SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 THE CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND Assuring Highly Effective Teachers for All Ohio Students

TERRY RYAN VICE PRESIDENT OHIO PROGRAMS & POLICY THOMAS B. FORDHAM INSTITUTE

Teacher effectiveness matters “Having a high-quality teacher throughout elementary school can substantially offset or even eliminate the disadvantage of low socio-economic background.” Stanford economist Eric Hanushek

Improving teacher effectiveness has bipartisan support “Everyone agrees that teacher evaluation is broken. Ninety-nine percent of teachers are rated satisfactory and most evaluations ignore the most important measure of a teacher’s success – which is how much students have learned.” U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan

Race to the Top 1 of 4 priorities in the $4.35 billion federal RttT competition Ohio’s application promised a “comprehensive evaluation system that will provide constructive and timely feedback to teachers and principals, serve as a guide to professional development and influence decisions regarding advanced licensure, continuing contracts and removal of ineffective teachers and principals.”

Public attitudes toward tenure and merit pay Q. Do you favor or oppose offering tenure to teachers across the country? Q. Do you favor or oppose basing the salaries of teachers around the nation, in part, on their students’ academic progress on state tests? 49% oppose20% favor31% no opinion 27% oppose47% favor26% no opinion Source: Education Next-PEPG Survey 2011

District leaders’ opinions Ohio superintendents support: Getting rid of automatic step increases in teacher salaries – 7 in 10 said this is very important. Getting rid of provision that “requires a last-in, first-out approach to layoffs” – important to two-thirds. Laws making it “easier to terminate unmotivated or incompetent teachers” – 8 in10 say very important. Source: “Yearning to Break Free: Ohio Superintendents Speak Out,” March 2011

ERIC GORDON CEO CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

Assumptions Teaching is rapidly moving from a “civil service” to a “profession” Current evaluation systems were designed using civil servant models There is agreement that evaluation systems need to improve The question is how to create fair systems of evaluation

Challenges What data and information are appropriate and necessary for a teacher’s evaluation, and to what degree? In what ways should teacher quality influence assignments, layoffs, compensation, employment and promotion? Need for valid and reliable data about student growth to inform decisions

Cleveland’s current work Developing a new teacher development and evaluation system based on Danielson model and work out of Pittsburgh Includes:  multiple measures  announced and unannounced visits  short walk-throughs  examination of student and teacher work  use of data Implementing in 24 schools this year

Core elements Rubric based Four rating levels Commitment to use of multiple valid and reliable growth measures, where it is available Designed to inform professional development Meant to build upon and expand existing Peer Assistance and Review program

Urgency of the work Part of CMSD’s Race to the Top work; complete design and implementation due Urgently need better evaluation and development of teachers and all professional employees Making employment decisions; need to get it right

MIKE MILES SUPERINTENDENT HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 COLORADO

SEPTEMBER OVERVIEW The Harrison E&R Plan

Evaluation Aligned PD PLCs Use of Data Leadership Instructional Leadership Compensation Systemic Factors Instruction al Feedback Curr. Align.

Principal Review District Review in thousands of dollars The E&R Scale

Teacher Evaluation Effectiveness PerformanceAchievement +=  Quality of instruction  Student engagement  Effective strategies and practices  Curriculum alignment  Classroom management  Other criteria  Measures of student achievement (CSAP, District common assessments, constructed responses, etc.)  School performance on CSAP  Teacher’s individual student achievement goal

Achievement Templates PartTypeSubjectPeer Group W1, W2Class CSAPReading, Writing, Math NA W3, W4CBMsReading, Writing, Math, Science (2x) Reading peer group; SPED; NEP; LEP; new student W5, W6Progress monitoring and Timed SCRs Reading and Math progress monitoring; Timed SCRs in writing Reading peer group; SPED; NEP; LEP; new student W7School CSAPReading, Writing, Math NA W8Student Achievement Goal NA 4 th and 5 th Grades

KATE WALSH PRESIDENT NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY

Moving Toward Effectiveness Align all teacher policies to support effectiveness:  Teacher preparation  Licensure/certification  Mentoring/professional development  Evaluation  Tenure  Compensation  Dismissal States are making progress, but much work remains…

Noteworthy Changes: 2009 to 2010 PolicyNumber of States-2009 Number of States-2010 Number of States Requires evidence of student learning to be the preponderant criterion in teacher evaluation Requires annual evaluations of all nonprobationary teachers Requires evidence of student learning to be the preponderant criterion in tenure decisions 047 Requires evidence of teacher effectiveness to be a factor in license renewal 133 Specifies ineffectiveness is grounds for dismissal 049

Elements of Evaluation Policy Required measures  Objective measures of student learning most significant factor  Classroom observations Frequency and timing of evaluations Evaluation categories/ratings and related rewards and sanctions Development/selection of required measures Balancing local flexibility with state responsibility for rigor and validity Implementation issues: timeline, training, etc.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 THE CITY CLUB OF CLEVELAND Assuring Highly Effective Teachers for All Ohio Students