STUDENT GROWTH OBJECTIVES

EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS

TRAINING OUTCOMES

• Understand the State guidelines for Measures of Student Learning• State the basic steps within the Student Growth

Objective (SGO) process• Gather tools for the SGO process• Begin the process of designing academic goals in

the SGO format• Develop a series of next steps with SGO

COLLABORATIVE TABLETOPS NORMS

• Listen to and respect the expertise brought by each member of the group• Recognize that we are all learning together• Value the brainstorming process• Problem-solve as a team • Work towards positive solutions• Be nice and be professional

EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

EVALUATION FRAMEWORK REQUIREMENTS

50% Measures of Student Learning

50% Professional Practice

Evaluation Rubric,

Observations, Surveys &

Artifacts

State & District assessments;

Other assessments measuring student achievement and

growth

EVALUATION FRAMEWORK REQUIREMENTS

50% Measures of Student Learning

State & District assessments;

Other assessments measuring student achievement and

growth

MEASURES OF STUDENT LEARNING

STATE REQUIREMENTS

• Measure of Individually attributed student learning outcomes• Measure of Collectively attributed student

learning outcomes• Statewide summative assessment (TCAP/ACT)

results and growth, when available• Multiple Measures

DEFINITION OF “GROWTH”

• SB 191 rules define “Student Academic Growth” as…• The change in student achievement against Colorado

Academic Standards for an individual student between two or more points in time…determined using…standards-based measures that are rigorous and comparable across classrooms of similar content areas and levels.

• May also include gains in progress towards post- secondary and workforce readiness.

• May include progress toward academic and functional goals included in an individualized education program and/or progress made towards student academic growth objectives.

STUDENT GROWTH OBJECTIVES (SGO)

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE & SGO

• Effective Teachers…• Teach a curriculum aligned to standards

• Set goals for students

• Determine the needs of students using several methods including a variety of assessments

• Differentiate instruction based on the needs of students

• Use high quality assessments to measure student performance

• Work in collaborative groups to improve student achievement

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE & SGO

• The SGO process adds two more components…

• Formalize and document this process

• Systematically determine students’ starting points

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE & SGO

• SGOs should be a reflection of what effective teachers typically do

StandardsInstruction

Assessment

SGO

INTERNALLY DRIVEN

Administrator-supportedProvide a supportive and collaborative environmentAssess quality and provide approval and final score of SGOs

Teacher-drivenIdentify critical standards and develop assessmentsUse appropriate data to set ambitious and achievable targetsMonitor performance and adjust instruction as needed

Student-centeredWhat should my students learn by when?How will I ensure they learn it?How will I know they have learned it?

WHAT IS A SGO?

A Student Growth Objective is a long-term academic goal that teachers set for groups of students and must be:• Specific and measureable

• Aligned to standards

• Based on available prior student learning data

• A measure of what a student has learned over time

SGO & SMART GOALS

SMART Goals Are…

SGOs Must Be…

SGOs Require a Teacher to…

SSpecific Specific Describe how many students learn

“what” or grow by “how much”

MMeasurable Measurable Compare starting points to ending points

using assessments of some type

AAchievable Ambitious

but Achievable

Determine a reasonable amount of growth according to knowledge of students

RRelevant Relevant Align SGOs to standards

TTime-related

Time-related

Set an appropriate instructional period

5 STEPS OF THE SGO PROCESS

Step 1Choose or develop a quality assessments aligned to standards

Step 2Determine students’ starting points

Step 3Set ambitious and achievable SGOs

Step 4Track progress & refine instruction

Step 5Review results and score in consultation with your evaluator

STEP 1: CHOOSE/DEVELOP A QUALITY ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENTS ARE CRITICAL

• Central to SGOs• Measure what students learn in relation to the

SGO set• Must be chosen thoughtfully to provide a high

quality measure of learning• Different subjects and grades call for different

types of assessments

Poorly designed assessments do not accurately measure student knowledge

and learning.

If SGOs are based on low-quality assessments, then the SGO process cannot yield accurate or meaningful

results.

If SGOs do not yield accurate or meaningful results, they will fail to promote good instruction and

improve student learning.

SGO Quality

Assessment Qualitydepends upon

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DISCLAIMER

Choosing or developing quality assessments is an aspect of the process with which teachers

may initially struggle.

In the first year, you should make a good faith effort to use the most appropriate

assessments for your students based on the guidelines provided within the process. As you become familiar with the SGO process and the strengths and weaknesses of your

assessments, you should modify and improve them each year.

The SGO process will improve and become easier with time.

Teachers may use but are not limited to:• Portfolios• Performance Assessments• Benchmark Assessments• Finals (modified as needed)• Program-based Assessments• Standardized Tests, e.g. AP

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Whether locally-developed or commercial, multiple choice or rubric-based, assessments should follow the rules of good assessment design.

TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS

COMPONENTS OF QUALITY ASSESSMENTS

1. Assessment Scope Determine the educational goals, instructional period,

and the appropriate standards that will be captured by the assessment

2. Assessment Quality Choose or develop an assessment, analyze it for quality,

and modify as necessary

3. Collection of Evidence Ensure that scoring and administration of assessments

relies on fair, accurate, and reliable systems

Let’s look briefly at each component…

SCOPE

1. Assessment Scope Determine the educational goals, instructional period,

and the appropriate standards that will be captured by the assessment

Scope Considerations:Key concepts and skills students can be expected

to master in a courseHandout: Planning Guide for Choosing or

Developing a Quality Assessment

QUALITY

2. Assessment Quality Choose or develop an assessment, analyze it for

quality, and modify as necessary

Quality Considerations:Standards Alignment & Coverage (Content Match)Rigor, Depth of Knowledge, Complexity

(Cognitive Match)Handouts: Assessment Rigor & DOK Analysis; DOK

Levels

EVIDENCE

3. Collection of Evidence Ensure that scoring and administration of assessments

relies on fair, accurate, and reliable systems

Evidence Considerations:Fair & UnbiasedClear Scoring GuidelinesDefined Performance LevelsHandouts: Assessment Checklist & Assessment Review Tool

NEXT STEPS

• Take a few minutes to share your next steps with choosing/developing a quality assessment

STEP 2: DETERMINE STUDENTS’ STARTING POINTS

CONSIDERATIONS

• What sources of student data are available to you?

