evaluation of teachers and leaders: benchmarking state implementation of college- and...

Evaluation of Teachers and Leaders

January 2015

Findings across states from SREB’s

Benchmarking State Implementation of

College- and Career-Readiness

Standards, Aligned Assessments

and Related Reforms

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ContentsEvaluation of Teachers and Leaders

How do states’ teacher and leader evaluation systems

integrate their new readiness standards’ expectations for

student learning?

Criteria

Colorado

Tennessee

Professional

standards

Classroom

observations

Leader evaluation

Student growth

Evaluation of Teachers and Leaders | Benchmarking College- and Career-Readiness Standards

page 3 page 4 page13

Participating

states

Findings

across states

Highlights from

leading states Methodology

More about

these reports

page 10 page14

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Benchmarking College- and Career-Readiness Standards

Participating states

Louisiana

Maryland

Mississippi

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

West Virginia

Other regions

Colorado

New York

Pennsylvania

Florida participated in preliminary (March 2014) but not final reports.

This SREB project supports

states in the monumental

task of implementing higher

statewide standards by

tracking progress and

bringing states together to

learn from and collaborate

with one another.

SREB region

Alabama

Delaware

Georgia

Kentucky


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Professional standards for teachers and leaders

Basic skills and knowledge

In most states, professional

standards were informed by

models that define the basic skills

and knowledge educators need to

be effective in a college- and

career-readiness environment.

Teaching standards: Seven

states used the Interstate Teacher

Assessment and Support

Consortium standards as

resources. Eight states used the

Danielson Framework for

Teaching. A few states used both.

Three states developed their own

teaching standards.

Leadership standards: Fourteen

states used the Interstate School

Leaders Licensure Consortium

Standards for School Leaders. A

few also used resources from

organizations such as SREB, the

Southern Association of Colleges

and Schools, and McREL.

More explicit key skills,

knowledge and practices

Seven states provided

practitioners with even stronger

support by more explicitly

articulating key skills, knowledge

and practices needed to be

effective in the college- and


Teaching standards: Colorado,

Kentucky, Louisiana, New York,

South Carolina and Tennessee.

Leadership standards: Colorado,

Louisiana and Tennessee.

Maryland is in the process of

updating its standards.


Has the state updated its

professional standards to

explicitly articulate the

skills and knowledge

teachers and principals

need under the state’s

readiness standards?

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Teacher evaluation

Classroom observations


By 2014, teacher evaluation

systems in all 14 states included a

teacher professional practice

component. A key measure for

this is observation of teachers in

their classrooms.

States vary in the rubrics or

criteria that guide evaluators who

conduct teacher observations.

Most states’ rubrics are informed

by tools (such as the Danielson

Framework) that define skills and

knowledge that form a basic

foundation for effective teaching

in a college- and career-readiness

environment.



Colorado, Louisiana, South

Carolina and Tennessee.

have gone further, tailoring rubrics

to articulate more thoroughly the

skills and practices needed for

effective teaching of college- and

career-readiness standards. This

provides teachers and evaluators

with stronger support in the

evaluation process.

Six states in the study provide

supplemental guidance to

teachers and evaluators on rubrics

for college- and career-readiness

settings: Delaware, Louisiana,

New York, North Carolina,

Pennsylvania and Tennessee.


What are the components of

the state’s system of educator

evaluation?

How do those measures align

to the state’s readiness

standards?

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Leader evaluation

Professional practice


By 2014, all 14 states in the study

included a principal professional

practice component in their leader

evaluation systems.

Measures for this component vary

across states, including whether

or not the department of

education stipulates a certain

rubric or criteria. Most often the

measures include ratings on a

rubric based on site visits,

conferences with the evaluator,

and progress toward

professional growth goals.

Most states’ rubrics were informed

by criteria such as the Interstate

School Leaders Licensure

Consortium standards, which are

widely regarded as defining

basic skills and knowledge that

principals need to lead effectively

in schools implementing college-

and career- readiness standards.



Colorado, Louisiana and

Tennessee went further, tailoring

their rubrics to define explicitly the

skills and knowledge needed to be

an instructional leader in a

college- and career-readiness

environment. This provides

principals and evaluators with

stronger support in the evaluation

process. Maryland is in the

process of creating such a rubric.

