As described below, our U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant requires that teachers in grades and subjects who administer the state assessment use the results of this assessment as a weighted measure in their evaluation and professional growth program. 

“For grades and subjects in which assessments are required under section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), student achievement must be based on a student’s scores on such assessments and may include other measures that are rigorous and comparable across schools in the LEA. Thus, the evaluation of teachers who teach fifth grade math, for example, must be based, in part, on student achievement on the fifth grade math assessment required under ESEA”

While the State transitions from the old assessment (NECAP) to the new one for these grades and subjects, we will need to wait until this transition occurs before there will be meaningful state assessment data to inform educator evaluation and professional growth. A formal waiver process is required by the USDOE in order for districts to use alternative measures of student growth for evaluation purposes.  More information on this is described in our letter to Commissioner Rier below.

Dear Commissioner Rier,

 

The purpose of this letter is to inform you of a waiver request that MSAD #24 is filing with the United States Department of Education and to invite your comment on that request.

 

MSAD #24  is requesting a waiver of requirements established for the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) program, that a local educational agency (LEA) develop and implement teacher and principal evaluation systems that are based in significant part on "student growth" as TIF rules define the term.   MSAD #24 understands that TIF rules governing the grant in which the LEA is participating do not permit use of TIF funds for teachers’ and principals’ performance-based compensation unless teachers’ and principals’ performance is measured, in significant part, by student growth as the term is defined in rules governing the grant competition.  MSAD #24 understands that this waiver would apply only to student growth for principals and teachers of ESEA tested grades and subjects for school year 2013 – 2014 and 2014 – 2015.

 

Under the applicable rules established for TIF, student growth means the change in student achievement for an individual student between two or more points in time. For the purposes of this definition, student achievement means:

 

(a) for grades and subjects in which assessments are required under section 1111(b)(3) of ESEA(i.e., tested grades and subjects): (1) a student’s score on such assessments and may include (2) other measures of student learning, such as those described in paragraph (b) of this definition, provided those measures are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA; and

 

(b) for grades and subjects in which assessments are not required under section 11119(b)(3) of ESEA: alternative measures of student learning and performance such as student results on pre-tests, end-of-course tests, and objective performance-based assessments; student learning objectives; student performance on English language proficiency assessments; and other measures of student achievement that are rigorous and comparable across schools within an LEA.  Moreover, eligibility for TIF-funded performance-based compensation, and required LEA evaluations of educators, depends on use of student-growth as a significant factor in determining educator effectiveness.

This waiver would permit MSAD 24, in accordance with criteria it develops and provided in more detail in paragraph 5, below, to assess the performance of teachers and principals affected by the TIF project on the basis of the approved alternative measures of student learning for teachers of tested grades and subjects.

 

MSAD #24 seeks this waiver because the MSAD #24 District understands that the State would not have any legacy data nor any student, school, or LEA level data available to make growth determinations for SY 2013 – 2014 and 2014 – 2015.

 

MSAD #24 will measure growth for principals and teachers of tested grades and subjects using approved alternative measures of student learning and performance. The educator evaluation system will continue to improve the quality of instruction for students and improve student achievement.   In place of state assessment data for SY 2013-14 and 2014-15, MSAD #24 will require the use of student learning objectives (SLO) based on Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress Assessments.  In SY 2013-14, each teacher has written one individual SLO that includes all the students in a course.   Beginning in year SY 2015-16, teachers will write two SLO’s, which is consistent with Maine law.  The first SLO must be an individual SLO. The second SLO can be a team SLO, a targeted SLO, or a second individual SLO.

 

MSAD #24 believes that affording it this flexibility in the definition of student growth will allow principals and teachers to continue to participate in the evaluation system as well as continue to be eligible to receive compensation for effectiveness, through incentives and/or placement into leadership roles, ensuring MSAD #24 continues implementing its TIF project as closely to the aligned application and TIF rules as possible.

 

This waiver request will not adversely impact any measurable goals for this program for SY 2013 – 2014 and SY 2014 – 2015 since teachers will still be evaluated using student growth and an educator’s performance will still be differentiated consistent with this waiver request. 

 

The approval of this waiver will further the overall goals of the program by allowing for a payout to the teachers who have demonstrated effectiveness. Moreover, MSAD #24 will have met its promised commitment to these teachers who have achieved effective ratings and teachers will be motivated to continue to participate in professional development based on their evaluation scores.

 

Before the launch of this year’s new educator evaluation and profession growth program, teachers and principals were awarethat their student learning objective would serve as their student growth measure in their evaluation and professional growth program.  Training and support has been provided to all teachers and leaders in the development and approval of student learning objectives, and will continue throughout the grant.

 

Please contact me with any comments, questions or concerns you may have about this waiver request.  Thank you.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Should you have questions or need additional information on this issue,feel free to contact:

Lawrence A. Worcester

Superintendent of Schools

MSAD #24

169 Main Street

Van Buren, ME  04785

207-868-2746