Value-Added Teacher Evaluation: Explanations and Recommendations for Music Educators

1. Value-Added Teacher Evaluation:Explanations and Recommendations for Music Educators Abby Butler – Wayne State University Colleen Conway – University of Michigan Phillip Hash – Calvin College Cynthia Taggart – Michigan State University

2. Definition - Value-Added • A way to measure teaching and learning that identifies progress made by individual students and the extent to which individual teachers, schools, and districts have contributed to that progress. [Center for Greater Philadelphia http://www.cgp.upenn.edu/ope.html] • Process • Simple pre & post-test over a unit of instruction • Complex comparison of individual students’ standardized tests from one year to the next • Many states have implemented various models

3. All States in the Same Boat “Arizona is using the TAP system. Our wonderful legislature also did away with teacher tenure, so all the districts are designing elaborate teacher eval systems. Some are awarding points for service on school and district committees, professional development, mentoring new teachers, etc. One of my friends says her school awards the same points for serving on the school social committee as for hosting a student teacher. Districts are also discussing how to do the "value-added" part of teacher eval. One district has decided on a very short playing assessment for beginning strings that will supposedly demonstrate that the students are learning that particular skill - I'm not sure how they'll validate scoring, I don't think they're sure yet either.”

4. All States in the Same Boat “In Colorado, everyone is in the throes of trying to figure out how to develop appropriate assessments and guidelines, particularly for teachers of non-tested subjects.   The implementation is supposed to take place in August 2013.”

5. All States in the Same Boat • “Indiana Music Education Association convened specifically to begin work on this issue. Essentially, we began by trying to define what a "highly effective" music teacher looks like and subsequently create a rubric that both administrators and teachers could voluntarily use for evaluation purposes. Our goal was to create a rubric that could be used for all music teachers, regardless of grade level taught or specialty (B/C/O/Gen/Etc). We then created some sample documents that educators might use as they begin to compile the evidence that will be required to show they are reflective teachers and using data/evaluation procedures to inform their instruction and to meet specific student learning outcomes (SLO's).”

6. All States in the Same Boat • Massachusetts • “My reading suggests that districts and unions need to devise a measurement tool(s) for music educators to measure student progress/growth. Music educators do not teach in a general education context and do not have their students' work assessed through a statewide standardized measurement tool. Measurement tools that are aligned with the Music Frameworks of the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Frameworks and are used school-wide and district-wide (common assessments) may satisfy this requirement. These tools may work for some portion of general music curricula, but, perhaps, not as well for performance based ensembles due to a myriad of factors (lack of curricula and/or lack of alignment to the Massachusetts Music Frameworks, differences in learning time allotted for ensembles between schools in a district based on master schedules, the repertoire and concepts that are studied and performed varies from school to school, instrumentation of ensembles which may affect concepts to be studied, lack of administrative support for ensembles, how to objectively measure student understanding of studied musical concepts and chart growth of understanding over time, ensembles that meet after school versus during the school day).    

7. All States in the Same Boat • New York: • Our year-end evaluations will be weighted as follows: 60% classroom observations by administrators, 20% student growth on state assessments, and 20% student growth on locally developed assessments.  As far as subjects for which there aren't state exams, it is my understanding that a district can use the other state test scores (i.e.- ELA, math) for that 20% or can create additional local assessments (SLO's- student learning objective) to count for that part.  It's continuing to change and that is one of the points that we haven't received a very firm answer on yet.

8. All States in the Same Boat • Pennsylvania: •   Currently PDE is not planning a music or arts statewide assessment for the 50% of the evaluation based on student achievement.  Various models have been proposed but none have been approved as of now.  PDE is working through how to use multiple measures of data.  One possibility would be that local districts would determine what the 50% of student achievement data would come from.  In another possibility, the music teacher might have the school’s standardized test results (PSSA, Keystones, PVAAS) count for part of the 50% student achievement data with the remaining part of the 50% coming from local assessments.More should be known this summer when principals/supervisors across the state are to receive training.

9. All States in the Same Boat “The Washington State legislature just passed an initiative last week that includes test scores as a part of teacher evaluations.   I believe districts have two years to respond with changes in their policies.   The Tacoma district had a lengthy teacher strike last fall when the district tried to implement similar changes, and the evaluation process for the district is still being negotiated.”

10. All States in the Same Boat Wisconsin: “I have heard through the grapevine that scattered teaching staffs across the state have been voluntarily considering the issue - certainly feeling pressured by the current state political climate.”

11. Strategies for Assessing Student Growth

12. Planning for Assessment: First Steps • What is to be assessed (content) then how it will be assessed (measurement tools) • Three aspects of learning (outcomes) that can be assessed: • Knowledge • Skill • Understanding

13. Planning for Assessment: Mediating Factors • Differences between classroom and ensemble settings • Availability of valid and reliable measurement tools for individual vs. group growth • Numbers of students and contact hours per week • Lack of consistent music instruction and resources among schools districts

14. Measurement • Quantitative vs. Qualitative Data • Validity and Reliability • Aptitude vs. Achievement

15. Choosing Assessment Tools • Identify learning outcomes to be measured • SKILLS • KNOWLEDGE • UNDERSTANDING • Match assessment to learning outcomes • Validity & Reliability