Connecticut State Department of EDUCATION Connecticut’s System for Educator Evaluation and Development Bureau of Special Education September 18, 2013 Introduction Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Agenda Identifying Acronyms PEAC Core Requirements Student and Educator Support Specialists History of SESS Work Group Content of the Infamous White Papers Connecticut’s System for Educator Evaluation Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Resources Next Steps Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Thank You! Thanks to all who contributed to the SESS Work Group, the practitioners who met with our SESS Work Group members, the facilitators, CSDE colleagues, and many critical friends We have come a long way – we have a long way to go Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Acronyms PEAC-Performance Evaluation Advisory Council SEED-Connecticut’s System for Educator Evaluation and Development SESS-The Student and Educator Support Specialists' Work Group SLO-Student Learning Objectives IAGDs-Indicators of Academic Growth and Development Connecticut State Department of Education

PEAC The Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) Work Groups Started Meeting in 2010 (Teacher, Administrator, Implementation, SESS) Developed the Guidelines for Educator Evaluation Adopted by the State Board of Education on June 27, 2012 Connecticut State Department of Education

The Student and Educator Support Specialists' Work Group (SESS) The Working Group Represented Multiple Disciplines This group consists of some of the individuals who are included in the non-tested grades and subjects category, but not all It is important to note that 69% of teachers are not in the grades or subjects where state testing applies (Goe, 2012). Work group had Unions, School Counselor, Social Worker, Special Education, School Psychologist, Nurses, OP/PT, Speech and Lang, Library Media Connecticut State Department of Education

Student and Educator Support Specialists ELL Teachers Social Workers School Psychologists Library Media Specialists Counselors Speech Language Pathologists Math/ELA Coaches PTs/OTs Nurses Special Educators Transition Coordinators Others? How can learning objectives be articulated for these professionals? What tools are available to measure the objectives? Connecticut State Department of Education

History of SESS Work Group Membership Designed to address non-tested grades and subjects that were defined as “caseload educators” Decision points – non- certified staff such as PT, OT, Nurse Where do special education teachers fit in? Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Caseload Educators Those individuals that have multiple groups of students or adults with whom they are responsible for working. Their caseload may consist of all of the students in the school (e.g. library media specialists), a select group of students in the school (e.g. school psychologists), the educators in the school (e.g. literacy coaches), or with families (e.g. school social workers). Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Caseload Educators Often do not have their own classroom May be assigned to more than one building Often are not directly responsible for content instruction Often have an “indirect” impact on learning Provide supports, services, conditions that maximize students’ opportunity to learn (Goe, 2012) Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut Guidelines for Educator Evaluation ….because of the unique nature of the roles fulfilled by Student and Educator Support Specialists, the goal-setting process may differ based on the individual educator’s job description and responsibilities. While these educators may have an indirect impact on student achievement, their primary responsibility may not be directly linked to student achievement outcomes. ~Connecticut Guidelines for Educator Evaluation, pg. 24 Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Recommendations Develop a series of white papers, specific to each discipline, designed by practitioners Use the new evaluation and DEVELOPMENT system to focus on the need for additional supports for members of these disciplines Work with CSDE and state professional organizations to increase opportunities for Complementary Observers with expertise in field, development of induction programs, mentors and regional supports Connecticut State Department of Education

Guidance Documents for SESS Overview of titles and roles Sample SLOs and IAGDs Recommendations for customizing the observation rubric Recommendations for gathering staff, student and parent feedback Resources Credits Connecticut State Department of Education

Your District has Options The recommendations from the group are guiding how to implement the SEED Model with SESS providers Your district may be implementing the SEED Model, a hybrid of the SEED model, or one developed by your district Your district will need to determine how you will customize your model for your SESS providers Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Job Descriptions It is critically important prior to the evaluation process that the educator and administrator have a clear job description and understanding of the role the discipline specific educator will play in the school in the upcoming year – without this – you can not define the SLOs or IAGDs. Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education SLOs and IAGDs for SESS This is hard work – people all over the country are struggling with developing rigorous yet attainable SLOs and IAGDs: Need to use baseline data to establish targets for student outcomes (IAGDs) Need to identify the formal and informal measurements we are using Need to define the population to set targets Consider thinking collaboratively – what other colleague(s) can use their content/discipline expertise to work with me to increase/accelerate student progress and possibly share SLO results Use the new SLO development guide as a resource! Connecticut State Department of Education

