Welcome to DPAS II Training for Evaluators

This is Training Module 4: Component V – Student Improvement

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TRAINING OVERVIEW

The DPAS II training is composed of 5 modules. Module 1 is an introduction to the evaluation process. Modules 2 and 4 are customized for either the Teacher or Specialist. Module 3 covers the process that must be followed while implementing DPAS II. Module 5 gives a performance summary for commendations, recommendations, expectations, and additional comments.

This module, Module 4, provides information specific to Component Five.

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MATERIALS FOR THIS MODULE

You will need to access the following materials, all are available in electronic format through this eLearning Delaware course and at the Department of Education website: www.doe.k12.de.us

This presentation

The DPAS II Guide for Teachers

The DPAS II Guide for Specialists

Component Five Form

Non-regulatory Guidance Document

Please be sure you have access to these materials and they are readily available as you work through this module.

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UNDERSTANDING DPAS II: COMPONENT V

As you know, regulation requires that Component V have “multiple measures” of student growth. The Department of Education has worked with hundreds of Delaware teachers and administrators identifying and developing measures that meet the regulation.

The purpose of DPAS II is on building a culture and school climate where everyone is focused on the improvement of student achievement. It creates a culture of respect for the knowledge and expertise of the educators and administrators within each building, allowing them to make decisions together about what is necessary for improved student achievement in their individual schools.

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KEY ASPECTS OF COMPONENT FIVE

Component V relies on the professionalism of educators in setting and achieving ambitious student growth targets. To help educators understand their choices for determining, setting and measuring Component V targets, three educator groups were created: Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3. In addition, three measures were defined to assess student growth for a cohort of students: Measures A, B and C.

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WHO ARE THE EDUCATOR GROUPS?

Group 1 includes any educator who instructs reading and/or mathematics in DCAS grades three through ten. Examples include any English and/or math educator, with at least 10 students, in grades 3 through 10; a teacher with students from several grades in one class, as long as there are at least 10 students in grades 3 through 10; and any English and/or math educator that teaches only one class at DCAS grades 3 through 10.

Group 2 includes any educator who generally reports student grades in any grade or subject where DCAS reading and/or mathematics is not administered. Examples include science, social studies, psychology, welding, physical education, band, and Spanish teachers.

Group 3 includes any educator who generally does NOT report student grades and any educator who cannot otherwise be categorized into Groups 1 or 2. Examples include nurse, school psychologist, counselor, specialist, and pull-out teacher.

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WHAT ARE THE THREE TYPES OF MEASURES?

There are 3 different measures that will determine the Component V rating for educators: Measure A, Measure B and Measure C.

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MEASURE A

Measure A is based upon DCAS instructional scale growth scores for reading and/or math in grades 3 through 10.

Growth Targets will be determined based on the DCAS instructional scale score growth achieved by “similar students” over the past three (3)school years. Similar students are defined as same grade, subject, Fall score, English Language Learner (ELL), Student with Disability (SWD), Student with Disability and English Language Learner (SWD/ELL); or Non-English Language Learner/Student with Disability.

Targets will be determined for Measure A and will be provided to all educators by the Delaware Department of Education. Teachers may view student targets on the Identity Management System (IMS).

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MEASURE B

Measure B is comprised of two types of alternate measures:

1. External assessment measures that are Delaware Department of Education approved and can be used at the discretion of each district. A list of all approved measures is available on the DOE Website.

2. Internal assessment measures that are educator-developed and Delaware Department of Education approved specific to subjects and grade levels. A list of all internal measures is available on the DOE Website.

Note: An educator may use either an external or internal measure B for an entire class of students.

Additionally, any teacher, school, or district that submitted an Alternate Measure B application to the Department of Education for review and received notification that the assessment was approved, may use those assessments in lieu of the Internal/External Measure B options.

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MEASURE C

Measure C are Growth Goals that are Delaware Department of Education approved and educator-developed specific to content areas and job assignments. Growth goals will be available to educators within Performance Plus – specific to their content area and/or job assignment. The growth goals were developed to measure student growth and/or professional outcomes.

