Module 4 for Administrators

1. Module 4 for Administrators The Real Implications of VAM and Florida Standards for Teacher Evaluation

3. Professional Development Session Alignment Set 1 Data Use Governing Board School Leaders Data Use ELA Math Data Use ELA Math Teachers Leadership Teams Session 1 Session 2 Module 6 FL CCRS Math

4. Professional Development Session Alignment Set 2 Governing Board Florida Standards School Leaders VAM & Academic Rigor Assessment Data ELA Math Data & ELA Data & Math Teachers Leadership Teams Session 3 Session 4 Session 5 Session 6 Module 7 ELA & Data Use Module 8 Math & Data Use

5. 8 Components of Full Florida Standards Implementation

6. Module Outcomes • Develop an understanding of Florida’s Value-Added Model (VAM) and its implications to teachers as well as the entire charter school. • Increase awareness of the higher standards of learning and rigor the new assessments will require of students and staff. • Recognize best practices that teachers should be implementing to increase rigor in the classroom. • Develop an understanding of teacher and student behaviors that should be observed during classroom walkthroughs to ensure a rigorous classroom. • Recognize the importance of Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels and its connection to increased rigor.

7. Today’s Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Pre-Assessment • Section 1: Teacher Evaluation- The Value-Added Model • Lunch • Section 2: Understanding Academic Rigor • Section 3: ConnectingAcademic Rigor and Depth of Knowledge • Next Steps • Wrap Up and Post-Assessment To Do List

8. Introductory Activity Pre-Assessment Guide Page 4

9. Section 1 Teacher Evaluation: The Value-Added Model (VAM)

10. Why Change Teacher Evaluation Systems? • Research has shown that the best predictor of a teacher’s effectiveness is his or her past success in the classroom. Most other factors pale in comparison, including a teacher’s preparation route, advanced degrees, and even experience level (after the first few years).* • The lesson is clear: to ensure that every child learns from the most effective teachers possible, schools must be able to gauge their teachers’ performance fairly and accurately. *Jordan, Mendro, and Weerasinghe, Teacher Effects on Longitudinal Student Achievement, 1997

11. Teachers Matter • “The effect of increases in teacher quality swamps the impact of any other educational investment, such as reductions in class size.” Goldhaber, 2009 • “More can be done to improve education by improving the effectiveness of teachers than by any other single factor.” Wright, Horn and Sanders, 1997 • “Having a high-quality teacher throughout elementary school can substantially offset or even eliminate the disadvantage of low socio-economic background.” Rivkin, Hanushek and Kain, 2005

12. Changing the Traditional Teacher Evaluation Model to Ensure Quality Watch the video on changes to teacher evaluation systems. Discuss with members at your table the challenges and opportunities for your charter school with stronger teacher evaluation models. Using Multiple Measures

13. What Changes to the Florida Teacher Evaluation System Have Been Established? • Established by Student Success Act (SB 736) Educator Evaluation System • Teacher and School Administrator Evaluations • Professional Practice • Student Learning Growth • FLDOE Student Growth Implementation Committee (SGIC)

14. What Is the Biggest Shift In Florida’s Teacher Evaluation System? • The Teacher Evaluation Model Now Has Two Major Components: • Instructional Practice • Deliberate Practices • Teacher Observation • Professional Growth • Surveys • Student Performance (VAM data)

15. Important to Know…. It is important to note that measures used in the Florida School Grading system, student proficiency and learning gains, are not a part of the Florida Value-Added Model of student learning growth. Student learning growth is based on the actual scale score on FCAT 2.0 tests. Although students may score in Achievement Levels 3-5, they still have room to grow.

16. The New Measure: Value-Added Analysis • A Value-Added model attempts to measure the impact of a teacher on student learning, by accounting for other factors that may impact the learning process. • The models do not: • Evaluate teachers based on a single year of student performance or proficiency. • Evaluate teachers based on simple comparisons from one year to the next.

17. Let’s Take a Break… Be back in 15 minutes…

18. Comparing the Features of a Growth Model to a Value-Added Model Understanding the Purpose of Student Growth Models

19. Looking at the Difference Between Growth and Proficiency Proficiency (Status) A method for measuring how students perform at one point in time Growth (Progress) Growth models measure the amount of academic progress students make between two points in time

20. Looking at the Difference Between Growth and Proficiency Teacher 2 Teacher 1 Proficiency Proficiency Growth

21. A Better Picture of Student Learning &

22. VAM & Student Learning Growth • Teacher contribution to a change in a student’s achievement on standardized test • Calculated from a measure of student learning growth over time • Students may not be proficient, but may have met their student growth target http://www.fldoe.org/committees/sg.asp

23. Understanding VAM: What Are The Scores? What is the Predicted Student Score? It is the score you would EXPECT a student to achieve based on the student’s performance on prior tests and other information available on the student. A predicted score for a student is generated based on what would normally happen in an average class with a typical teacher. What is the Student Learning Growth Score? The difference between current test score and predicted test score.

