Transforming Professional Learning through the Use of Educator Evaluation DataCatherine Barbour, Angela Minnici & Elizabeth Witt

February 2015

Copyright © 2014 American Institutes for Research. All rights reserved.

Welcome, Introductions, and Agenda

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The mission of the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) is to foster the capacity of vibrant networks of practitioners, researchers, innovators, and experts to build and sustain a seamless system of support for great teachers and leaders for every school in every state in the nation.

Mission of the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

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Comprehensive Centers Program2012–2017 Award Cycle

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Session Purpose and Overview

Goals:

• Explain how teacher evaluation data informs professional learning.

• Practice analyzing teacher evaluation data to inform professional learning at the school and individual teacher level.

• Discuss the challenges and opportunities for using evaluation data to inform professional learning.

Session Overview

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Definitions and Assumptions

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What Is Effective Professional Learning?

Adapted from High-Quality Professional Development for All Teachers: Effectively Allocating Resources (http://www.gtlcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/HighQualityProfessionalDevelopment.pdf)

Ongoing, Embedded, and Differentiated

CollaborativeFocused Active

Shared Definitions:Evaluation Data Use Cycle

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Self-Reflection and Goal Setting

Formative Evaluation

Summative Evaluation

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Evaluation data provide evidence of individual teacher practice and performance collected throughout the evaluation cycle.

Characteristics of evaluation data are as follows:• May be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (narrative statements).

• May include inputs (teacher actions and behaviors) and outcomes (student learning).

• Can be aggregated to the school, district, and state levels for further analysis.

Shared Definitions: Evaluation Data

Shared Definitions: Evaluation Data

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Data Sources Evidence/Data Element Examples

Summary Data

Rubric-based observations of practice

Percentage of students on task Number of higher order questions Narrative descriptions, running

records

Practice ratings

Artifacts Unit plans Classroom newsletter Student behavior plan Team action-planning protocol

Professionalism/ practice ratings

Assessments of student learning

Student work portfolio Standardized tests Student performance

assessments

Student learning objectives

Value-added measure scores

Student/parent perception surveys

Mean standard scores Perception scores

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How Evaluation Data Inform Learning

Teacher Evaluation Data

Self-ReflectionProfessional

Learning

Teacher Evaluation Data

Formative FeedbackProfessional

Learning

Teacher Evaluation Data

Strategic PlanningProfessional

Learning

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Setting a Professional Learning Vision

Integrating Professional Learning and Evaluation

Evaluation Process • Collecting and

Analyzing Data• Reflecting• Giving and

Receiving Feedback

• Goal Setting

Shifting Perspectives: Integrating Evaluation and Professional Learning

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Professional Learning & Growth

Professional Learning Opportunities • Practice

Frameworks• Instructional

Coaching• Using Data

Essential Conditions for Creating a Culture of Data Use and Professional Learning

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Structural?

Cultural?

Technical?

Fiscal?

Structural: The policies, programs, practices and structure that need to be in place

Cultural: The necessary climate or attitude, including changes in culture, to be successful.

Technical: The technical aspects—skill, expertise, content knowledge—that are necessary to get this work done

Fiscal: The financial supports necessary to do this work or the costs associated with doing this work

Essential Conditions Definitions

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Using Summative Evaluation Data for Individual and Schoolwide Planning

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Goals:• Summarize evaluation data for individual teachers.

• Identify patterns in teacher and student performance across the school to inform the allocation of resources.

• Identify professional learning and career opportunities.

Activities:• Analysis of individual teacher evaluation data to determine final rating(s)

• Conversations between the teacher and evaluator about performance trends and patterns

• Connection of resources, supports, and opportunities for the next evaluation cycle

Summative Evaluation

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Read Handout 4, focusing on the scenario with Ms. Blue and her summative evaluation plan.

Answer the guiding questions in Handout 4.

Outline a professional learning plan for Ms. Blue on your chart paper.