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HOW DO WE MATCH THE THREE EDUCATOR GROUPS TO THE CORRECT MEASURES A, B and C?

For Group I educators, component V will be calculated using 50% of Measure A and 50% of Measure B.

For Group II educators, component V will be calculated using 50% of Measure B and 50% of Measure C.

For Group III educators, component V will be calculated using 100% of Measure C.

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GROUP 1 EDUCATORS AND MEASURES

Group 1 Educators must have a minimum of two measures. These measures are sometimes referred to as “data points.”

Regulation mandates that Group 1 educators must use Measure A for all their students assessed by DCAS in reading and/or math for grades 3 through 10.

Additionally, at least one Measure B must be used for an entire class. This may be internal or external.

After administering the Measure B pre-test to an entire class, a cohort of at least 10 students may be identified as the focus group. An educator may decide to use a Measure B on more than one class. Each administration of a Measure B to an entire class is considered an additional Measure (data point) beyond the one required.

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GROUP II EDUCATORS AND MEASURES

Group II Educators must have a minimum of four measures (sometimes referred to as data points).

One Measure B must be used for an entire class. This may be internal and/or external Measure B.

Additionally, at least one Measure C must be identified specific to the content area.

Group II Educators may use 3 Measure Bs and 1 Measure C; 1 Measure C and 3 Measure Bs; or 2 of each. There is a great deal of flexibility with the Measure B and Measure C selections. Educators may use any combination of Measure B and C as long as they have at least four (4) measures (data points) which will be used to determine the Component Five Rating.

After administering the Measure B pre-test to an entire class, a cohort of at least 10 students may be identified as the focus group. An educator may decide to use a Measure B on more than one class. Each administration of a Measure B to an entire class is considered an additional Measure B (data point) beyond the one required.

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GROUP III EDUCATORS AND MEASURES

Group III Educators must have a minimum of four measures (sometimes referred to as data points).

All four (4) Measure C’s must be Growth Goals identified specific to the content area and / or job assignment.

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DPAS II RATINGS

There are several different ratings within the DPAS II Evaluation system. It is important to familiarize yourself with the various ratings and where they are applicable.

Please note that Components I-IV have only two (2) ratings: Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory; while an educator can earn three (3) different ratings for Component V. They are “Exceeds”, “Satisfactory”, or “Unsatisfactory.”

All five Components will determine the overall Summative Ratings of “Highly Effective”, “Effective”, “Needs Improvement”, or “Ineffective.” Regulation requires satisfactory ratings in Component Five in order for an educator to receive an overall summative rating of “Effective” or “Highly Effective.” For example, if an educator has received a satisfactory rating in Components I-IV, but an unsatisfactory rating in Component V, that educator will receive an overall summative rating of “Needs Improvement.” Also, an educator who receives a satisfactory rating in Component V cannot be rated “Ineffective.” For example, if an educator has received unsatisfactory ratings in Components I-IV, but has received a satisfactory rating in Component V, that educator will be rated “Needs Improvement” on the Summative Evaluation.

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HOW WILL MEASURE A BE RATED?

This chart shows the structure of how Measure A will be calculated for Component Five. Measure A calculations are based on DCAS instructional scale scores and student growth targets. Group I educators do not need to determine what denotes an “exceeds” or “satisfactory” rating for Measure A. The Delaware Department of Education has provided a system that makes those determinations clear. Professional judgment exists within the model, as administrators have some discretion when making a decision for an educator receiving an “unsatisfactory” for Measure A when only 35% to 49% of student growth targets are met. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that need to be considered when evaluating an educator’s effectiveness and in those situations, educators and administrators should consider those circumstances within the model, shown here.

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HOW ARE MEASURE A GROWTH TARGETS SET?

The determination of growth targets is an essential part of the professional conversation between each educator and administrator built into the Component Five process. These targets should be based on data and focus upon the individual needs within each school environment.