• Is a pre-assessment something you should be using? If so, how alike are your pre- and post-assessments? What are the advantages and disadvantages to making them identical? How do you control test integrity?

• Is grouping students by preparedness levels appropriate or useful?

EVIDENCE OF PRIOR LEARNING

Source of Performance Data to Determine Students’ Starting Points

Examples and Notes

Grades/performance in current year

• Based on all aspects of work during the first few weeks of school

Beginning-of-course diagnostic tests or performance tasks

• Department-generated pre-assessment

• Early course test

Prior-year test results that assess knowledge and skills that are pre-requisites to current subject/grade

• TCAP• MAP/NWEA• End-of-course assessments

Test results in other relevant subjects from prior years

• A physics teacher uses results of her students’ math tests from last year

Students’ grades in previous classes

• Teachers should make sure they understand the basis for the grades

STEPS FOR DETERMINING STARTING POINTS

• Choose 1-3 sources of data to determine starting points• Gather achievement data on all of your students• Determine how you should group your students

for your SGO:On the average starting pointOn individual staring pointsAround group starting points

• Handout: Identify and Approve Starting Points

NOTE: This step must be decided before entering an SGO into the Dashboard

STEP 3: SET GROWTH OBJECTIVES

LEVELS OF LEARNING

• Knowing your students’ starting points, understanding your assessment, and using your professional judgment will allow you to set standards that are ambitious but achievable for your students

SGO ATTAINMENT

Exceptional Full Partial Insufficient

4 3 2 1

Teacher has demonstrated

an exceptional impact on learning by

exceeding the objective.

Teacher has demonstrated a considerable

impact on learning by

meeting the objective.

Teacher has demonstrated some impact

on learning but did not meet the objective.

Teacher has demonstrated

an insufficient impact on learning by falling far

short of the objective.

Using a four-point scale, teachers set the standard for what is referred to as “full attainment.” Descriptions of each level of attainment are provided below.

ATTAINMENT STANDARDS

• In order to make your goal measurable… • Specify what “full attainment” of your objective actually

means using the steps outlined below• Develop a quantitative value of student performance that

shows your students have demonstrated “considerable” learning

• To determine full attainment find…• A target score on the final assessment that indicates

“considerable” learning• The number of your current students that could reasonably

meet this mark• The percentage of students in the course that this

represents• A 10-15% (suggested) range around this number

Step in Setting “Full Attainment” Score

Example

A target score on the final assessment that indicates “considerable” learning

You and your evaluator decide that 80% on a challenging assessment indicates “considerable” learning

The number of your current students that could reasonably meet this mark

Based on the data you collected to determine the starting points of your 65 students, your evaluator agrees with your assessment that about 50 of them could reasonably make the target score at the end of the year

The percentage of students in the course that this represents

50/65 x 100 = 77%So 77% of the students could meet the target score of 80% on the assessment

A 10-15% (suggested) range around this number

Using 14% as the range, calculate by adding 7 to and subtracting 7 from 77. This results in a range of 70% - 84%.

TARGET SCORE EXAMPLE

Target Score

Attainment Level in Meeting SGO

80% or Higher on

Final Assessment

Exceptional 4

Full3

Partial 2

Insufficient 1

Percent of Students Meeting Target

Greater than 84% 70 – 84% 55 – 69% Less than

55%

Using the full attainment score range as a starting point, you can assign ranges to the other attainment standards. For consistency, 14% ranges are used in the “partial” category.

CHANGE IN PROFICIENCY/LEVEL EXAMPLE

Change in Proficiency

Attainment Level in Meeting SGO

Students increase at least one

proficiency level on the…

Exceptional 4

Full3

Partial 2

Insufficient 1

Percent of Students

Meeting Target

Greater than 95% 85 – 95% 75 – 84% Less than

75%

The previous example used a “target score” that a certain number of students must attain. You may choose to use a measure of “change in proficiency” rather than an absolute proficiency score.

TIERED EXAMPLE

Preparedness

Group

Target Score on

Final Assessm

ent

Objective Attainment Based on Percent (and Number) of Students Achieving

Target Score

Exceptional 4

Full 3 Partial 2 Insufficient 1

Low 70

At least 90%

At least 80%

At least 70%

Less than 70%

Medium 80

High 90

Attainment scores may also be tiered…

SAMPLE SGO

SAMPLE SGO

REFLECTIONS

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

• Connect – Extend – Challenge• How are the ideas and information presented

connected to what you already knew? • What new ideas did you get that extended or

broadened your thinking in new directions? • What challenges or puzzles have come up in

your mind from the ideas and information presented?

• Next Steps• What are your next steps

in the process?

Tabletop Discussio

n

FINAL THOUGHTS ON SGOS

• Continue doing what is effective for your students• Use or adapt assessments that you

already have• Support each other and share• Don’t let perfection get in the way of the

good• Learn, Grow & Get Better Together

RESOURCES

• Colorado Department of Education http://www.cde.state.co.us• Achieve NJ for Teachers http://

www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/objectives.shtml• Woodland Park Website http

://www.wpsdk12.org/departments/educator-effectiveness/

THOUGHTS & QUESTIONS