24. Student Learning Growth is the Amount Above or Below Predicted Score

25. Proficiency vs. Predicted Growth (VAM) Teacher 1 Teacher 2 Did Student B meet or exceed the predicted score? Did Student J meet or exceed the predicted score?

26. Advantages of Value-Added Models • Value-Added models are designed to MITIGATE the influence of differences among the entering classes so that schools and teachers do not have advantages or disadvantages simply as a result of the students who attend a school or are assigned to a class. • Value-Added models are not perfect. The model will be continually reviewed by the FLDOE in case adjustments are necessary. Teachers teach classes of students who enter with different levels of proficiency and possibly different student characteristics. Value-Added models ATTEMPT to “level the playing field” by accounting for differences in the proficiency and characteristics of students assigned to teachers.

27. Activity 1: Focusing on Student Growth Guide Page 6

28. Understanding VAM: Factors Used To Adjust Predicted Score Factors Identified to “Level the Playing Field”

29. Understanding VAM: Student Characteristics

30. Understanding VAM: Factors NOT Used To Adjust Predicted Score Student Characteristics NOT directly accounted for Since these factors already influence a student’s performance and prior performance is the predictor with the strongest weight, they are indirectly accounted for. 30

31. How Do The Factors Affect The Predicted Scores? – An Example Student A Predicted Score 1750 Student B Predicted Score 1790

32. How Are Student Growth ScoresCalculated for the Teacher/School? • State calculates scores for each grade and subject separately • Therefore, a teacher/school may have more than one score

33. Percent Ranks and Ratings • State generates a percent rank for each teacher, school, district based currently on FCAT scores • Reading score is ranked among all Reading scores in the state (Grades 4-10) • Math score is ranked among all Math scores in the state (Grades 4-8, No Algebra EOC) • Reading + Math score is ranked among Reading + Math scores in the state

34. What Are the Key Features of A Teacher Report for VAM Data?

35. What Are the Key Features of A Teacher Report?

36. What Are the Key Elements of A Class Report? Amount of growth above predicted score made by student 10 out of 13 students met their expectation

37. Sample School Report for Students Effective Combined Scores

38. Sample Questions to Ask When Analyzing VAM Data What are our strengths as a charter school? • In what grade levels and content area(s) did we produce more than expected growth with our students? • Is there anything special or different about the instructional strategies when delivering that content? What are the challenge areas for our charter school? • What is different about how this content is delivered? • What root cause can we determine that may affect the progress in that content area?

39. Activity 2:Understanding VAM and Its Impact on Charter Schools Guide Page 7

40. Bon Appétit Be back in 1 hour…

41. Section 2 Understanding Academic Rigor

42. How Can School Leaders Support Stronger VAM Scores? • School leaders cannot change how VAM scores are calculated, but do have influence over the level of rigor in classrooms in their charter school. • Focusing on what teachers and students are doing in the classroom will raise student achievement level and eventually affect VAM scores. Are our students ready for more rigor?

43. Defining Academic Rigor What is Rigor? Quickly jot down your definition of rigor and characteristics of a rigorous lesson you may see at your school. In your table group, discuss your definition with others and determine if there is a consensus. Think of a teacher who applies rigorous practices in their classroom. Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement. ASCD, 2001

44. What Is Academic Rigor? “When instruction is academically rigorous, students actively explore, research and solve complex problems to develop a deep understanding of core academic concepts that reflect college readiness standards.” Oregon Small Schools Initiative “Rigor is creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels; each student is supported so s/he can learn at high levels; and each student demonstrates learning at high levels.” Barbara Blackburn Rigor 101 With Barbara Blackburn Teaching What Matters Most: Standards and Strategies for Raising Student Achievement. ASCD, 2001

45. Without Academic Rigor: Cycle of Low Expectations

46. Activity 3: Assessing Evidence of Academic Rigor In Your Charter School Guide Pages 9-11

47. What Does Academic Rigor Look Like In the Classroom? Rigor Is Not… Rigor Is… An integral part of quality instruction Increasing the complexity of questions that require more than one word answers Expanding academic challenges Digging deeper into an assignment to gain full understanding • Something extra you assign on top of everything else • More of the same math problems • Faster rate of instruction • More homework

48. What Should Teachers Be Doing In A Rigorous Classroom? Davis, P. (2013). Teaching to the Rigor of the CCSS. ASCD Webinar

49. What Should Students Be Doing In A Rigorous Classroom? Davis, P. (2013). Teaching to the Rigor of the CCSS. ASCD Webinar

50. Activity 4a: Getting Rigor Right, What You Should See In a Classroom Guide Pages 12-13