I don't know if this is an appropriate measurement 2. I don't know if that is manageable to keep records of ways I give students feedback for 120 students.

Revising Goals: , page 2 I'm envisioning that I would keep a log of conversations I have with students as well as copies of written communication and feedback. But I don't know how practical it is for me to expect of myself that I will record all feedback driven conversations with students (I think making copies of written pieces is manageable enough). One idea that I've had and am wondering if it acceptable is to focus in on a cross section of students. While I will work on improving feedback with all of my students, if I just kept records regarding one class or a handful of students from across classes that might make it more manageable as compared to doing it for 120 students.

Final Goal Text “In order to provide constructive feedback to students, I will establish a dialogue with students about performance, progress and improvement. I will measure this goal through questionnaires given to students asking them to assess how helpful specific feedback was. Questionnaires will be given at least once every three weeks.”

Goal Feedback

EDFS: Educator View

EDFS: Manager View

Goals: Educator View

Goals: EVALUATOR View

EDFS: Action Steps and Plan Development Each goal must have action steps to support educators’ completion of the goal. If the educator’s two goals are related, only one Action Plan is necessary. The action steps develop the plan into actionable steps including:  Actions;  Supports or resources required;  Timeline and frequency. These steps will also be entered into the EDFS The evaluator will approve Action Plans by November 1.

Action Plans Characteristics of high-quality action plans: Clear steps that are likely to help educator make progress toward achieving goal(s) Includes specific details like frequency, timeline, benchmarks, and at which points progress will be measured If goals are linked, can be one action plan for both Perhaps 4-5 steps per action plan

Action Plans: Examples How could these be strengthened? What artifacts could be used to document the completion of each step?

Action Steps: Educator View

Action Steps: EVALUATOR View

Evidence: Observation & Artifacts

The 5-Step Cycle in Action  Every educator is an active participant in an evaluation  Process promotes collaboration and continuous learning Self-Assessment Analysis, goal-setting & plan development Implementation of the plan Formative Assessment/Evaluation Summative Evaluation Continuous Learning

Collection of Evidence in EDFS Both educators and evaluators can upload artifacts Evaluators upload both observation evidence & feedback Evidence should be robust, allowing evaluators to assess impact of teacher practice on students

Evidence collected on … Progress on Ratings onOVERALL (2) Goals (4) Standards RATING * Student Learning * Professional Practice - Curriculum, Planning and Assessment - Teaching All Students - Family & Community Engagement - Professional Culture - Exemplary - Proficient - Needs Improvement - Unsatisfactory

Ongoing Collection of Evidence Evidence should be related to specific standards & goals. When appropriate, evaluator provides feedback to educator using language from the rubric. Evaluator does not rate educator practice after each piece of evidence, but during the formative or summative evaluation. 33

Evidence vs. Feedback EvidenceFeedback Facts Aligned to Rubric Ex 1: Lesson plan submitted as artifact Ex 2: Ms. Y said, "Yes, I know. You are smart. You are very intelligent. You can do this. Claim & Interpretation Aligned to Rubric Ex 1: The lesson plan does not include a closing activity. How are is summarizing incorporated into the lesson? Ex 2: Ms. Y's response show that she continues to foster a safe intellectual environment where students take academic risks.

Evidence from Observations

What the Research Says... Evaluators need multiple opportunities and settings to observe and assess educator practice Multiple observations paired with timely feedback are a key part of a strong evaluation system 36

Observing Lessons … CAUTION! … We observe all the time, which means that it is easy to do, but hard to do objectively. Remember We tend to see what we want to see We have to be aware of and avoid bias, particularly personal idiosyncrasies We have to avoid preconceptions Observation should be based upon agreed criteria

Observation Bias What is bias? What are some experiences you have had with bias? What are some examples of bias you have about teaching? What can we do to diminish the influence of bias in our work?

