Best Practices and New Perspectives in HR The Strategic Data Project Human Capital Diagnostic Spring GASPA | May 5, 2011

Right People Right Data Right Decisions Right Analysis Increase student achievement and attainment by informing decision making at the district level with new data and analysis. 2 SDP Goal Theory of Action

Best Practice #1 Allow data driven-decisions to go beyond the classroom. Use data to make a wide variety of human resource decisions. Allow data driven-decisions to go beyond the classroom. Use data to make a wide variety of human resource decisions. – Specific to teacher sourcing, selection, and placements. – Take “deep dives” into human capital data. 3

Less-experienced teachers are placed with lower- performing students 4 FCS places less experienced teachers with lower performing students both across the district and within schools. The same pattern is also evident in ELA courses.

Best Practice #2 Begin to put some focus on systemic placement of least experienced teachers. Begin to put some focus on systemic placement of least experienced teachers. – Increased partnering with area superintendents in order to analyze data around teacher experience and local placements within schools. – Strategy around hiring 0-3 yr. teachers versus 4+ yr. teachers. 5

6 Estimating Teacher Effectiveness: The SDP Approach What are teacher effects? Teacher effects represent one strategy to quantitatively estimate an individual teacher’s influence on the amount his or her students learn from one year to the next, as measured by performance on standardized tests. How are teacher effects estimated? Conceptually, we measure student achievement growth and isolate the portion of the growth that is attributable to the student’s primary teacher (as opposed to other factors such as the home environment, supplemental instruction, peer groups, etc.).

Challenging Assumptions Don’t forget: You can copy- paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll.

Teachers with advanced degrees are no more effective than teachers without them 8 College Graduation Evaluate Georgia’s salary schedule pays teachers with advanced degrees more, although they are no more effective than their counterparts without such degrees.

Best Practice #3 Limit your assumptions when recruiting and hiring teachers. Set a standard and select using the standard as your guide. Limit your assumptions when recruiting and hiring teachers. Set a standard and select using the standard as your guide. – Develop a teacher template, including those competencies that are prevalent in effective teachers. – Develop leadership to approach all hiring decisions from this perspective. 9

10 Estimates of teacher effectiveness among novice teachers are predictive of future performance After ranking novice teachers in quartiles using two years of math teacher effectiveness data, these teachers, on average, perform similarly in their third year.

Best Practice #4 Put a systemic focus on professional learning and performance management on your novice teachers. Put a systemic focus on professional learning and performance management on your novice teachers. – Focus on mentoring and coaching – Use performance management tools to make the proper evaluation of teachers prior to them gaining tenure. 11

12 Outcome Definition Stay Teacher remains teaching (appears in course table) at the same school Transfer Teacher remains teaching (appears in course table) at a different school Other District Job Teacher receives FCS salary but no longer appears in course table Leave District Teacher no longer receives FCS salary Retention Definitions 80 % 5% 10% 5%

Challenging Assumptions Don’t forget: You can copy- paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll.

14 FCS retains its most effective math teachers at higher rates than its less effective novice math teachers This pattern is not evident in ELA.

15 The least effective experienced math teachers in FCS stay in the classroom at the same rate as their more effective colleagues However, the most effective teachers take other jobs in the district at higher rates (8%) than their less effective peers ( %).

Best Practice #5 Focus on retaining the best. Understand that this profession is not for everybody. Focus on retaining the best. Understand that this profession is not for everybody. – Keeping the best and the worst does not help the district improve student achievement. – Always focus on competencies and skills that have the most positive impact on students. – Understand what value HR brings to this goal. 16

Develop Recruit Retain/ Turnover Place Evaluate Develop Major Findings 1. Less-experienced teachers are placed with lower-performing students 2. Teachers with advanced degrees are no more effective than teachers without them 4. FCS retains its most effective math teachers at higher rates than its less effective novice math teachers 3. Estimates of teacher effectiveness among novice teachers are predictive of future performance

Best Practice Summary 1.Use Data to drive HR decisions. 2.Look at how you place your least experienced teachers. 3.Challenge your assumptions about sourcing and selecting teachers. 4.Look at how you can enhance professional learning and performance management, specifically for novice teachers. 5.Focus on retaining the best. Understand that this profession is not for everybody. 18

Contact Information Lance Young, SPHR Executive Director, HR Fulton County Schools