1. Compass: Module 3
Student Growth

2. Compass Requirements: Teachers’ Overall Evaluation Rating
Professional Practice
Measured by the Compass Teacher Rubric
Minimum of TWO observations
(one formal, announced; one informal)
Student Growth
Student Learning Targets (SLTs)
Value-added Score (VAM) where available
This pie chart represents Compass’s requirements.
The State’s goal is to create a set of requirements associated with teacher evaluation. The requirements established by Act 54 and Bulletin 130 set the parameters.
Compass requires that teachers’ overall evaluation rating be based upon Student Growth and Professional Practice, each of which will be counted as 50% of the total. Both Student Growth and Professional Practices are rated on a scale of 1.0 to These two scores will be averaged to determine the teachers’ overall level of effectiveness.
Let’s first talk about Student Growth:
All teachers will write two Student Learning Targets (SLTs) for the specific group of students they are teaching. These SLTs will be used as a the scoring mechanism for all Non Tested Grade level teachers.
Teachers in Grades 3-8 will be evaluated using the Value-Added Model (VAM), however, SLTs may be used in cases where VAM is determined to not be appropriate.
The other half of the score comes from Professional Practice which is measured by classroom observations using the Compass Teacher Rubric. There will be a minimum of two observations, one is required to be a formal or announced observation and the other an informal, but that is the minimum. Administrators may choose to do more than the two.
Once the two scores are available, they will be averaged and a rating will be given.
As you can see in this slide:
is deemed ineffective
is deemed effective: emerging
is deemed effective: proficient, and
is deemed highly effective
All ratings will be calculated using the state’s Human Capital Information System or HCIS. We have a district team that will attend training on the new HCIS program at the end of this month. That team will return and train all effected personnel.
1.00 – 1.49
1.50 – 2.49
2.50 – 3.49
3.50 – 4.00
Ineffective
Effective: Emerging
Effective: Proficient
Highly Effective

3. In this MODULE you will :
Learn and practice the process for setting, tracking, and scoring Student Learning Targets (SLTs).
Be able to establish and assess student learning targets.
4 min
Good morning and welcome to _________. . 
The goal is for you to leave training with:
The ability to understand Student Learning Targets;
Know how to write Student Learning Targets for your students, and
Understand the process of identifying Pre/Post tests to determine your students achievement levels.

4. Measuring Teacher Impact on Student Growth in Tested Grades and Subjects (Value-Added Model -- VAM)
The state’s Value-Added Model applies to teachers of grades and subjects that fall within the state's annual assessment program and allow for at least one year of prior test data. For the school year, teachers in grades 3-8 who teach core subjects, as well as high school Algebra I and Geometry teachers of 9th grade students, (about 36 percent of the state’s teachers) will have value- added information that will be used to establish the student growth component of their evaluations.
VAM teachers will also write a minimum of 2 Student Learning Targets (SLTs).
For the purpose of involving all teachers in the evaluation process, teachers in a tested grades and subjects are referred to as VAM teachers, (VAM stands for Value Added Model). These teachers will receive their student growth component based calculations developed by the state to compute where students should score at the end of the year based on previous test data.
VAM teachers will also be required to write 2 Student Learning Targets (SLTs). Only in extenuating circumstances will a VAM teacher’s SLTs be used to compute the student growth component of their evaluations.

5. Non-Tested Grades and Subjects (NTGS)
NTGS teachers will establish a minimum of 2 Student Learning Targets (SLTs) at the start of the school year.
LDOE recommends these goals be established and approved by October 1.
If you are not a VAM teacher, you fall into the NTGS category.
For teachers in the Non-tested grades, the attainment of these pre-determined Student Learning Goals will be used to determine the growth component of the state’s Compass evaluation system. 

6. Setting Learning Targets for students is essential instructional practice, and nothing new for strong educators.
GOAL SETTING: Teachers in all subjects will set quantifiable achievement goals for students.
Goals provide the motivation, focus, and accountability necessary to promote student achievement. They set a vision for what students should be able to accomplish by the year’s end.
The process itself promotes teachers’ thoughtful engagement with their content and consideration of their students’ needs.
There is no single way to engage in the goal setting process. With the support of their school leaders, teachers must determine ambitious yet reasonable goals for the students in their room.
Checking in on goals throughout the school year gives administrators the information they need to ensure that teachers and students are on track.

