Harrison County, CO Evaluation and Compensation System

1. Harrison County, CO Evaluation and Compensation System

2. Harrison’s demographics • 693 teachers • 10,600 students • 74% free and reduced lunch • 72% minority • Urban, located within the city of Colorado Springs

9. Harrison’s new salary schedule Each year, teachers are evaluated and assigned to one of nine effectiveness levels:

10. Top salary • Before: $68,000 • Now: $90,000

11. Classroom observation Student Achievement Six traditional metrics Quality of instruction Student engagement Effective strategies and practices Curriculum alignment Classroom management Other criteria A combination of 8 measures that involve: Classroom scores on both the state test and district ssessments School-wide scores on the state test A student achievement goal set by the teacher How teachers are rated: 50/50

12. Classroom observations • Frequent “spot observations” of all teachers (10 to 15 minute walk throughs). • Non-tenured teachers 8 times each semester.  • Tenured teachers 4 times each semester.  • All teachers are formally observed 2 times a year. • All teachers receive 1 summative evaluation each year, summarizing the spot and formal evals, and determining annual rating and salary. 

13. State tests • As federal law requires, all students in grades 3 through 10 are tested by the state in language arts, mathematics and science.

14. District tests • Every grade and subject administers “progress monitoring assessments” • 4 common assessments during the year • 2 assessments administered at the end of semester • In non-tested subjects and grades, the district’s teachers have agreed upon a set of performance measures. • Retired teachers evaluate teachers each year on a set of standard performance metrics

15. Teachers must meet an objective standard of performance to progress from one level to another. • District established a “target distribution” range for each of the 8 effectiveness levels • District intentionally established a positively skewed distribution (meaning the majority of current teachers would be found proficient and progressing) • District set “cut scores” for each level that was based on past student achievement data, so that the actual distribution would approximate our target distribution.

16. The student learning measures for a 4th grade teacher The specific measures vary grade to grade, subject to subject.

17. Multiple measures brought to life • State Tests • District (Performance) • District (Summative) •  District (Progress monitoring •  Individual goal set by teacher

18. The student learning measures for a 10th grade English teacher The specific measures vary grade to grade, subject to subject.

19. The student learning measures for a high school AP English teacher The specific measures vary grade to grade, subject to subject.

20. The student learning measures for a high school art teacher The specific measures vary grade to grade, subject to subject.

21. A sample of performance measures for non-tested teachers Art Grade 3 In the space below, create an abstract or realistic drawing of an animal. Use at least two different shapes. Use at least one type of line. Show balance in the drawing. Your drawing will be scored on: Are all parts of the drawing neat and finished? How well were shapes, line, and balance used?

22. A before picture

23. And after: The results produce a standard bell curve, reflecting true performance.

24. What happened in the first year (2010-2011) • Modest achievement gains in most areas: • Significant growth at high school level • 25% of the teacher workforce left: • Includes retirements, non-renewals, and resignations • Majority of teachers leaving were not rated proficient or higher. • Actual distribution came close to the target distribution. • Overall percentage of money spent on salaries remained the same.

25. How often are teachers eligible for a raise? • Teachers are eligible for advancement each year. • The fastest a current teacher can make it to the top “Master” level is 6 years • A novice teacher can make it in 8 years. • A teacher can stay at the same level indefinitely. • However, ineffective teachers will eventually be moved out • A teacher can be downgraded but only after receiving low marks three years in a row. • Its easier to get promotions at the lower levels than higher. • An exceptionally distinguished teacher can skip a level one time in a career.

26. How Harrison pays for its plan: • It is not an incentive pay plan. • It uses the same percentage of general fund dollars as before that went to teacher salaries • Teachers receive no raises associated with experience or advanced degrees. • Teachers are not paid to attend professional development. • District eliminated extra pay for mentoring or department chairs. • MOST IMPORTANT: Teachers don’t get raises every year. • Every three years, the district will decide if a Cost of Living raise is in order.

27. How it is manageable: • Only the district can decide if a teacher qualifies for the four top levels of effectiveness. District staff evaluates these teachers. • All school levels have assistant principals who also evaluate teachers and are trained to be instructional leaders. • If rate of promotions is not financially sustainable, cut scores can be adjusted.

28. Teacher satisfaction: • In a survey conducted in the fall of 2010: • 69% of staff agreed that compensation should be based on performance and student achievement results • Only 13% disagreed • 55% of staff agreed that a pay for performance plan would be good for students’ academic success • Only 14% disagreed