Notes from Race to the Top Annual Conference, November 1, 2011

A Locally Developed Model to Measure Teacher Effectiveness—Building an Evidence-Based Teacher Evaluation System that Integrates Student Growth Measures, Liberty Union-Thurston Schools

• Teacher effectiveness àwhat the teacher KNOWS, DOES and PRODUCES
• 3yr process (1-planning, 2-piloting, 3-review/update/incorporate fully)
• Evaluation rubric based on work of Charlotte Danielson (Pathwise, 4domains)
• Pre-observation conference/goal setting – observation(s) – post-observation conference àfinal summative evaluation rating
• 4 tiers (“new”, career (majority of teachers fall in this category), master, intensive assistance)
• Measures of student growth—2 groups:  Group A (standardized data, VA) & Group B (non-standardized data, teacher created…non-core teachers, high school)
• Student growth measures must be 50% of summative evaluation tool

Link before you Leap, Battelle for Kids

• All RttT districts will link in April/May 2012; window is short, due to OAA testing late and then SAAS vendor time to turn around linkage reports to districts by fall 2012
• All gr 4-8 R/M teachers w/at least 6FTE students get linkage reports; districts can link other teachers if desired
• Linking subject—time of school year (months)—amount (%) of time teacher responsible for instruction….for each student   (3 things)
• Teacher needs to validate linkage data, but principal “approves” final report.  Data is pulled from EMIS reports
• Districts need to begin linkage discussions during winter months, to expedite reporting window.
• Districts should create “linkage teams” to help alleviate concerns/challenges of linkage

Coaching great teachers and leaders, Hamilton County ESC

• The quality of the system cannot exceed the quality of the principal or the quality of the teacher.
• If a coach is assigned, it doesn’t mean I’m “bad;” it means I want to get better.  Many great and successful people have personal coaches.
• 8-10wks of 20-25 trials of intervention/trait/etc before change can be embedded
• Coaches and building principals must be on the same page; don’t allow principal to schedule coach for non-coaching duties (bus duty, etc).