7. Professional Practice
SLTs: Definition
Student Growth
Student Learning Targets ( )
Value-added Score, where available
(1.0 – 4.0)
Professional Practice
Measured using the Louisiana Teacher Rubric (or alternative)
Minimum of TWO observations
An SLT is a measureable goal for student achievement over a given period of time that reflects an ambitious, but reasonable, expectation of growth.
Strong SLTs:
Prioritize content that is aligned to Common Core State Standards or other national, state, or local standards;
Articulate rigorous but reasonable expectations for student growth; and
Identify a high-quality assessment to measure student progress.
Goal-setting for teachers will be guided by Student Learning Targets or SLTs.
All teachers in Louisiana will conduct a Student Learning Targets process. For those teachers without value-added scores, SLTs will count for their Student Growth score.
Before we go further, let’s define an SLT. A student learning target (SLT) is a measureable goal for student achievement over a given period of time that reflects an ambitious, but reasonable, expectation of growth.
Strong SLTs prioritize content that is aligned to Common Core State Standards or other national, state, or local standards; articulate rigorous, but reasonable, expectations for student growth; and identify a high-quality assessment to measure student progress.
The purpose of the student learning target (SLT) process is not to strictly prescribe or reinvent goal-setting, but instead to provide guidance for all educators as they set goals for students and explain exactly how these goals will factor into the evaluation of teachers.

8. How Does the Annual SLT Process Work?
Beginning of Year
Teachers set at least two targets and define what performance will look like at each level of effectiveness
Evaluators and teachers agree on targets
Mid-Year
Teachers and evaluators monitor progress toward targets
Teachers and evaluators update targets if assignment or student population changes significantly
End of Year
Evaluators assign teachers a final rating based on students’ progress towards target using the agreed upon definitions of effectiveness from the beginning of the year
At the end of the year, a teacher will be considered Highly Effective if, on average, students significantly exceed the goal set; Effective if students, on average, meet goals; and Ineffective if students, on average, fall significantly short of the goal.  
Many of you are probably wondering how this will work.
[Talk through slide.]
So, as you see, the SLT process forms the basis for a strong and complete goal-setting cycle.

9. An SLT represents what students should learn and have learned
An SLT represents what students should learn and have learned. This is the heart of our work.
Clear, ambitious, measurable goals for students are nothing new in education. Strong educators across the state already embrace goals, use them to guide instruction, and hold themselves accountable for achieving goals.
SLTs provide a frame for goal setting that allows:
Teachers, with the support of their school leaders and evaluators, to establish the best and most appropriate aspirations for their students.
Evaluators, teachers, students and stakeholders to have a shared understanding of what will be accomplished during the year.
All of us to use a common measure of and language for accountability.
By design, the process for setting SLTs is not prescriptive.
Teachers and administrators must use their vision, expertise, and professional judgment to determine what their students can achieve.

10. What Responsibilities Do Educators Have?
Teacher Role:
Consult with evaluator to determine local guidance
Collaborate with evaluator to define ambitious, achievable SLTs
Write at least two SLTs per year:
These may target whole classes or subgroups of students
Consider maximum coverage of students and most significant content is setting SLTs and scoring plan with evaluator
Monitor student progress
Update SLTs, if needed
Collect and present evidence of student progress

11. Four Steps to Writing Strong SLTs
Define the Content
Identify Assessment & Collect Baseline
Identify the Student Group
Set the Growth Target & Scoring Plan
Step 1: Define the Content
Step 2: Identify the Assessment & Collect Baseline Data
Step 3: Identify the Student Group
Step 4: Set the Growth Target & Aligned Scoring Plan
These are the four main steps in writing strong Student Learning Targets. We’re going work on these steps individually.
The first step is to Define the Content that you’ll set goals for.
Next, you’ll identify the Assessment and Collect Baseline Data about student starting points.
Then, you’ll figure out how to define the groups of Students for whom to set goals.
Last, you’ll Set the Growth Target, along with a clear, transparent, Aligned Scoring Plan.