Recommendations for Customizing the Observation Rubric The most difficult and churning issue: Some of the groups thought the current Common Core of Teaching Rubric for Effective Teaching was appropriate for their discipline Other disciplines (School Counselors, SLPs, School Psychologists and Social Workers) recommended using rubrics established by national associations The CSDE understands the need to use national guidance for these disciplines Connecticut State Department of Education

Crosswalk CCT and Framework CCT Foundational Skills SESS Framework-Draft 5 Domains Classroom Environment, Student Engagement and Commitment to Learning Planning for Active Learning Instruction for Active Learning Assessment for Learning Professional Responsibilities and Teacher Leadership 5 Domains Environment, Student Engagement and Commitment to Learning Planning for Active Learning Service Delivery Assessment for Service Delivery Professional Responsibilities and Leadership Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education The Challenges How many rubrics can one evaluator be expected to use, much less master? Does each evaluator have to be calibrated for each rubric? Does every rubric need to be validated? Can the nationally designed tool be used and still provide the necessary requirements to meet the CT legislative requirements (i.e. four point rating scale, final summary score, number of domains)? Will the district selected data management system accommodate more than one observation rubric? Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education The Solution Short Term: For those using the state model, we have developed a modified Common Core of Teaching Rubric for use with SESS educators Long Term: Work with constituent groups to take the content from the national tools and adapt them to meet core requirements Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education The Big Picture This is an evaluation and DEVELOPMENT process. The CSDE and the field want to set the highest standards possible for each discipline yet ensure the system is fair and accurate. The CSDE and the field need to look at what supports are needed in order to get district programs and staff to meet the highest standards established. Connecticut State Department of Education

PILOT DISTRICTS/CONSORTIA OF DISTRICTS- 2012-13 Bethany Litchfield/Region 6 Branford Norwalk Bridgeport Waterford Columbia/Eastford/Franklin Windham Sterling Windsor Capitol Region Education Council Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education

Priorities of the New Educator Evaluation System Place student learning at the center – student learning is central to the evaluation and development of educators Fosters an ethos of collaboration and dialogue Promote growth and development – provide all educators with immediate feedback and opportunities that support continuous growth and improvement through collaboration Every educator is an active participant in an evaluation process that supports collaboration and informs professional learning Shifts the focus of school and district administrators to instructional leadership System for documenting teacher effectiveness based on multiple data sources Structures in place for support and growth across the educator continuum Supporting great educators An effective evaluation system is key to developing, supporting and improving the effectiveness of our educators as well as recognizing the outstanding performance of our most effective teachers and leaders. Educator have a profound influence An effective educator can change the course of a student’s life, and effective educator need effective leaders with the ability to guide and motivate school communities. Research has shown that one of the most important school-based factor influencing a student’s achievement is the quality of his or her teacher. Focus on regular feedback Unfortunately, evaluation models in many of our schools don’t provide the kind of feedback and support educators need in order to develop and improve. Currently, evaluations are often infrequent or inconsistent, with little focus on the educator’s professional development and little, if any consideration of how much students are learning. Multiple measures of effectiveness To determine overall educator effectiveness, considers three central components: Professional Practice, Professional Responsibilities, and Student Learning. Connecticut State Department of Education

Educator Evaluation Categories The model can be adjusted or districts can use different models but the guiding criteria are non-negotiable Talk about SLOs and Observation Framework, School Performance Index (SPI) Connecticut State Department of Education

Educator Evaluation Categories OUTCOME RATING ANNUAL TEACHER RATING PRACTICE RATING Today, we are going to concentrate on the 45% more…. Connecticut State Department of Education