However, since Measure A is based on DCAS instructional scale score growth achieved by “similar students” for the previous 3 years, DOE will provide student growth targets for all Group I educators. A reporting system for all DCAS Assessment Scores is available on the Integrated Management System (IMS) regarding Component Five student growth targets. Once an educator logs into the IMS system, the Delaware Student Assessment Reporting and Analysis link (DSARA) will appear. The Component Five student growth targets can be accessed there. If you have district-level access, this will be defaulted to your specific district. If you have school-level access, this will be defaulted to your specific school and classroom.

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HOW ARE MEASURE B AND MEASURE C GROWTH TARGETS SET?

Measure B and Measure C selection and goal-setting rely upon educators’ professional judgment. Educators and administrators will set agreed upon targets and determine what denotes an “exceeds” rating and “satisfactory” ratings for Component Five. The Delaware Department of Education does not provide a similar framework for Measure B and Measure C as it does for Measure A.

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COMPONENT FIVE RATINGS

Administrators will make a final determination on an educator’s Component Five rating based upon the data collected and presented at the Spring Conference. In looking at the results of the different measures, administrators will combine the Measure A, Measure B and/or Measure C results to determine the overall Component Five ratings for educators.

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SUMMATIVE RATINGS

A teacher’S or specialist’s overall rating on a Summative evaluation is based upon their performance on all five (5) components. Teachers and specialists will earn a rating of “Satisfactory” or “Unsatisfactory” on Components 1-4, while they can earn ratings of “Exceeds”, “Satisfactory”, or “Unsatisfactory” for Component Five.

This chart shows how Summative ratings are currently determined. Remember, a teacher or specialist cannot be rated “Effective” unless they have a “Satisfactory” rating in Component Five. Additionally, a teacher or specialist cannot be rated “Ineffective” if they have a “Satisfactory” rating in Component Five.

Summative ratings are defined by state regulation. Specific information about summative rating criteria may be found in Section III of the Teacher and Specialist guides.

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DPAS II (Revised) COMPONENT V PROCESS

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TEACHER OF RECORD

The teacher of record is defined as a full-time teacher, who has been assigned the primary responsibility for a student’s learning in a course/class, provided the student has been in attendance at least 85% of the time that the class is in session.

Enrollment and attendance must not be confused with one another. Enrollment issues are important to keep current and accurate in eSchool. Separately, attendance issues needs to be documented across the year to be discussed between the educator and administrator at the spring conference. The spring conference should then include a roster verification and discussion about students whose attendance does not meet the 85% threshold.

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MEASURES / TARGET PROCESS

A review of the educator groups will begin the Measures / Target Process.

Group 1: Includes any teacher who instructs reading and/or mathematics in DCAS grades three through ten.

Group 2: Includes any teacher who reports student grades in any grade or subject where DCAS reading and math is not administered.

Group 3: Includes any teacher who generally does NOT report student grades and any educator who cannot otherwise be categorized into Groups I or II.

It is important to decide which educator group at the beginning of the process.

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ROSTER IDENTIFICATION

Roster Identification needs to be completed in the Fall.

Due to the nature of Measure A & B and their alignment with student growth, it is necessary to ensure valid class rosters.

Educator Groups 1 & 2 will be measuring student growth across all classes, a class and/or a cohort of students within a class.

To ensure an accurate account of the students an educator is responsible for, it is necessary to identify an educator’s roster.

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ROSTER IDENTIFICATION

To complete the roster identification process:

The teacher reviews class rosters for all classes in Performance PLUS.

If a student is listed on a roster and is not attending class, the teacher will notify the school administrator in writing and request the change(s) be made in eSchool.

Remember, a student attending a program such as SCOPE or PEAK cannot be removed from a teacher’s roster even though they are not attending class.

If this is the case, the teacher should print out roster, note the discrepancy including the reason, and discuss with administrator.