Include the following elements in your plan: • Professional learning goals

• Professional learning activities

• Success metrics

Activity: Using Data to Plan for Differentiated Professional Learning

What should Mrs. Blue’s primary professional goals be for the school year?

In what key professional development activities should Mrs. Blue participate in to meet those goals?

How can the success of the professional learning activities be assessed?

Guiding Questions

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School-Wide Professional Learning Planning

Review Handout 5. As a table group, read the summary

ratings data for Orange School. Discuss and share:

• What patterns do you see in the data? What are Orange School’s greatest areas of need?

• Based on these data, what professional learning activities would you include in a schoolwide professional learning plan?

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Ensure that all teachers have a well-planned system of support or goals in place that align to district initiatives, goals of the School Improvement Plan, and Teacher Evaluation Standards

Identify the tiered level of support needed by each teacher and specific support steps to be taken by the evaluator, school based instructional coach, and teacher

Regularly track the progress of each teacher in alignment with the district/school evaluation system in order to determine effectiveness of the support plan and/or modifications to the support needed for the teacher

Aggregate relevant evaluation, coaching, and professional growth data to assist administrators in staff planning issues such as tenure, teaching assignments, leadership opportunities, retention, and more.

Teacher Development Dialogue Tool

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Prior to meeting

• Each administrator or designee should add his/her assigned teachers to the tool and provide updated information for the customized columns.

• Team members should come to each Teacher Development Dialogue meeting ready to discuss the current status of support provided and progress made by each teacher.

Participate in quarterly meetings (90 minutes to 2 hours)

• Team members should discuss progress and existing support of teachers in order to determine continued plan of support.

Between quarterly meetings

• Administrators should observe and meet with teachers and coaches to discusses progress and provide specific feedback.

• Instructional coaches should support teachers according to the TDD plan.

Process: Teacher Development Dialogue Tool

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What summative data are typically collected? Which of these data are easiest to measure or aggregate? Which data provide the most insight into teaching and

learning?

Using Summative Data

Teacher Evaluation Data

Strategic PlanningProfessional

Learning

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Teacher evaluation data help ensure better allocation of resources, including teacher time.

Human judgment is an inevitable—and critical— piece.

To fill in the gaps around the data, those closest to the work of teaching and learning should be included in the planning.

Necessary conditions for teacher learning must exist.

Professional learning is high stakes!

Principles of Effective Planning Using Evaluation Data

Essential Conditions for Effective Data Use for Planning/Assessing Professional Learning

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Structural?

Cultural?

Technical?

Fiscal?

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Challenges in Creating Systems of Professional Growth

Differentiating high-quality professional development for all teachers

Mixed evaluation data Costs of high-quality professional development Evaluating the effectiveness of professional development Funding Time

Challenges in Creating Systems of Professional Growth

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Differentiating high-quality professional development for all teachers• Diverse teacher needs and student populations

• Sustaining professional development over time

• Varied preparation programs and experiences

• Contract hours

Differentiating Professional Development for all Teachers

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A. Collect more data.

B. Consider the (data) source.

C. Dig deeper into the data—what aspect of performance is really reflected in the numbers?

D. Provide professional learning to address identified areas for improvement even if some of the data indicate that the teacher does not need it.

E. All of the above

F. Other

What Should You Do When the Data Are Mixed? (Choose the best answer.)

Cost considerations• Teacher time for professional development

• Training and coaching

• Administration of professional development

• Materials, equipment, and facilities

• Travel and transportation

• Tuition and conference fees

Calculating Costs

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Implementation fidelity• Teacher participation

• Level of implementation support

• Addressing implementation challenges

Impact evaluations• Short-term outcomes

• Long-term outcomes

• Different resources may be required

Cost-benefit / cost-effectiveness analysis• Calculate costs of professional development and identify short- and long-

term outcomes

Evaluating Professional Development

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GTL Center Resources

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Building Capacity in High-Need Areas: Professional Learning Modules

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Designed to support regional center and state education agency staff