Delaware and Pennsylvania did

not tailor rubrics but provided

supplemental guidance and

resources to principals and

evaluators.


What are the components of

the state’s system of educator

evaluation?

How do those measures align

to the state’s readiness

standards?

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Measures of student growthand achievement in English language arts and math

Teachers of tested grades

and subjects

Four states use annual state

assessments. Nine states use

annual state assessments plus

other measures such as district

assessments, third-party

assessments and national

assessments. One state has not

yet determined how it will

incorporate student growth and

achievement into its system.

Teachers of non-tested grades

and subjects

For teachers of subjects and

grades that are not tested in state

accountability programs, states

leave selection, from a wide

variety of measures, to the local

level.

Twelve states provide models and

guidance, lists of approved

assessments or common

assessments for local use. For

example, Colorado, Delaware

and North Carolina provide many

common assessments aligned to

their standards. Georgia, New

York and Pennsylvania provide a

large number of model student

learning objectives.

Leaders

Thirteen states include data from

tested grades and subjects,

usually school-wide growth on the

annual state assessments. Eleven

states also include data from non-

tested grades and subjects.


By 2014 teacher and leader

evaluation systems in all 14

states included measures of

student growth and

achievement on annual state

assessments.

For more on assessments and

how they align to standards,

see the separate Standards and

Assessments report in this series.

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Other measures of effectiveness

Ten states incorporate other kinds

of measures such as

stakeholder surveys,

professional growth goals and

student portfolios into their

teacher and leader evaluation

systems. Most of these states

allow districts or schools to

determine measures locally.

These measures may or may not

be aligned to the states’ college-

and career-readiness standards.

Kentucky, for example, uses

Vanderbilt University’s Val-Ed

Survey in its leader evaluation

system. The survey addresses

topics related to the Interstate

School Leaders Licensure

Consortium Standards for School

Leaders, which articulate general

skills and knowledge needed to

lead effectively in a college- and



By 2014, 10 states also

incorporated other kinds of

measures into their teacher

and leader evaluation

systems for a more

comprehensive look at

performance.

In some states, districts

design many aspects of their

own evaluation systems.

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Use of evaluation data for continuous improvement

Notable state efforts

Georgia, Louisiana, New York,

North Carolina and South

Carolina offer the most extensive

supports to strengthen local

leaders’ use of evaluation data to

identify school- and district-wide

professional learning. These

supports include an online

reporting and data analysis

platform, professional learning on

use of the data, and technical

assistance.

Kentucky and North Carolina

provide personalized, online

professional learning to individual

teachers and leaders, based on

their evaluation results. Georgia,

Louisiana, Mississippi and

Pennsylvania offer online

professional learning resources

aligned to specific teaching and

leadership standards, based on

evaluation results.


Most of the states use

evaluation data to inform

their PD planning and

encourage or require

districts and local schools

to do so as well.

Most of the states in the study

require or encourage local

evaluators to use evaluation

results to identify individual

strengths, areas for

improvement, and professional

learning for educators.

Most of the states also require

or encourage districts to use

aggregated results to inform their

large-scale improvement

planning.

Most states aggregate teacher

and leader evaluation data to

identify statewide trends in

strengths and areas for

improvement, which can inform

large-scale professional learning

and other supports.

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Leading states in aligning both teacher and leader evaluation

systems to their college- and career-readiness standards are Colorado,

Louisiana and Tennessee.

Leading states in aligning teacher evaluation to readiness standards are

Colorado, Louisiana, New York, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Leading states in aligning leader evaluation measures to readiness

standards are Colorado, Louisiana and Tennessee.

Criteria

Leading states stood out on these criteria.

Updated professional standards for teachers and leaders to more

clearly define what effective teaching and leadership entail in light of the

new expectations for students.

Updated classroom observation tools and principal practice

measures rubrics, guides, criteria to more clearly identify what

effective teaching and leadership look like in college- and career-

readiness settings.

Recommendation or requirement to use evaluation data to identify

individual strengths, areas for improvement and professional learning in

local schools and districts, and to guide large-scale planning for

professional development at the district and state levels. The

department also points practitioners to professional learning resources

based on their unique evaluation results.

