2007 Article VII # ELFA 8 Education, Labor, and Family Assistance

Purpose of the Bill Tracking and improving student and teacher performance through results-oriented measures. Analysis of student/teacher performance data – used to determine when intervention and sanctions are necessary

Enhanced Accountability Teacher Quality Standards Several Key Issues Higher Standards Enhanced Accountability Teacher Quality Standards

Several Key Issues Higher Standards Uniform standards for pre-K including curriculum and teacher certification requirements Review of the Regents Learning Standards (ELA review will be completed by July 2008)

Enhanced Accountability Several Key Issues Enhanced Accountability July 2008 – student progress reports reflecting multiple years of testing July 2010 – individual student academic growth, linked to individual teachers (pending federal approval) School Leadership and School Progress report cards – the performance of the district leadership School superintendents and school boards – subject to removal Cadre of distinguished educators will be developed to assist improving troubled schools

Several Key Issues Enhanced Accountability (continued) July 2008 – 5% of all schools will be required to restructure and reorganize within four years – improvement targets will be tightened Contract for Excellence will be required if increased financial support under new Foundation Aid formula Improve student achievement (class size reduction, increased student time on-task, teacher quality initiatives, middle and high school restructuring, and full-day pre-K March 15, 2007 – Contract for Excellence was counter-proposed by the legislature.

Several Key Issues Teacher Quality Standards Post-secondary teacher prep programs will be reviewed Statutory standards are established for tenure determinations (which includes whether the teacher adequately contributes to the academic success of students) Incentives to encourage HQ teachers to work in low performing schools

Budget Implications $7 billion over the next four years for aid to schools THE BILL IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!

Pre-K Uniform quality standards for all pre-K operated by school districts (state and locally funded) Minimum qualifications for personnel providing instruction Curriculum standards with strong instructional content Progress will be reported to the public

Review of Learning Standards Schedule will be adopted ELA – completed no later than the end of the 2007-2008 school year Recommendations will be sought from teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, and others with educational expertise

Enhanced State Accountability System

Status, Growth and Value- Added Models Defined Contract for Excellence requires SED to implement growth and value-added models and meet any Federal requirements for such models.

Status Models Defined Status or improvement models, the current requirement for measuring Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind, measure progress by tracking the improvement at the same grade levels within the school over time. (This year’s grades 3-5 compared to last year’s grades 3-5.)

Growth Models Defined Growth models generally refer to accountability models that assess the progress of a cohort of individual students over time with the intent of measuring the progress these students have made (Performance in fourth grade compared to performance in third grade).

Value-Added Models Defined Value-added models generally refer to a specific type of growth model in which student demographic data or other statistical controls are used to attempt to analyze the specific effects of a particular school, program, or teacher on student learning. These models ask whether the school has increased the measured achievement of students more than expected based on data from similar schools.

Purpose of Status, Growth, and Value Added Models Status model: Determine whether an increasing percentage of students are gaining proficiency over time. Growth model: Determine how much progress groups of students are making over time. Value-added model: Determine success of schools, programs, or teachers by measuring student growth over time while controlling for non-school variables that impact on student performance.

Enhanced State Accountability System 2008-2009 Growth Model pending federal approval 2010-2011 Enhanced Growth Model that includes a Value-Added Assessment Model (if external experts determine it to be valid and reliable) and the approval of the USDOE July 2008 – Student progress reports to show performance on state assessments over multiple years of testing Support educators in use of data to assist in student learning

Consequences for Consistent Lack of Improvement in Academic Performance

2007-2008 –significantly increase the number of schools required to restructure or reorganize Goal – up to a total of 5% of the schools in the state within four years Commissioner shall develop plans for intervention in schools under restructuring or SURR status that fail to demonstrate progress on established performance measures with input from distinguished educators

Two-Step Process for State Intervention Appointment of school review team Will conduct resource program and planning audits Assist school in developing and implementing improvement plan Cost will be incurred by the districts

Two-Step Process for State Intervention Appointment of joint school intervention team For schools that have to demonstrate progress as specified in their plan Develop, review & recommend plans for reorganizing or reconfiguring schools that are recommended to be closed. Cost will be incurred by the districts

Superintendent After deficient performance by the district for over a period of two years, the superintendent shall be required to cooperate fully with a distinguished educator (or team) Deficient performance over a period of four years – cause for removal. Cost incurred by the district

Distinguished Educators Non-voting members of the BOE paid by the school district Review any plans for schools and either endorse them or make recommendations for modifications BOE submits plan with recommendations or submits explanation for not amending the plan Commissioner may direct district to modify the plan After deficient performance over a period of 6 years, the commissioner shall commence a proceeding to remove the BOE or individual members of such BOE

Distinguished Educators Building principals and superintendents who have demonstrated consistent growth in academic performance Comparable demographics Expressed their willingness

School Leadership and School Progress Report Cards Assist boards of education, the state and the public in assessing the performance of school leaders, including superintendents and building principals and the schools they lead School’s progress in achieving standards of excellence including parental involvement, curriculum, teacher quality and accountability measures

Will also… Evaluate the effectiveness of all teacher preparation programs Explore the development of a pre-K -16 data system that tracks student performance from pre-K through attendance at public colleges in this state and links students to teachers or instructors

Tenure Determination Minimum standards and procedures for tenure determinations for members of the teaching staff of all school districts and BOCES (July 2008) Contributes to successful academic performance

Tenure Determination Analysis of data and other information on the performance of the teacher’s students Peer review by other teachers An assessment of teacher’s performance by building principal