Alaska Staff Development Network – 2013 Spring Leadership Retreat

1. Alaska Staff Development Network – 2013 Spring Leadership Retreat Emerging Trends and issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska April 10, 2013 8:30 – 4:00 p.m. Mat-Su School District - Palmer, Alaska Session Leader: Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

2. Welcome Kelly Tonsmiere Director Alaska Staff Development Network Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013

3. Greetings Gene Stone Assistant Superintendent Matanuska-Sustina Borough School District Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013

4. Workshop Purposes and Agenda Overview Al Bertani RAPPS Senior Design Consultant Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013

5. Session Objectives • Examine the regulations and requirements of the recent Alaskan legislation regarding educator evaluations. • Explore learnings emerging from policy an procedural changes regarding educator evaluation across the U.S. • Understand how states and districts have organized their processes for revising educator evaluation systems. • Engage in a deep dive about different educator evaluation models. • Consider the implications of these trends and issues for Alaska districts while implementing the new State of Alaska policies and procedures for educator evaluations. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

6. Session Design DESIGN FOR LEARNING FRAME TASKS MAINTAIN ENERGY CONNECT KEEP TIME PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT

7. Session Norms • The LEARNING belongs to you, and it rests largely with you. • Enter into the discussions ENTHUSIASTICALLY!!! • Give FREELY of your experience, but don’t dominate the discussion. • CONFINE your discussions to the task assigned. • Say what you THINK… be honest! • Only ONE PERSON should talk at a time… avoid private conversations while someone else is talking… • Listen ATTENTIVELY to the presentations and discussions. • BE PATIENT with other participants… appreciate their point of view… • Be PROMPT and REGULAR in attendance. • Place your cell phones on SILENT or VIBRATE to minimize interruptions. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

8. Framing the Day: Teacher Evaluation Trends and Issues

9. Desired Outcomes • Help participants see their work in a larger context. • Connect local issues across district and state contexts. • Connect policy change with moral purpose for leaders. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

10. The Widget Effect The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness; Weinberg, Saxton, Mulhelm, and Keeling; 2009

11. The Widget Effect • Nearly all teachers received high ratings (good or great) • Districts failed to recognize and reward excellence • Professional development was rarely tied to results and when it was, little support was offered to teachers • New teachers generally were rated above satisfactory, and tenure was seldom denied to teachers based on observation results • Poor performance rarely led to teacher dismissal The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness; Weinberg, Saxton, Mulhelm, and Keeling; 2009

12. Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn “Before, I had no idea what my principal was looking for – I had to be a mind reader! So I just played it safe, taught a familiar lesson, one I knew would go well – but did the process improve my teaching?” Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

13. The Evaluation Review SEE LINK BELOW TO YOUTUBE VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p8cxmZLgsA

14. Unprecedented Waves of Legislation 2010 to 2012 • Mandated annual evaluations • Use of student learning results • Linking evaluation results to key personnel decisions (Tenure, RIF, Dismissal, Retention) Twenty-One States Represented in the Study: AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL, ID, IL, IN, LA, MD, MI, MN, NV, NJ, NY, OH, OK, RI, TN, WA. RTT and I3 Legislative Majorities Newly Elected Governors Recent State Action on Teacher Effectiveness: What’s in State Law and Regulations Sara Mead; Bellwether Education Partners; August 2012

15. Evidence of Student Learning Required in Teacher Evaluation Systems All states in the study require the inclusion of some evidence of student learning… • Ten (10) states - 50% of Evaluation • Four (4) states - Less that 50% • Four (4) states - Links highly effective ratings to threshold student learning gains • Two (2) states - No prescribed percentage or threshold Recent State Action on Teacher Effectiveness: What’s in State Law and Regulations Sara Mead; Bellwether Education Partners; August 2012

16. “Parents, practitioners, and policy makers agree that the key to improving public education in America is placing highly skilled and effective teachers in all classrooms.” Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness How Teacher Performance Assessments Can Measure and Improve Teaching Linda Darling Hammond for the Center for American Progress October 2010