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MEASURES SELECTION

After identifying the educator group and identifying all class rosters, the measures need to be selected.

Group 1 educators:

MUST use Measure A and at least one Measure B

Group 2 educators:

MUST use a minimum of four measures

MUST use at least one Measure B and at least one Measure C

Group 3 educators:

MUST use a minimum of four measures

MUST use Measure C

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COMPONENT FIVE FORM

This is the Component Five Form for Group 1 Educators.

The Component V process should begin with an educator in group 1 identifying the roster, as shown at the top of the Component Five Form.

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After the educator completes Roster Identification, the educator should select a Measure B and a class where student growth will be measured.

Write the information in the box provided.

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A Group 1 educator must seek approval from their evaluator before using any measure.

The Component Five Form should be signed by the educator in both the Roster Identification and Measure Selection areas to verify their class list and measure selection.

The Component Five Form should then be submitted to their evaluator for approval.

This does not have to be completed as a conference.

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COMPONENT FIVE FORM

This is the Component Five Form for Group 2 Educators.

The Component V process should begin with an educator in group 2 identifying the roster, as shown at the top of the Component Five Form.

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After the educator completes Roster Identification, the educator should select the Measure B (s) and a class or classes where student growth will be measured.

The educator should also select the Measure C (s) and the class or group of students where student growth or professional outcomes will be measured.

Write the information in the boxes provided.

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A Group 2 educator must seek approval from their evaluator before using any measure.

The Component Five Form should be signed by the educator in both the Roster Identification and Measure Selection areas to verify their class list and measure selections.

The Component Five Form should then be submitted to their evaluator for approval.

This does not have to be completed as a conference.

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COMPONENT FIVE FORM

This is the Component Five Form for Group 3 Educators.

Note: There is no Roster Verification for Group 3 Educators.

The educator should select the four Measure C’s and the class / classes or group of students where student growth or professional outcomes will be measured.

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TARGET SELECTION PROCESS

This is a copy of the Data and Evidence Collection Procedures Chart. One chart should be completed for each Measure B and/or C. All Educator Groups will use this form.

The educator should state the goal in the top Target #1 area.

The educator should identify the measure.

The educator should identify the class receiving the measure.

The educator should identify both the baseline date and baseline data, then record as evidence.

The target date will be at the end of the course.

After analyzing the data and developing both “satisfactory” and “exceeds” targets based upon the identified area(s) of need for their class of students or selected group of students, record in the appropriate area of chart.

All forms should be given to the evaluator in the Fall Conference.

The Fall Conference is scheduled with the administrator to agree on proposed targets. Remember, targets may not be changed during the school year.

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TARGET SELECTION PROCESS

This is an example of a completed Data and Evidence Collection Procedures Chart.

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WHAT DOES A GOOD STUDENT GROWTH TARGET LOOK LIKE?

Student Growth Targets for Measure B and Measure C will be the basis of the conversation during the Fall Conference. The purpose of the Fall Conference (suggested to be completed by October 31st) is to allow time for an educator and administrator to discuss student growth targets/goals. This provides an opportunity to share the focus areas identified for students, how those focus areas were determined, the rationale behind the targets set, and the specific strategies to be used to reach those targets.

Target and goal setting can be completed by teachers and specialists individually or working as a team during Professional Learning Community (PLC) time. Targets/goals set in a PLC can be very effective in moving schools toward the positive, collaborative environment desired to ensure both academic student growth and professional growth.

Remember, Group 1 educators do not set targets/goals for the Measure A assessment. Those student growth targets are set using DCAS instructional scale growth data and will be provided to all Group 1 educators by the Delaware Department of Education.

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STUDENT GROWTH TARGET GUIDING PRINCIPLES

There are three Student Growth Target Guiding Principles.

1. Setting ambitious, achievable goals for students is good instructional practice. Goals establish a vision for what students should be able to accomplish at the end of the year.

2. Strong goals share certain characteristics. However, no single goal or assessment is appropriate for all grades, content areas, or students.

