Overview of Student Growth and T-TESS

Keys of AppraisalStudent growth is a part of the appraisal process:• Formative• Ongoing and Timely• Formalize what highly effective educators do• Develop habits of self-assessment, reflection, and adjustment • Collaborative, supportive cultures

Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS)

Rubric Goal-Setting and Professional Development Process Student Growth

◦ Student Learning Objectives◦ Value-add scores◦ Portfolios◦ District Pre and Post tests

Student Growth• Student growth measures will be required as a part of teacher appraisal systems beginning in 2017-2018.

• Districts may choose from the four possible measures of student growth.

•Student growth data, like observation feedback, is for the purposes of making more informed professional development decisions.

Assessment vs. Process Assessment-based student growth:

◦ District pre- and post-tests◦ Value-added measures◦ Standardize, objective, comparable

Process-based student growth:◦ Student learning objectives◦ Portfolios◦ Granular, timely, context specific feedback

The SLO Process A series of questions that, if I answer thoughtfully and thoroughly, should lead to improvements in instruction and student learning.

What SLOs Are Not Determining student growth is not:• Subtracting a beginning-of-year skill number from an end-of-year skill number • Mathematical or mathematically precise• Numerically standardized across a campus or district•Focused on traditional testing

Questions to Start the Course

First Question What are the student skills on which this SLO should focus?

Skill and Need Balance between foundational skill(s) I teach in this course and the needs of my students

• Foundational skills are those primary skills I develop that:• Affect not just this course, but potentially success in other courses (analysis,

process, synthesis, numeracy, etc.)• Are persistent skills that last beyond this year• Ensure depth of thinking/knowledge/skill, not for a particular test, but for

any assessment of skill for this curriculum

• Needs of my students are those holes in their skill set that:• Analysis of data identifies as a need• Prevent the accumulation of other knowledge and skills• Are central and persistent skills that thread throughout the course

Second Question Where do I think my students will be with these skills upon entering my course?

Initial Skill ProfileWhat do I think will be the range of skill with which my students will enter my course?• Past experience teaching course• Knowledge of students/campus

In building the profile, I want to think of a bell curve:• The middle level captures the middle of the bell curve, where most of my

students should be• The top level captures the high end of the tail, where my most skilled

students should be• The bottom level captures the bottom end of the tail, where my least skilled

students should be

Creating Initial Student Skill Profiles

Third Question Where are my students actually with this skill upon entering my class?

Initial Skill Profile During the first 3-6 weeks of the course, I determine where my students actually are by:

• Looking at past academic data (grades, assessments, courses taken)

• Looking at demographic data (at-risk, socio-economic data, ELL, special education)

• Looking at demonstrations of that skill in my class (formal and informal assessments, class work, surveys)

Fourth Question Based on where my students actually are with this skill, if I provide effective instruction throughout this course, where should these students be at the end of the course?

Targeted Skill ProfileIn building the profile, I want to think of a bell curve:• The middle level captures the middle of the bell curve, where most of my

students should be• The top level captures the high end of the tail, where my most skilled

students should be• The bottom level captures the bottom end of the tail, where my least skilled

students should be

For each student covered in the SLO, I determine how that individual should develop over the course based on all the data I reviewed (including where he or she landed on the Initial Skill Profile).

This is the Targeted Skill Level for that student.

Creating Targeted Student Skill Profiles

Questions During the Course

Next Set of Questions What practices and strategies will allow my students (collectively and individually) to progress throughout the course?

How are my students progressing in response to these practices and strategies?

For those that aren’t progressing appropriately, what changes can I make that may allow me to better reach them?

Questions to End the Course

First Question How did each student in the SLO progress?

Scoring Student Growth Determining student growth is as simple as asking for each student:

Based on the review of the end-of-the year skill demonstration(s), did this student meet, exceed or fall below the Targeted Skill Level?

Determining student growth is not:

• Subtracting the beginning-of-year skill number from the end-of-year skill number

• Mathematical or mathematically precise

• Numerically standardized across a campus or district

Second Question How did I do in engaging in the SLO process and progressing my students?

SLO Outcome Rubrics The rubric combines teacher practices and student outcomes by generally looking at five things:

• The quality of the SLO

• High expectations in student growth goals

• The process of monitoring, analyzing data, and making adjustments to practice

• Students making targeted growth

• Students exceeding targeted growth

Third Question In looking at how my students progressed, what worked, what didn’t work, and, most importantly, what I can improve upon to have a greater effect on all of my students next year?

ReflectionWhich students met/exceeded targeted growth? Why did this happen?

Which student fell below targeted growth? Why did this happen?

What will I adjust or improve upon next year based on this data?

Areas for improvement could be:

• Instructional practices

• Instructional strategies

• Pacing/scaffolding

• Assumptions

Alignment with T-TESS• Post-conference and end-of-year conference• SLO process as evidence on the T-TESS rubric• Principal practice and the T-PESS rubric• Goal-setting and pd plan• Collaboration