17. Teacher Evaluation Policy Issues • What is the frequency and timing of required evaluations? • Who is responsible for the development of the system? • What measures are required? • How is student growth factored in? • Is student achievement the preponderant criteria? • What are the evaluation categories? • Who is responsible for conducting evaluations? • What observation procedures are specified? • What are the required uses of evaluation results? • What employment consequences are tied to evaluations? State of the States: Trends and Early Lessons on Teacher Evaluation and Effectiveness Policies; National Council on Teacher Quality; October 2011

18. Top of Mind As you consider the focus of today’s Leadership Retreat and this Opening Session, what’s on your mind? As a table group, respond to these prompts: • What are you excited about… • What are you concerned about… Excited – Unlined Side of the Card Concerned – Lined Side of the Card

19. EED Alaska Requirements for Educator Evaluations Susan McCauley, Director of Teaching and Learning - EED Sondra Meredith, Administrator Teacher Education and Certification - EED

20. Desired Outcomes • Build clarity around legislative regulations and requirements. • Help leaders develop a greater comfort with the changes. • Minimize fears and anxieties. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

21. Emerging Trends and Issues: Designing New Educator Evaluation Systems

22. Desired Outcomes • Promote learning from early adopters. • Anticipate issues and concerns. • Develop readiness for building new systems. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

23. A clear message has taken shape following Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation, and School Improvement Grants as part of the stimulus package… “ Federal policy now focuses on teacher ‘effectiveness’ rather than teacher ‘quality’.” Measuring Effectiveness: What Will It Take? By Stumbo and McWalters Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

24. Race to the Top The Race to the Top applications asked states to: “design and implement rigorous, transparent, and fair evaluation systems for teachers and principals that … differentiate effectiveness using multiple rating categories that take into account DATA ON STUDENT GROWTH AS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR.” (Page 34 – Application Process) Measuring Effectiveness: What Will It Take? By Stumbo and McWalters Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

25. Blueprint for Reform The focus on teacher effectiveness is also reflected in the Blueprint for Reform in the ESEA Reauthorization… “We are calling on states and districts to develop and implement systems of teacher and principal evaluation and support and to identify effective and highly effective teachers and principals on the basis of student growth and other factors.” Measuring Effectiveness: What Will It Take? By Stumbo and McWalters Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

26. Different State Models for Evaluation Systems Standardized --------------------------------------------- More Flexible

27. Strengths and Weakness of Elective Model A Practical Guide to Designing Comprehensive Teacher Evaluation Systems; National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality; May 2012

28. High Quality Teacher Evaluation Systems Possess these common characteristics… • A consistent definition of good teaching • A shared understanding of this definition • Skilled evaluators Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

29. Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn “Before, I had no idea what my principal was looking for – I had to be a mind reader! So I just played it safe, taught a familiar lesson, one I knew would go well – but did the process improve my teaching? Not at all! In my old school, the principal just came in with a checklist, but we never really talked. But this time, we had a great conversation about how to help my students want to write. It really made me think. As a result, I’ve got a new approach: I’m going to engage some students around the things they’re passionate about and have them try to convince their classmates about the value of such interests.” Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

30. Teacher Evaluation Feedback SEE LINK BELOW TO YOUTUBE VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFLpgWDrQ-E

31. Evaluating Teachers – Three Ways • Inputs are what a teacher brings to his or her position, generally measured as teacher background, beliefs, expectations, experience, pedagogical and content knowledge, certification and licensure, and educational attainment. • Processes refers to the interaction that occurs in a classroom between teachers and students. It also may include a teacher’s professional activities within the larger school and community. • Outputsrepresent the results of classroom processes, such as impact on student achievement, graduation rates, student behavior, engagement, attitudes, and social-emotional well-being. Approaches to Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness – June 2008 Goe, Bell, and Little National Comprehensive Center on Teacher Quality

32. Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn A good system of teacher evaluation must answer four basic questions: • How good is good enough? • Good enough at what? • How do we know? • Who should decide? How well does your local teacher evaluation system answer these questions? Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

33. Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn A good system of teacher evaluation must answer four basic questions: • How good is good enough? • Good enough at what? • How do we know? • Who should decide? How well does your local teacher evaluation system answer these questions? Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

34. Comparing Teacher Evaluation Systems • Examine examples of Teacher Evaluation Systems from Colorado, Tennessee, and Washington. • Take your yellow packet and something to write with - • Form a trio with leaders from other tables. • Decide who will read about each state – CO, TN, WA. • Read quietly highlighting specific elements of the text. • Be prepared to share your learnings with your colleagues. • Use the Venn Diagram sheet to compare and contrast the • elements of each example reviewed – CO, TN, WA. • What’s the same – What’s different… You have the next fifteen minutes to complete your task. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska; ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

35. Comparing Teacher Evaluation Systems Colorado Tennessee Washington Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska; ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

36. Research Study Questions Question 1Can measures of effective teaching identify teachers who better help students learn? Question 2How much weight should be placed on each measure of effective teaching? Question 3 How can teachers be assured trustworthy results from classroom observations? MET Project Ensuring Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching January 2013

37. Major Research Findings • Effective teaching can be measured. Teachers previously identified as more effective caused students to learn more.  Groups of teachers identified as less effective caused students to learn less. Balanced weights indicate multiple aspects of effective teaching. Teaching is too complex for any single measure of performance to capture it accurately.  Trade off’s to using different models. Adding a second observer increases reliability significantly more than having the same observer score an additional lesson. Adding outside observers can provide an on-going check against in-school bias. MET Project Ensuring Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching January 2013

38. Moving From and To… MET Working with Teachers to Develop Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching June 2010

39. Emerging Learnings: Trends and Issues: Implementing New Educator Evaluation Systems

40. Desired Outcomes • Promote learning from implementation examples. • Help leaders understand how others have managed implementation issues. • Transfer learnings to local implementation efforts. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

41. Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn A good system of teacher evaluation must answer four basic questions: • How good is good enough? • Good enough at what? • How do we know? • Who should decide? How well does your local teacher evaluation system answer these questions? Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

42. Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn A good system of teacher evaluation must answer four basic questions: • How good is good enough? • Good enough at what? • How do we know? • Who should decide? How well does your local teacher evaluation system answer these questions? Evaluations That Help Teachers Learn by Charlotte Danielson Educational Leadership – December 2010 ASCD

43. How Do We Know…Research Informed How would you weight the different aspects of effective teaching? Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

44. How Do We Know… Add lines and percentages for each component. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

45. Good Enough at What – How Do We Know… School Leadership Professional Development Classroom Observations Student Achievement Results Developed by Patrick Dolan and Al Bertani; Sample Teacher Evaluation Components; GE Foundation Conference; Orlando, Florida; June 2010

46. What Is Highly Effective… Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

47. Good Enough at What… – How Do We Know… Working with your Table Group, identify what you think makes a teacher “highly effective” for each of the categories listed on the poster… • Frame your responses as phrases and/or clauses. • Consider your experiences as a teacher and leader. • Think about the expectations of your school and district. • Try to reach agreement on what should be recorded. • Have the person wearing the most black serve as recorder. You have the next twelve minutes to complete your task. Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska; ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

48. How Do We Know Examples… • Examples from Denver, Hillsborough, Pittsburg, and • Prince George’s County. • Level 1 Items – Danielson’s Domains • Level 2 Items – Danielson’s Components • Level 3 Items – Danielson’s Elements • Levels of Performance • Source • Unique Features Emerging Trends and Issues in Teacher Evaluation: Implications for Alaska; ASDN Leadership Retreat; April 2013; Facilitated by Al Bertani, RAPPS Senior Design Consultant

49. The Danielson Framework The Framework for Teaching Charlotte Danielson

50. The Danielson Framework Example Elements The Framework for Teaching Charlotte Danielson