Written by veteran technical assistance providers

Content-rich train-the-trainer materials

Adaptable and customizable to state and district needs

www.gtlcenter.org/technical-assistance/ professional-learning-modules

Download the materials at

Building Capacity in High-Need Areas: Professional Learning Modules

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Each module includes

Facilitator’s guide

Slide deck

Sample agenda

Handouts

www.gtlcenter.org/technical-assistance/ professional-learning-modules

Download the materials at

In this module, participants

Learn about the SLO Cycle

Review state approaches for creating SLO guidance

Practice writing and reviewing SLOs

Discuss SLO technical and implementation challenges

Introduction to Student Learning Objectives

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The Creating Coherence PLM allows participants to

Identify connections between CCSS, their instructional framework, and PD plans

Identify gaps in support for teachers’ instruction for CCSS

Plan concrete steps to strengthen connections and address gaps

Creating Coherence: Connecting Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems to the Common Core

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This PLM supports participants in

Learning how to use teacher evaluation data for self-reflection and formative feedback

Practicing using evaluation data in planning for professional learning

Exploring steps for establishing structures that support evaluation focused on professional learning

Using Teacher Evaluation Data to Inform Professional Learning

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The SEL module encourages participants to

Deepen their knowledge and skills to integrate SEL into policy and practice

Connect SEL, CCSS, teacher evaluation, and professional learning

Learn strategies to help teachers reflect on SEL in the classroom

Social and Emotional Learning in the Daily Life of Classrooms

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This module enables participants to Develop a comprehensive plan

for preparing ALL educators for implementing evaluation

Support evaluators in developing accurate and reliable evaluation skills

Support evaluators in developing strong coaching and feedback skills

Preparing Educators for Evaluation and Feedback

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Understanding Teaching Conditions

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This module, designed in collaboration with the New Teacher Center, helps participants Learn how teaching conditions at the state,

district, and school level can create a more positive teaching and learning environment

Understand how to use teaching conditions data to improve educator effectiveness

Explore resources that support effective school improvement planning based on teaching conditions data

Reflection and Wrap-Up

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Closing the Loop

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Focused Active Collaborative

Ongoing, Embedded, and Differentiated

It’s Not Just About … It’s Really About ...

Including student data in the evaluation system

Analyzing the results in relation to specific teaching and leadership practices

Conducting frequent, reliable observations

Meaningful, actionable feedback and conversations about how to grow

Rating teachers with a summative rating label

Linking evaluation results to career paths, opportunities, and systems of support

Linking Educator Evaluation and Professional Learning

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Additional Resources

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What Resource Topic or Title Where It’s Available

Self- Assessment

Teacher Evaluation Self-Assessment Information and Process

http://www.doe.mass.edu/edeval/training/modules/M3.pdf

Formative Evaluation

Carnegie Foundation: Feedback Conversation Protocol

http://commons.carnegiefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BRIEF_Feedback-for-Teachers.pdf

Formative Evaluation

Institute of Education Sciences: Structuring Data-Informed Conversations

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/pacific/pdf/REL_2013001.pdf

Summative Evaluation

Observation Data Collection Tool http://bloomboard.com/schools

Publication Generating Teaching Effectiveness: The Role of Job-Embedded Professional Development in Teacher Evaluation

http://www.gtlcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/GeneratingTeachingEffectiveness.pdf

Publication High-Quality Professional Development for All Teachers: Effectively Allocating Resources

http://www.gtlcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/HighQualityProfessionalDevelopment.pdf

Publication Linking Teacher Evaluation to Professional Development: Focusing on Improving Teaching and Learning

http://www.gtlcenter.org/sites/default/files/docs/LinkingTeacherEval.pdf

Advancing state efforts to grow, respect, and retain great teachers

and leaders for all students

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More questions?Contact the GTL Center!

1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NWWashington, DC 20007-3835877-322-8700gtlcenter@air.orgwww.gtlcenter.org | www.air.org