Principles of Brief Observations Frequent Focused Varied Useful and Timely Feedback

Strategies for Collecting Evidence Identify a focus ahead of time  Goals, specific Standards/Indicators Record evidence, not judgment  Quotations, observed actions or movements by teacher and students, times, numbers, literal descriptors, etc… Be an efficient note-taker  Establish abbreviations, paraphrase 40

Examples Observations & Tools from Sam Observations & Tools from Jess

Other forms of Observations: Team Feedback

Informal Observation

Systems for Tracking Observations

CHS approach to scheduling

Observations in the EDFS BPS developed an observation tool in EDFS Observational evidence will be uploaded to EDFS, and tagged to an appropriate category of the rubric Observations may only be used in formative or summative evaluations if the educator received feedback within 5 days of the observation

Observations: EVALUATOR View

Observations: Educator &Evaluator View

Observing Practice Chris McCloud 7 th Grade Math Teacher

StrengthsNeeds Improving student performance in math for students who enter my class performing below grade level Indicators/Elements: Teaching classrooms with diverse needs (especially meeting the needs of student with an IEP) Indicators/Elements: Family outreach and communication Indicators/Elements: Additional support for implementing the revised MA Curriculum framework Indicators/Elements: Improving communication with families for whom English is a second language Indicators/Elements: Strengthen leadership skills Indicators/Elements: C. McCloud’s self-assessment against the rubric 56

Chris McCloud’s Goals: SL: Based on the fact that my 7 th grade ELL students averaged 30% on my pre-assessment, my goal is that they will average at least 80% on each of the six unit assessments that they will take before May 15. PP: In order to support my ELL students in averaging 80% on unit assessments, I will consistently identify and teach symbols, key terms and other math vocabulary, and use daily exit tickets that measure both vocabulary and conceptual understanding. I will measure my progress through student vocabulary notebooks and tracking exit ticket performance data.

Observation of Chris McCloud: Selective Scripting 1. Read over the three excerpted elements from the rubric. 2. Watch the video. 3. While you are watching the video, collect evidence that will allow you to rate Mr. McCloud on the three elements. Use the worksheet to selectively script evidence related to each of the elements. 4. When you are finished, complete the worksheet and rate Mr. McCloud.

How did it go?

Value of Feedback Targeted, Ongoing Feedback Improved Educator Practice Improved Student Achievement

Characteristics of Effective Feedback FOCUSED: feedback should focus on what was observed EVIDENCE-BASED: feedback should be grounded in evidence of practice CONSTRUCTIVE: feedback should reinforce effective practice and identify areas for continued growth TIMELY: feedback should be provided shortly after the observation

Constructing Feedback Chris McCloud: Using your observation notes and the rubric: Draft two points of feedback for Chris Focus on feedback that is  Focused  Evidence-based, and  Constructive

Feedback conversations What has been your experience with feedback conversations?

Feedback conversations: Resources Beyond the Scoreboard, from Educational Leadership Talk About Teaching, by Charlotte Danielson Leverage Leadership, by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo Difficult Conversations, by Stone, Patton & Heen

Collecting Evidence: What can you see? In the classroomOutside of the classroom In artifacts Well-structured lessons Student engagement Classroom management Differentiated instruction A safe learning environment Professional collaboration Family and community engagement Reflection Results of data analysis Adjustments to practice

Evidence from Artifacts

Collecting and Assessing Evidence - Artifacts Artifacts may include:  Student assessment data  Student work  Lesson plans  Teacher-made assessments Identify possible sources of evidence in the standard you are assigned. What kind of documents can teachers upload?

Artifacts: Clarifying Expectations How many would you like people to submit? What kind of documents? How detailed of a rational would be useful?

Zils PP Goal and Action Steps

Zils PP Artifact #1

Zils PP Artifact #2

Strong SLG and Action Steps

Zils SLG Artifact #1

Zils SLG Artifact #2

Mid Year Check Point

Artifacts: Examples Looking at these artifacts, what evidence do you have of the teacher’s practice?

Trio Activity Thinking about a specific teacher, think about which artifacts you would suggest they upload. Consider what kinds of artifacts would show… - elements that cannot be observed? - evidence of growth in areas noted for improvement? - progress on goals? - performance on each standard?

Artifacts on EDFS: Educator & Evaluator View

Artifacts: Educator & Evaluator View

Artifacts All artifacts have to be uploaded to EDFS – even if the hard copy is not scanned, it has to be entered as evidence and a hard copy kept in a binder. You can comment on artifacts through EDFS, but the online system is not a substitute for face-to-face conversation.

Office of Educator Effectiveness Ross Wilson, Assistant Superintendent for Educator Effectiveness Jared Joiner, Implementation Specialist Emily Kalejs Qazilbash, Implementation Specialist Angela Rubenstein, Implementation Specialist Kris Taylor, Implementation Specialist Jenna Costin, EDFS On-line System Coordinator Evaluator Training Facilitators: Jess Madden-Fuoco, Charlestown High school Sam Varano, Edison K-8

Please complete the exit ticket, and we’ll see you next week!