12. Step One: Define the Content
Identify Assessment & Collect Baseline
Identify the Student Group
Set the Growth Target & Scoring Plan
Teachers should define the content that is most important for students to learn during their time in that particular class or course.
Prioritize content that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards whenever possible.
Look to other national, state, or local standards in identifying the content that students should learn by the end of the course.
First, teachers should define the content that is most important for students to learn during their time with them. In making this determination, teachers should prioritize content that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards, wherever possible. They may also look to other national, state, or local standards in identifying the content that students should learn by the end of the course.
For example, let’s say you’re teaching English II. The most important content for students to learn in this course is that which is aligned with Common Core skills and assessed on the End-of-Course (EOC) exam, such as: recognizing how word choice relates to tone and purpose; making inferences about character motivation; and elaborating ideas in written compositions.
We’re actually not going to practice this step now, as it is entirely subject-specific, but do you have any questions about it?

13. Step Two: Identify the Assessment & Collect Baseline Data
Define the Content
Identify Assessment & Collect Baseline
Identify the Student Group
Set the Growth Target & Scoring Plan
Teachers identify the most appropriate assessment to measure students’ mastery of the identified content.
Refer to the LDOE Common Assessment List or specific district guidance.
If a common assessment is unavailable, teachers and evaluators agree on the most appropriate assessment. When no or few common assessments are available, consider collaboratively designing assessments at the school- or district-level.
Teachers gather baseline data about students’ starting points. Data sources may include:
Pre-test aligned to the final assessment
Diagnostic exam designed to assess students’ readiness for new content
Analysis of data from the end of the previous course or year
Basically you need to know two things:
Where do I want my students to be at the end of the year?
Where are my students now in relation to my desired end point?
Teachers should identify the most appropriate assessment to measure students’ progress in mastering the identified content. Teachers should select an assessment from the LDOE Common Assessment List, if available, and can also consult with their evaluators to determine any additional guidance the district may have on assessments.
If neither the LDOE nor the LEA has recommended an assessment for a particular course, then teachers and evaluators should agree on the most appropriate assessment, given the course content and the needs of the students. This presents an opportunity for teachers of similar assignments to collaborate at the school- or district-level to design common assessments where there are currently few available.
Once teachers know what they will be assessing students on and how, they should agree with their evaluators on how to gather baseline data about where students are starting – so they know where to set their targets and how to plan their instruction. Baseline data may be gathered in a number of ways
a pre-test aligned to the final assessment,
a diagnostic exam designed to assess students’ readiness for new content, or
an analysis of data from the end of the previous course or year, if available.

14. Step Three: Identify the Student Group
Define the Content
Identify Assessment & Collect Baseline
Identify the Student Group
Set the Growth Target & Scoring Plan
SLTs may be set for:
Entire classes of students
Multiple sections of the same course
Smaller groups, such as the lowest performing students
Teachers should try to address the majority of their students across their two or more SLTs
Teachers should prioritize academic content areas most aligned to the Common Core.
Teachers and evaluators have the flexibility to determine which types of targets are the most meaningful measures of teachers’ work in a given year.
Before articulating a specific target, teachers should identify the students to whom the target will apply. SLTs may be set for entire classes of students or multiple sections of the same course, or they may be set for smaller groups of students, such as the lowest performing students a teacher serves. It is recommended that teachers try to address the majority of their students across their two or more SLTs and that they prioritize the academic content areas that are most aligned to the Common Core, as they finalize their SLTs.
Again, this is very specific to the particular circumstance, so we’re not going to practice this one today, but are there any questions?