Educator Evaluation Process  Orientation on process  Teacher reflection and goal-setting  Goal-setting conference  Review goals and performance to date  Mid-year conferences  Teacher self-assessment  Scoring  End-of-year conference Goal-Setting & Planning Mid-Year Check-in End-of-Year Review By November 15, 2013 January/February 2014 By June 30, 2014* *If state test data may have a significant impact on a final rating, a final rating may be revised by September 15 when state test data are available. Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Levels of Performance Exemplary 4 Substantially exceeding indicators of performance Proficient 3 Meeting indicators of performance Developing 2 Meeting some indicators of performance but not others Below Standard 1 Not meeting indicators of performance Each district shall define effectiveness and ineffectiveness utilizing a pattern of summative ratings derived from the new evaluation system.. Connecticut State Department of Education

Student Growth and Development (45%) Connecticut State Department of Education

What are Student Learning Objectives? Broad statements about the knowledge and skills that students will demonstrate as a result of instruction; Address the central purpose of the educator’s assignment; Take into account baseline data on student performance; Reflect content mastery or skill development; Reflect attainable but ambitious goals for student learning; Are measured by indicators of academic growth and development (IAGDs); and Are standards-based. Connecticut State Department of Education

Setting Student Learning Objectives Planning Cycle Learn about students Step 1 Set goals for student learning Step 2 Monitor students’ progress Step 3 Assess student outcomes Step 4 An integral part of an educator’s practice Encourages systematic and strategic decisions-making Measures of student learning should be fair and equitable Let’s look at steps three and four some questions we need to consider Effective assessments should provide diagnostic feedback Evaluate progress Relate to student’s progress Connecticut State Department of Education

Strategic SLOs SLO Development School Reform District and School Improvement Plans Data Teams and Needs Assessments School Leadership Governance SLO Development

Indicators of Academic Growth and Development The specific evidence, with a quantitative target, that will demonstrate whether the objective was met Each indicator should make clear: What evidence will be examined, What level of performance is targeted; and What proportion of students is projected to achieve the targeted performance level. Indicator statements should follow SMART Goal language: Specific/Strategic, Measurable, Aligned/Attainable, Results-oriented and Time bound May address student subgroups (e.g. high or low performing students, ELL students, special education students, etc…) May be based on either standardized or non-standardized measures There must be at least one IAGD per SLO Connecticut State Department of Education

Goal Setting for Student Growth and Development (45%) Student Learning Objective focus statement Description of the general learning content to be covered Baseline Data The population of students addressed by SLO Grades, sub-groups, caseload Standards Addressed Interval of instruction/time Assessments Indicator(s) of Academic Growth an Development Strategies and tier interventions  Educators will draft Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) that specify: 1. A learning objective focus statement; 2. Baseline or trend data relative to that objective; 3. The population of students that will be assessed on the objective (e.g. caseload, grade level, course, etc…); 4. The standards and learning content that are represented by the objective; 5. The length of time across which instruction will occur in order to support students in obtaining the objective 6. Assessments that will be used to evaluate student performance 7. Quantitative indicators of academic growth and development (IAGDs) based on student performance on assessments; and 8. Instructional strategies that will be employed to support students in realizing the learning objective. Connecticut State Department of Education

Rubric for Observation of Performance and Practice (40%) Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Resources All are located on the SEED website: www.connecticutseed.org White papers Modified CCT observation rubric for SESS A crosswalk of the CCT rubric and the SESS rubric A copy of this PowerPoint that you can customize for use in district Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Resources CT SEED website www.connecticutseed.org Student and Educator Support Specialists White Papers by Discipline, 2013 SESS Framework Rubric A crosswalk of the CCT rubric and the SESS rubric 2013 SEED Handbook Connecticut Guidelines for Educator Evaluation (Core Requirements) CCT Rubric for Effective Teaching CSDE-Approved Trainer List Evaluation Toolkit (including SLO guidance document) NEW NEW Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Next Steps Phase Two of the Work: 1. Convene practitioner based work group to refine SLO and IAGD examples 2. Convene practitioner based work groups to look at national standards against the Common Core of Teaching 3. Work with SDE to focus on enhancing supports and resources Connecticut State Department of Education

Connecticut State Department of Education Thank You CT State Department of Education: Kimberly Traverso, LPC, Education Consultant kimberly.traverso@ct.gov Capitol Region Education Council – CREC Deborah Richards, SLP, Director of Student Services derichards@crec.org Connecticut State Department of Education