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     Purple Subcommittee: Observation and Practice
     
     1) How will the observation/evaluation process be different from what we do now?

    As part of Act 82 requirements we need to modify and align the PEERS process, specifically related to observations. Classroom observation will now account for 50% of a teacher’s overall final evaluation rating.

    The evaluation process is a series of observations/collection of evidence including walk through observations.

    The remaining 50% of the evaluation process includes multiple measures of student achievement, which includes the SPP, PVAAS, and Elective Data/SLOs.

    Administrators will be involved in more class visits, with the addition of walk through observations. The Tool for Teacher Evaluation form is different.
    Teachers will be rated overall in each domain using the following scoring rubric:

    Rubric

    During training the significant differences in the rubrics will be noted/emphasized. 

     

    Overall “Needs improvement” Performance Rating considered satisfactory, except if another is issued within 10 years with teacher teaching under the same certification area, then will become an unsatisfactory

     
     

    2) What are the procedures for helping a teacher that may be not doing well/receives a Needs Improvement? What are the consequences? What are the particulars of the 10-year process of Unsatisfactories? What’s the Bottom Line?
     

    The committee will be reviewing the state suggested differentiated supervision plan with the current PEERS model. This will take into account the process to support teachers who are doing well and those that need assistance. As of right now this is a work in progress. Details will be posted when the work is completed.

     Frequent observations will be completed by administrators that will provide feedback to teachers.

     No employee shall be rated “Needs Improvement” or “Failing” based solely upon student test scores. An overall rating performance rating of “Failing” shall be considered unsatisfactory.

     
     

    3) What information can be used in the process of our evaluations? Example: Walk through observations and projects.

    As appropriate, records for the employee and their placement in a classroom and educational program shall be documented by the rater. Documentation may include, but not be limited to a combination of any of the following items that occur within the normal discharge of teaching duties:

    • Documented notations of classroom observations, teacher/rater conferences or interviews, or informal observations or visits.
    •   Lesson unit plans (types, titles and numbers), materials, technology, teacher resource documents, visual technology, space, student assignment sheets, student work, instructional resources, student records, grade book, progress reports, and report cards
    • Interaction with student ‘s family
    • Family, parent, school and community feedback
    • Act 48 documentation
    • Use of teaching and learning reflections

    The documentation, evidence and findings of the rater, shall provide the basis for the rating of the employee’s complete tool in each of the four domains.

     
     

    4) How will my position in Special Education, ELL, or Related Arts etc… be impacted?

    The committee will be reviewing the state suggested differentiated supervision plan with the current PEERS model. This will take into account the process to support teachers who are doing well and those that need assistance. As of right now this is a work in progress. Details will be posted when the work is completed.Frequent observations will be completed by administrators that will provide feedback to teachers.No employee shall be rated “Needs Improvement” or “Failing” based solely upon student test scores. An overall rating performance rating of “Failing” shall be considered unsatisfactory.
     

    Overall “Needs improvement” Performance Rating considered satisfactory, except if another is issued within 10 years with teacher teaching under the same certification area, then will become an unsatisfactory

     

    5) How am I protected from an Administrator that doesn’t like me? (How do we make sure that objectivity is in play?)

    The evaluation process is an evidenced based series of observations/collection of evidence including walk through observations.

    Teachers may add evidence.

    Professional development needs to occur so that what everyone is operating in a way that is consistent. Currently the district provides training to all administrators on Inter-rater reliability.

    Administrators will be providing feedback from walk through observations.

    The committee will be reviewing the state suggested differentiated supervision plan with the current PEERS model. This will take into account the process to support teachers who are doing well and those that need assistance. As of right now this is a work in progress. Details will be posted when the work is completed.

     

    6) How are teachers that teach in more than one building or teachers that switch buildings impacted?

    Time of change and equal share of time in each building needs to be considered.

    Shared percentage of outcome (Observation, SPP, and PVAAS). 

     

    RED Sub-committee Teacher Specific Data (PVAAS)

    1. What is PVAAS teacher-specific reporting?

    The Pennsylvania Value-Added Assessment System (PVAAS) teacher-specific reporting estimates the effect of a teacher’s performance on the academic growth of a group of students. The PVAAS reports are based on the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) methodology provided to Pennsylvania (PA) by the SAS Institute Inc., SAS® EVAAS® for K-12 division.

    Although measuring academic achievement is important, achievement only identifies where students are at a specific point in time rather than identifying how much academic growth has been made by students. PVAAS provides a measure of academic growth for students by taking into account both their endpoint and their entering achievement level.Growth depends on the effectiveness of the instructional program in meeting the needs of students. Students arrive at school at different levels of achievement. By concentrating on growth, PVAAS puts the emphasis on what educators can influence.

    For the first time in Pennsylvania teachers will have access to information regarding their influence on the academic progress of students. This gives the teacher an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the instructional program, as well as determine areas of strength and areas for growth. The teacher can monitor student progress, from low achieving to high achieving, ensuring growth opportunities for all students. This gives teachers information to align professional development to their specific needs as a teacher.