15. Step Four: Set the Growth Target & Aligned Scoring Plan
Define the Content
Identify Assessment & Collect Baseline
Identify the Student Group
Set the Growth Target & Scoring Plan
For each target, teachers will set the expectation for student growth, a goal that is ambitious – a bit of a stretch for students – but still attainable.
Then, teachers and evaluators agree on a well-defined scoring plan for the SLT, as exemplified below.
For each target, teachers will set the expectation for student growth: a goal that is ambitious – maybe a bit of a stretch for students – but still attainable.
Then, the teacher and evaluator will agree upon a well-defined scoring plan for the SLT, using the four-point scale shown here [read aloud].
To set the achievement ranges for each scoring level, teachers and evaluators should begin with the Full Attainment level (3), and establish range of student outcomes that begins with the target itself and extends approximately 10-15% above the targets. Next they should determine the range for the Exceptional Attainment level (4) as anything above the Full Attainment range. The Partial Attainment range should be about equal to that of the ‘Full Attainment’ range, beginning approximately 10-15% below the target and extending to just below the target. The ‘Insufficient Attainment’ range should be defined as any result below the ‘Partial Attainment’ range.
*If you have a very mobile population, you might want to use % of students and not a number of students.

16. What is an SLT? Let’s look at a sample SLT
At the end of the year, let’s say that 31 students scored a level 2 or above on the PE teacher’s rubric. What would be the SLT score for the teacher? (3 – Full Attainment of Target)
What if 29 students scored a level 2 or above? (2 – Partial Attainment of Target)
The state has an abundance of samples on their website. Our district has also prepared some samples for you to go by.

17. Exemplary Growth Target for English II
Example: English II
I decided to develop a pre-test based on English II items from Eagle to determine how many of my students are starting the year at grade level. When I gave this test:
52 of 90 (58%) got at least half the questions right. Students need to get 60% of items right to earn a score of Good, so all of these students should be able to score Good or Excellent on the English II EOC.
20 of 90 (22%) got about 40-50% of the questions right. Some of these students should score Good or Excellent on the English II EOC.
18 of 90 (20%) scored below 40%. These students will need more intensive support to catch up to grade level, but a few of them should be able to score Good or Excellent on the English II EOC with this support. I will set a separate growth target for these students.
At my school last year, classrooms with similar baseline data had approximately 65% of students score Good or Excellent. Given this data, I am setting a goal that
70% of students (63 of the 90 students) will score Good or Excellent on the English II EOC.
Take a few moments to read through this example.

18. Scoring Plan for English II
Example: English II
Target: 63 out of 90 students will score Good or Excellent on the English II EOC.
Now let’s review the scoring plan.

19. Where value-added results are not available, the average of scores on SLTs will serve as the Student Growth score.
All teachers should set targets for students’ growth at the beginning of the year and measure their success in meeting those targets as the end of the year, as a best practice.
Final performance ratings for teachers with a value-added score will be the average of that score and their Professional Practice Score.
For all other teachers, the 50% Student Growth is based on assessment of students’ attainment of SLTs and will be averaged with their Professional Practice score to determine their final rating.
All teachers should set targets for students’ growth at the beginning of the year, as a best practice, but only those WITHOUT value-added data will be scored and counted in the overall Compass rating.
In order to receive value-added data, teachers must teach a course in which there is a state standardized assessment and where there is a state standardized assessment in the previous course, as well.

20. Calculating the Student Growth Score
At the end of the instructional period, the evaluator will score each SLT according to the Scoring Plan.
The HCIS system will average the scores to yield the final Student Growth Score.
At the end of each SLT period (typically the end of school year), evaluators will review student performance data to determine each SLT score (based on the scoring plan).
The SLTs for each teacher will be averaged to provide the student growth component of the total Compass score.
SLT #1: 3
SLT #2: 2
Student Growth Score: 2.50

21. Key Resources for SLTs Compass Teacher Evaluation Guidebook
Overview Presentation on Setting Goals:
Common Assessments List:
SLT Template:
SLT Samples:
Before we begin this section, be aware that these resources are available to assist you with your Student Learning Targets.
Student Learning Targets are for all teachers and these resources are available to all of you.
[Talk through resources]
Compass Teacher Evaluation Guidebook is on the DOE website.
Overview (is on the web)
Common Assessment List is a list of assessments that are acceptable to write SLTs to. This is not an all inclusive list.
SLT template is blank. You can type on it, but you can’t save it.
SLT Samples: Click each subjected listed to see the samples. They are also printed off in handout format.

22. Please contact your administration.
Questions?
Please contact your administration.