NYC Teacher Data Initiative: An introduction for Teachers

ESO Focus on Professional DevelopmentDecember 2008

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Session Objectives

Become familiar with the new Teacher Data Reports

Consider ways to incorporate this new tool into school-wide professional development

Locate support resources

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Teachers and principals use an array of instruments to reflect on practice and determine developmental needs

Classroom observations

Lesson plans

Participation in professional development

Quality of student work products

Student performance on state assessments

No one measure gives us the full story, but the various pieces come together to create a more reliable picture

Areas of convergence and dissonance in our observations are equally useful

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Teacher Data Initiative (TDI) provides a new lens to reflect on practice and determine developmental needs

Purpose: To contribute another lens through which to look at teacher contributions to student learning

Rationale: Teachers make a big difference, and value-added data provides a lens to focus on what teachers bring to students rather than what students bring to the classroom

Framing Question: How might the TDI data tool fit into existing school plans for instructional improvement and professional development?

TDI should not be viewed as a silver bullet, big initiative, or accountability metric that will be forced upon schools. Rather it is a new tool available to principals to incorporate into their larger instructional and professional development plans.

Teacher Data reports measure teacher contributions to student growth as measured by test scores

Test scores are an incomplete but important measure of student growth

The work of the teacher is a major factor in how well students score on tests

We know that other factors are also in play (e.g., prior test scores, family income)

Rather than looking at absolute scores, teachers & principals often estimate the weight of factors that are beyond teacher control

Teacher Data reports help eliminate this guess work by mathematically accounting for most of the measurable factors that might also contribute to student test scores

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TDI mathematically factors in measurable characteristics to predict student scores

Student characteristics Classroom characteristics School characteristics

Prior year reading

Prior year math

Free or reduced price lunch

Special education status

English Language Learner status

Number of suspensions and absences (prior-year)

Student retained in grade

Attended summer school

New to school

Race

Gender

Prior year teacher

Average prior year reading and math

Percent free or reduced price lunch

Percent special education status

Percent English Language Learner status

Average number of suspensions and absences (prior)

Percent of students retained in grade

Percent attended summer school

Class size

Percent by race

Percent by gender

Average classroom characteristics

Average class size

Total tested by grade/subject

Year starting and ending school

Teacher characteristics

(used when comparing teachers to peer teachers)

Years of experience

Years teaching in the same grade and subject

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TVI draws on 10 years of city-wide data (test scores, student, teacher, and school characteristics) to predict individual student gains

The predicted gains are compared to the actual gains for each student to determine the teacher’s contributions or the “value added”

The teacher’s contribution for each student is averaged, and then compared to other 4-8 ELA and Math teachers or rank ordered top 20%, middle 60%, and bottom 30%.

How Teacher Data Works

Predicted Score

Mathematically isolates factors beyond teacher control e.g. prior year

test scores

Predicted Score

Mathematically isolates factors beyond teacher control e.g. prior year

test scores

Teacher Contribution

Factors within teacher control e.g. quality of

instruction & high expectations

Teacher Contribution

Factors within teacher control e.g. quality of

instruction & high expectations

Actual Test Score

Student scores on ELA & Math tests

Actual Test Score

Student scores on ELA & Math tests

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How TDI Works: The Model

Value added for one student

Pro

fici

ency

rat

ing

3rd Grade 4th Grade

3 -

-

2-

PredictedPredicted

Gain

Actual Value Added

Baseline (Previous Year’s) Score

Teacher A

Teacher B

Teacher E

Teacher D

Teacher C

Least Gain

Most Gain

• The “value added is the difference between the predicted and actual scores

• Value added is averaged for all students in a class

• The value added is measured in proficiencies

• TDI orders teacher from least to most gain to determine a percentile rank

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Individual teacher reports will also be available for principal use and to share with teachers

Similar to the Progress Reports, TDI compares teachers to the following groups:

1. All teachers on the same grade level, City-wide

2. Peer teachers (similarly situated in terms of teacher experience, and student, school, and classroom characteristics)

0% 25% 50% 75%

2007-08 66% 95%

Last 3 years 69% 92%

100%My percentile (0%-100%)

79%

Range*

81%

My percentile

0% 25% 50% 75%

2007-08 55% 85%

Last 3 years 58% 78%

100%My percentile (0%-100%)

68%

Range*

70%

My percentile

Teachers should analyze their report to look for trends and consider key questions

Identify a trend or something that you find interesting in the Teacher Data Report

List some questions that this prompts

List some sources where you might seek additional information

List some actions that might be taken based on your findings

Example: Think through a specific trend

Teacher report reveals high scores on everything except for ELL students

What is being taught?

Might ELL students require additional instruction

Analyze test items for trends in ELL responses

How is it taught?

Is teacher differentiating instruction?

Request peer observations

Consult with others who have high ELL score

Maps will probably not be this linear, but here is a sample to prompt thinking

Consider discussing your map with a mentor teacher, your principal, or other person that you trust to help

The Teacher data report should be only a starting point to prompt further research and action

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Teacher can access additional support

Principals and chapter leaders are prepared to help teachers understand and use their reports (they will not share reports with other teachers)

Visit the Teacher Resource page