3. Therefore, it is not the intent of the state to over prescribe how educators set student growth targets. This practice should be driven by those closest to students.

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WHAT IS A STUDENT GROWTH TARGET?

A Student Growth Target is a measurable goal for student achievement over a given period of time.

Strong student growth targets share three key characteristics:

Priority Content

Focuses on learning content that is aligned to state and/or common core standards (when applicable).

Rigor

Represents an appropriate amount of student learning (challenging, yet attainable) for the specified interval of instruction and specified set of students.

High-Quality Evidence

Assessment provides data from the beginning and end of students’ time with teacher and is based on a common assessment when available.

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WHAT DO STRONG STUDENT GROWTH TARGETS LOOK LIKE?

A strong Student Growth Target is similar to a SMART goal.

A good goal statement is one that is . . .

Specific

Measurable

Appropriate

Realistic

Time-bound

An example is

Increase the percentage of students who are proficient (above 70%) in Integrated Mathematics I from 33% in September, 2012 to 75% in June, 2012, as measured by the Department of Education Internal Measure B: Integrated Mathematics I.

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WHAT DO STRONG STUDENT GROWTH TARGETS LOOK LIKE?

Another example of a strong Student Growth Target which is similar to a SMART goal:

During the school year, my sixth grade physical education students will improve performance by 20% on each of the Presidential Fitness Test sub areas.

Following the SMART analogy:

Specific: Focused on physical education, specifically the Presidential Fitness sub areas Measurable: Identified Presidential Fitness Test to be used to assess goal Appropriate: The teacher teaches the content and skills contained in the Presidential Fitness

Tests. Realistic: The goal of increasing student performance by 20% is realistic. It is not out of reach

and yet not too easy. Time-bound: Goal attainment can be addressed by the end of the year with the final Presidential

Fitness Test.

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SPRING CONFERENCE

Throughout the year, teachers and specialists will gather evidence of student and/or professional growth to bring to the Spring Conference. Administrators will gather evidence of professional practice and be ready to discuss whether an educator has met the targets/goals set and agreed upon during the Fall Conference.

Again, educators will bring the Component Five form to the Spring Conference and be prepared to conduct a Roster Verification. Group I teachers will be required to conduct a “Roster Verification” using the RVS system which is housed behind IMS. Group I teachers are required to use the RVS system to ensure proper student-teacher linkages related to DCAS scores (Measure A). Group II educators will conduct a “Roster Verification” in the same manner as they conducted the Roster Identification in the Fall.

The following outlines the Spring Roster Verification Process for Group I educators:

Step 1: In March/April, all rosters set up in eSchool will be pulled and placed in the Roster Verification System (RVS).

Step 2: The verification process will have a window of approximately six (6) weeks to complete.

Step 3: A Group I teacher signs into IMS. Once in IMS, they will click on the Roster Verification (RVS) link.

Step 4: Once in RVS, a teacher’s class roster(s) appear for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

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Step 5: Next to each student’s name is a box. If a teacher feels that a student should not be included on their roster, they click on the box.

Step 6: A drop-down menu appears to indicate the options for excluding student(s) from a roster.

Step 7: The teacher will click on the appropriate option for that specific student.

Step 8: Administrators MUST then approve the selection.

Step 9: If a student is missing, or there is no roster for a teacher, the administrator will have to add the student’s name to the roster and/or create a roster so the teacher can approve it.

Step 10: Teachers will not have the ability to add or create rosters. This can only be done by the administrator.

Step 11: Attach the verified rosters to the Component Five form.

*Any student(s) excluded and approved by the evaluator from a teacher’s class roster will not count in the Component Five calculation for that teacher. However, DCAS scores will be reported for that student and be included in the school’s accountability score according to accountability guidelines.

*Specific Technical Assistance and at-a-glance documents will be released in February with timelines and directions.

The Spring Roster Verification for Group II educators is the same process as the Fall Identification Process.

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