1. Overview of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) for 2016-2017

2. Keys of Appraisal Student growth is a part of the appraisal process:
Formative
Ongoing and timely
Formalize what highly effective educators do
Develop habits of self-assessment, reflection, and adjustment
Collaborative, supportive cultures

3. New Evaluations Systems
Refinement year for T-TESS and T-PESS
Piloting value-added data and student learning objectives
Statewide rollout of T-TESS and T-PESS
Refinement year for SLOs
Addition of student growth to T-TESS and T-PESS

4. Tim Regal at TEA

5. The SLO Process
A series of questions that, if I answer thoughtfully and thoroughly, should lead to improvements in instruction and student learning.

6. What SLOs Are Not
Determining student growth with SLO is not:
Subtracting a beginning-of-year skill number from an end-of-year skill number
Mathematical or mathematically precise
Numerically standardized across a campus or district
Focused on traditional testing

7. Questions to Start the Year

8. First Question
What are the student skills in one subject area on which this SLO should focus?

9. Skill and Need
Balance between foundational skill(s) I teach and the needs of my students
Foundational skills are those primary skills I develop that:
Affect not just this course, but potentially success in other courses (analysis, process, synthesis, numeracy, etc.)
Are persistent skills that last beyond this year
Ensure depth of thinking/knowledge/skill, not for a particular test, but for any assessment of skill for this curriculum
Needs of my students are those holes in their skill set that:
Analysis of data identifies as a need
Prevent the accumulation of other knowledge and skills
Are central and persistent skills that thread throughout the course

10. Second Question
Where do I think my students will be with these skills upon entering my classroom?

11. Initial Skill Profile
What do I think will be the range of skill with which my students will enter my classroom?
Past experience teaching that subject and grade level
Knowledge of students/campus
Information from colleagues
End of year performance standards from previous grade/course
In building the profile, I want to think of a bell curve:
The middle level captures the middle of the bell curve, where most of my students should be
The top level captures the high end of the tail, where my most skilled students should be
The bottom level captures the bottom end of the tail, where my least skilled students should be

12. Creating Initial Student Skill Profiles

13. Third Question
Where are my students actually with this skill upon entering my class?

14. Initial Skill Profile
During the first 3-6 weeks of the year, I determine where my students actually are by:
Looking at past academic data (grades, assessments, courses taken)
Looking at demographic data (at-risk, socio-economic data, ELL, special education)
Looking at demonstrations of that skill in my class (formal and informal assessments, class work, surveys)

15. Fourth Question
Based on where my students actually are with this skill, if I provide effective instruction throughout the year, where should these students be at the end of the course?

16. Targeted Skill Profile
In building the profile, I want to think of a bell curve:
The middle level captures the middle of the bell curve, where most of my students should be
The top level captures the high end of the tail, where my most skilled students should be
The bottom level captures the bottom end of the tail, where my least skilled students should be
For each student covered in the SLO, I determine how that individual should develop over the course based on all the data I reviewed (including where he or she landed on the Initial Skill Profile).
This is the Targeted Skill Level for that student.

17. Creating Targeted Student Skill Profiles

18. Questions During the Year

19. Next Set of Questions
What practices and strategies will allow my students (collectively and individually) to progress throughout the year?
How are my students progressing in response to these practices and strategies?
For those that aren’t progressing appropriately, what changes can I make that may allow me to better reach them?

20. Questions at end of Year

21. First Question
How did each student in the SLO progress?

22. Scoring Student Growth
Determining student growth is as simple as asking for each student:
Based on the review of the end-of-the year skill demonstration(s), did this student meet, exceed or fall below the Targeted Skill Level?
Determining student growth is not:
Subtracting the beginning-of-year skill number from the end-of-year skill number
Mathematical or mathematically precise
Numerically standardized across a campus or district

23. Second Question
How did I do in engaging in the SLO process and progressing my students?

24. SLO Outcome Rubrics
The rubric combines teacher practices and student outcomes by generally looking at five things:
The quality of the SLO
High expectations in student growth goals
The process of monitoring, analyzing data, and making adjustments to practice
Students making targeted growth
Students exceeding targeted growth

25. Third Question
In looking at how my students progressed, what worked, what didn’t work, and, most importantly, what I can improve upon to have a greater effect on all of my students next year?

26. Reflection
Which students met/exceeded targeted growth? Why did this happen?
Which student fell below targeted growth? Why did this happen?
What will I adjust or improve upon next year based on this data?
Areas for improvement could be:
Instructional practices
Instructional strategies
Pacing/scaffolding
Assumptions

27. Alignment with T-TESS Post-conference and end-of-year conference
SLO process as evidence on the T-TESS rubric
Principal practice and the T-PESS rubric
Goal-setting and professional development plan
Collaboration

28. Benefits to Participating in 2016-2017 SLO Refinement Year
Participating districts and charters in will benefit with opportunities to:
familiarize themselves with the SLO process and the value of the feedback it yields,
send campus and district leaders to free SLO training conducted by national trainers;
access continued SLO support throughout the refinement year from TEA, ESC staff, and national trainers to assist in implementation;
customize recommended policies and procedures to fit the local context; and
provide feedback for refinement of the SLO process to be used in Texas. 

29. Participating in 2016-2017 SLO Refinement Year
Districts participating in the SLO refinement year will be asked to commit to:
selecting a group of teachers and their appraisers to adopt the SLO framework as defined by TEA;
ensuring that appropriate representatives of each participating school such as principals, assistant principals, teacher leaders, and/or central office personnel attend SLO training in summer 2016 in order to train participating teachers at the beginning of school;
participating in surveys and/or focus groups designed to collect data for the refinement of the SLO process;
documenting the SLO implementation processes, including policies and procedures enacted; and
implementing the SLO process with fidelity.

30. Participating in 2016-2017 SLO Refinement Year
A survey will be sent to LEAs in Region 11 in early January asking for information from districts and charters wanting to participate in the SLO Refinement Year.
Contact Laura Carson with questions or requests for information.
Laura Carson, Coordinator of Teaching and Learning
(817) or