Student Growth Measures in Teacher Evaluation

Student Growth Measures in Teacher Evaluation

Facilitator Guide for Training Module 1:

Introduction to Student Growth Measures and SLOs

1/13Facilitator’s Guide: Module 1—1

Overview

Training Purpose and Goals

The student learning objectives (SLO) training is intended to assist teachers and administrators in implementing SLOs in their schools. At the conclusion of the four training modules, teachers should be able to:

•Explain what makes a high-quality SLO.

•Select appropriate assessments.

•Develop growth targets.

•Score individual SLOs.

Facilitators should be able to:

• Review the components of the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System Framework and Model.
• Deconstruct Ohio’s model for developing SLOs.
• Understand the tools and processes used in developing, organizing, and reviewing SLOs.
• Use strategies to facilitate work on SLOs in your district or school.

Audience

This facilitator’s guide is designed as a blueprint for the training that will be delivered to teachers within their schools to prepare them to develop and implement SLOs this year (2012–2013), whether SLOs are being implemented on a pilot or fullyoperational basis within the evaluation system. Facilitator notes, as well as suggestions of the direct language to use in conveying the material to teachers, are provided.

Timing

The training that you will deliver is split into four modules. Each module is designed to be delivered in one session if needed, during time designated for professional development or common planning.

Resources

The following resources are provided for use in delivering the four training modules to staff within each school:

• Facilitator’s guide (this document)
• Slidepresentation
• Participant handouts
• Tips and tools for presentingthe module, which includes an annotated agenda and anticipated questions

Why Student Learning Objectives?

Recent federal and state policy has led to new systems of educator evaluation. These new systems include multiple measures, one of which is often student learning or student growth. Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) have recently come to the forefront of this work and have been highlighted as one promising approach to measuring student growth based on the evidence to date, particularly for the majority of teachers in subjects or grades not covered by a standardized assessment and who must have SLOs as comparable growth measures.

The Ohio Context

We know that a well-designed evaluation system can support professional growth and improve educator practice, which in turn leads to better outcomes for our students. In Ohio as it is elsewhere, a major challenge of creating new evaluation systems is to figure out how to measure student growth for the majority of teachers and students for whom state-administered standardized tests or relevant and validated vendor assessments are not available. An additional challenge is incorporating measures of student growth within the evaluation system in such a way that directly ties this information to the instructional planning and goals of teachers that are also directly in line with the unique needs and goals of their district. No measure is perfect. But better measures should allow for better decisions. The challenge school systems across the nation are facing is to assemble a “union of insufficient” measures that provide more information than they do individually and that are better than existing indicators (MET Project: Policy and Practice Brief January 2012).

Ohio's new evaluation system will provide educators with a richer and more detailed view of their impact on student learning. Using a systematic approach that is fair and comparable across all educators, the evaluation system will focus attention on more purposeful instruction, closer monitoring of student progress, and, ultimately, greater student achievement. Advised by the Ohio Department of Education, many districts will implement SLOs as comparable growth measures as a part of the “Locally-Determined Measure” portion of the Student Growth Component, which is 50 percent of the overall evaluation per legislation. If value-added or approved vendor assessments are available, those options must be used, and locally-determined measures like SLOs will account for up to 40 percent of the overall evaluation. In grades or subjects where value-added or approved vendor assessments are not available, locally-determined measures (SLOs) may account for up to 50 percent of the evaluation, which is the entire student growth component.

Some districts will pilot SLOs in the 2012-2013 school year while other districts will fully implement SLOs within their teacher evaluation system.

1/13Facilitator’s Guide: Module 1—1

Module 1 (120Minutes)

Introductory Activity

Provide dot stickers at each table. As participants enter and get settled prior to the training, ask them to use the dot stickers to answer questions posted around the room. Each question asks participants to rate their familiarity and background knowledge of content related to the training. This pre-activity will get participants thinking about what they already know while providing a visual summarization of participants’ background knowledge and comfort with the material.

The following questions should be written out in large font on chart paper and posted around the room. Underneath each question, write the answer choices shown in parentheses below.

1.How confident are you that you could explain the types of student growth measures that can be used in teacher evaluations to others? (Not confident, somewhat confident, very confident)

2.How would you rate your familiarity with the information on SLOs available on the ODE website and in ODE-provided trainings (Not at all familiar, somewhat familiar, very familiar)

3.How much information have you received from your LEA or principal about SLOs? (No information, little information, some information, extensive information)

4.How much information have you received from your collective bargaining representative about SLOs? (No information, little information, some information, extensive information)

5.How familiar are you with how other districts and states have implemented SLOs? (Not at all familiar, somewhat familiar, very familiar?

6.What is your role? (Teacher, administrator, district staff, ESC staff, ODE staff) Note: If you already know that your audience will be mostly comprised of teachers, you may prefer to ask participants to make note of the grade level or the subjects in which they teach.

Prior to the formal start of training, summarize the information contained in these charts. Thank participants for providing this information and explain that this information provides you with an understanding of the background knowledge participants have at the start of this training.