Virginia Supporting and Evaluating Educators (VSEE) Webinar

Virginia Supporting and Evaluating Educators (VSEE) Webinar Date: November 1, 2011 Time: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Participants : elementary school teachers and administrators

TODAY’S AGENDA • Wiki Familiarization • Top Ten Frequently Asked Questions • Sample Goal Setting Forms

VSEE Wiki • http://va-sig-training.wmwikis.net

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VIRGINIA UNIFORM TEACHER PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS The Top Ten

FAQ #1 Are the Virginia Uniform Performance Standards for Teachers required for use in teacher evaluation? Yes. Pursuant to Section 22.1-253.13.5 of the Code of Virginia (Virginia statute), school boards are required to develop and implement a teacher evaluation system that is consistent with the Uniform Teacher Performance Standards.

FAQ #2 Are measures of student progress required in teacher evaluation? Yes. Section 22.1-295 of the Code of Virginia requires that teacher evaluations in Virginia must address student academic progress.

FAQ #3 No, unless you are a pilot school. The use of SGPs and SAGS are recommended, but not required. These are required for pilot schools A school board may use other legitimate measures of student academic progress to augment or replace these recommended measures. However, the measures that a school board chooses to use must be valid, reliable, and feasible for ongoing use. Is a school board required to include a portion of a teacher’s evaluation that is based on student progress using the Virginia Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) or Student Achievement Goal Setting as recommended in the 2011 Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers?

FAQ #4 No, unless you are a pilot school. The weighting for each of the seven Uniform Performance Standards for Teachers is recommended, but not required. Pilot schools must use the recommended weighting. The final determination for weighting is a decision to be made by the local school board. Must the portion of a teacher’s evaluation that is based on student progress equal 40 percent of the total evaluation?

FAQ #5 What is the weighting for each performance standard if implemented according to the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers? Performance Standard 1 Professional Knowledge 10% Performance Standard 2 Instructional Planning 10% Performance Standard 3 Instructional Delivery 10% Performance Standard 4 Assessment of and for Learning 10% Performance Standard 5 Learning Environment 10% Performance Standard 6 Professionalism 10% Performance Standard 7 Student Academic Progress 40%

FAQ #6 Yes. Evaluations must be consistent with the Uniform Performance Standards for Teachers (see §22.1-253.13:5 Standard 5 of the Code of Virginia noted earlier). Additionally,the language regarding the procedures that local school boards must adopt for teacher evaluation include such standards as student academic progress and the skills and knowledge of instructional personnel, including, but not limited to, instructional methodology, classroom management, and subject matter knowledge, all of which are consistent with theUniform Performance Standards for Teachers (see §22.1-295 of the Code of Virginia noted earlier). Must teachers receive a rating for each of the seven standards included in the Uniform Teacher Performance Standards?

FAQ #7 Yes. The Code of Virginia regarding dismissal of continuing contract teachers includes incompetency as one basis for dismissal. For performance to be documented as less than satisfactory, it is necessary to provide an overall rating of “unsatisfactory” or “less than satisfactory” (i.e., often described as “unacceptable” or “unsatisfactory” in teacher evaluation procedures). Must teachers receive an overall summative rating of performance?

FAQ #8 Yes. The Code of Virginia requires two explicit data sources for documenting performance in teacher evaluation systems: observation (§22.1-253.13:5) and measures of student academic progress (§22.1-295). Various data sources suggested in the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, such as student surveys, document logs, portfolios, and self-assessment, are provided only as options to consider. Must teachers be evaluated using multiple data sources?

FAQ #9 Does the teacher need to set a goal for each class/subject taught? No. During the pilot, each teacher sets one goal for improving student growth. A secondary teacher, teaching in a 4X4 block schedule, should develop one goal for each semester.

FAQ #10 How will the Teacher Performance Evaluation System affect resource teachers? The full measure of Standard 7 (40% of the total evaluation score) would be based on student achievement goal setting and other applicable measures of student progress. Goal setting for student progress should be appropriate for the content/subject/field area.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT GOAL SETTING • One of the measures of student growth that might be used as evidence for Standard 7 (measures of academic progress) • Must have a pre- and post-test component • Must be SMART (specific, measureable, appropriate, realistic, and time-bound) • Must be rigorous

Goal Setting for Student Progress Form Teacher Performance Evaluation System 2011 – 2012 Pilot Year Subject/Grade: Reading/4th Grade

Goal Setting for Student Progress Form Teacher Performance Evaluation System 2011 – 2012 Pilot Year Subject/Grade: Music/PK-5

Goal Setting for Student Progress Form Teacher Performance Evaluation System 2011 – 2012 Pilot Year Subject/Grade: Library/PK-2

Goal Setting for Student Progress Form Teacher Performance Evaluation System 2011 – 2012 Pilot Year Subject/Grade: Second Grade Reading

Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence. Abigail Adams, 1780

Virginia Supporting and Evaluating Educators (VSEE) Webinar