    2. Where does the PVAAS data come from?

    The data comes from PSSA and/or Keystone Exams. PASA is not included. PVAAS utilizes the available historical state assessment data from the most recent five years, when available, to predict future PSSA performances in Math, Reading, Science, and Writing as well as future Keystone performances in Algebra I, Biology, and Literature.
    • For grade 4 Science, prior scores from grade 3 Reading and grade 3 Math are used
    • For grade 5 Writing, prior scores from grade 3 Reading, grade 3 Math, grade 4 Reading, and grade 4 Math are used.
    • For the Keystone content areas, prior scores from prior grade levels on the PSSA Math, Reading, and Science assessments are used.
    This approach does in fact yield reliable results because high correlations exist between the PSSAs (and between PSSAs and Keystones) across subjects, and because there is a strong relationship among scores across grade levels in a single subject area. Additionally, there are many data records in the PVAAS analysis (approximately 115,000 per grade level per subject area).
     
    3. What is the PVAAS teacher-specific reporting 3-year rolling average based upon?
     
    This 3-year rolling average is a measure of the teacher’s impact on the academic growth of groups of students over time. The 3-year rolling average will be based upon value-added estimates for any subject(s), grade(s) and/or courses for which the teacher provided content specific instruction in the past 3 school years.

    4. Does a teacher need to have 3 consecutive years of PVAAS reporting to receive a PVAAS 3-year rolling average?

    Yes, a teacher needs three consecutive school years of value-added reporting to receive a PVAAS 3-year rolling average. This can be in any PA assessed grade/subject and/or course. This does not need to be in the same grade/subject and/or course each year. No single-year PVAAS data or 2 year PVAAS data will be used on a teacher’s final rating form. A PVAAS 3-year rolling average is needed. 

    5. How do you show a year’s worth of growth?

    The value-added models used in Pennsylvania are designed to estimate whether students made one year’s worth of growth, which is about meeting expected performance based on a specific group’s prior year’s academic performance. PVAAS takes into account the progress of all students, regardless of their entering achievement, therefore growth in any performance category counts. PVAAS value-added reporting follows the progress of individual students over time, regardless of their achievement level, to ensure that all students count.
    PVAAS teacher-specific reporting will not be used in PA’s Educator Effectiveness System until a teacher receives a 3-year rolling average. This 3-year rolling average is a measure of the teacher’s impact on the academic growth of groups of students over time (3 consecutive years of performance in any subject/course/grade and 3 different groups of students). Therefore, teachers who remain in a PSSA or Keystone course from 4th through 8th grades, even if the course, grade level, or school changes, will have a 3-year rolling average calculated and utilized as part of teacher-specific reporting.
     
    6. What if a teacher moves grade level/content or building? 

    PVAAS teacher-specific reporting will not be used in PA’s Educator Effectiveness System until a teacher receives a 3-year rolling average. This 3-year rolling average is a measure of the teacher’s impact on the academic growth of groups of students over time (3 consecutive years of performance in any subject/course/grade and 3 different groups of students). Therefore, teachers who remain in a PSSA or Keystone course from 4th through 8th grades, even if the course, grade level, or school changes, will have a 3-year rolling average calculated and utilized as part of teacher-specific reporting.

     

    7. What is the rationale for using enrollment rather than attendance in PVAAS teacher specific reporting?

    The district, school and the individual teacher(s) each have a role in preventing and intervening with student attendance issues. The School Performance Profile reflects the effectiveness of the school’s efforts to address student attendance. The use of enrollment in PVAAS teacher specific reporting reflects the responsibility of individual teachers in preventing and intervening with student attendance issues. Teachers are responsible for the education of each student in a subject/grade/course which results in a subject/ course grade, as well as performance on state assessments. Teacher specific strategies include areas such as high expectations, relevant/meaningful/engaging instruction, relationship building with students, mentoring, parent communication, and group and individual incentive programs and continuity of instruction (teacher attendance). Students can be dropped/un-enrolled from a course based on LEA policy.

     

    8.  How is the “Percent Student + Teacher Enrollment” calculated?

    The percent of school days that a student and a teacher are enrolled together (concurrently enrolled) for a subject/grade/course, up to and including the last school day before the LEA’s testing window opens.

    o   Number of school days for a course/subject/grade that student AND teacher are enrolled together, up to and including last school day before LEA testing window

    o   Examples of days that can decrease this number:

    o   Student and/or teacher enroll part way through a subject/grade/course

    o   Student and/or teacher un-enroll from a subject/grade/course

    o   Extended board-approved leave of absence for student or teacher

    o   Examples of days that cannot decrease this number:

    o   Teacher or student absent for sick day or vacation

    o   Instruction provided by student teacher or paraprofessional

    o   Student out for extracurricular activity

    o   Teacher out for meeting, professional development, or coaching

    9. How will this data be tracked?

    The PVAAS reports are based on the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) methodology provided to Pennsylvania (PA) by SAS Institute Inc., SAS® EVAAS® for K-12 division. 

    10. Are special education teachers, intervention specialists, reading/math specialists, ESL teachers, and gifted teachers eligible for a PVAAS score?

    Yes, if the teacher is planning the instruction of the assessed eligible content, providing the instruction of the assessed eligible content, AND assessing the effectiveness of the instruction of the assessed eligible content as measured by a PA state assessment. There may be more than one teacher planning, instructing and assessing the students (ex. co-teaching, team teaching).

    11. Are teachers who provide instruction in non-state assessed grades/subjects/courses only (ex. Social Studies, Related Arts) included in PVAAS teacher-specific reporting if they are responsible for teaching reading and writing across the content areas?

     No, the PA School Performance Profile reflects the influence of all teaching staff on school-wide academic results. The Electives component of a teacher’s evaluation can focus on this area for other content area teachers. This is an LEA decision.