Leading states Evaluation of teachers and leaders

Evaluation of Teachers and Leaders || Benchmarking College- and Career-Readiness Standards

Leading states are noted for

the most comprehensive

alignment of evaluation

systems to their readiness

standards.

Their work offers models

other states may find useful.

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Highlights from leading states Colorado

Updated professional standards

The Colorado Department of Education developed its professional

teaching and leadership standards using nationally recognized

standards as resources then further tailored professional standards

to the instructional shifts required by the Colorado Academic Standards.

Classroom observation tool, leadership rubric

The department specifically considered the instructional shifts required

by its new standards when it developed its teacher evaluation rubric,

which includes observable elements, and its professional practice rubric

for principals. The rubrics provide explicit guidance and concrete

examples for a college- and career-readiness environment.

Extensive use of evaluation data to improve teaching, leadership

Evaluators are required to direct teachers to professional development

opportunities based on their evaluation results.

Districts are required to collect and analyze performance data to provide

actionable feedback and professional learning support to principals.

Colorado’s State Model Online Performance Management System is

available for districts to collect and analyze evaluation results and

develop reports with feedback for practitioners.

Aggregate evaluation results will identify strengths and areas for

improvement to inform the department’s design of large-scale

improvement initiatives.


In 2013-14, Colorado

required districts to

implement teacher and

leader evaluation systems,

either their own or the state’s

models.

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Highlights from leading states Tennessee

Updated professional standards

The Tennessee Department of Education developed professional

teaching and leadership standards, using many nationally recognized

standards as resources. The department further revised the

professional standards to better align them to the Common Core.

Classroom observation tool, leadership rubric

The department revised its classroom observation rubric to more

explicitly articulate expectations for teaching the Common Core.

A revised professional practice rubric for principals provides explicit

examples and guidance on skills and knowledge principals need to

effectively lead schools in a Common Core environment.

Extensive use of evaluation data to improve teaching, leadership

Evaluators are required to use evaluation data to identify individual

strengths, areas for improvement and professional learning for teachers

and leaders.

The department offers educators the National Institute for Excellence

in Teaching Best Practices Portal, which includes resources on

classroom observations, coaching and giving feedback.

The department provides the CODE online platform for districts to

collect and analyze evaluation results.

Aggregate evaluation results identify statewide trends to inform

support, development and planning.


The state implemented its

Tennessee Educator

Acceleration Model

(TEAM) for teachers and

administrators in 2011-12.

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Methodology SREB examined efforts of state

departments of education to

support implementation of college-

and career-readiness standards,

assessments and related reforms.

Researchers looked at how states

provided guidance, tools and

support for teachers and for

school and district leaders.

SREB worked with a point person

in each of the 14 state

departments of education.

Timeframe

The SREB reports reflect state

efforts and plans between 2010

and summer 2014.

These January 2015 final reports

replace preliminary ones

published in March 2014.

A team of SREB researchers

and consultants gathered

information from:

Reviews of publicly available

information: Researchers

reviewed state policy documents

and reports, state department of

education websites, and other

sources such as U.S. Department

of Education reports.

Interviews: Researchers

interviewed leaders from state

departments of education, state

boards of education, unions,

higher education, and business

and community organizations, as

well as legislators’ and governors’

staff, teachers, principals and

district superintendents.

Each state department reviewed

drafts to ensure accuracy.


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Full reports

More information

A Evaluation of Teachers and Leaders | | Benchmarking College- and Career-Readiness Standards

Find all reports at SREB.org/1600 >

Six detailed final reports were

published in January 2015. Slide

documents of report highlights,

like this one, are also available for

each report.

Cross-State Findings Trends across the states, perspectives

from the field and suggestions for

moving forward

Details on each state's efforts in

five areas:

Timeline and Approach to

Standards and Assessments

Aligned Teaching Resources

Professional Development

Evaluation of Teachers

and Leaders

Accountability

Kim Anderson, Director

Benchmarking College- and

Career-Readiness Standards

404-875-9211

[email protected]

Southern Regional Education Board592 10th St. N.W.Atlanta, GA 30318-5776 SREB.org