REL Study: How Have Alternative Measures of Student Growth been Implemented in Early-Adopting Districts?

Posted on August 14, 2015August 8, 2015 by coreeducation

School districts across the country are incorporating measures of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations—a task that is especially challenging for teachers of grades and subjects that lack standardized state assessments. Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic (REL) studied eight districts that were early adopters of alternative student growth measures and had been using them for at least Read more about REL Study: How Have Alternative Measures of Student Growth been Implemented in Early-Adopting Districts?[…]

Communication and Engagement Strategies for High-Quality Evaluation

Posted on June 10, 2015June 6, 2015 by coreeducation

State and district leaders need more than high-quality measures of teacher effectiveness to make their evaluation policies stick. They also need communications and engagement strategies, ongoing professional learning and support opportunities for teachers, and a plan to combine and use evaluation data to inform decisions at the school, district and state level. Without these pieces Read more about Communication and Engagement Strategies for High-Quality Evaluation[…]

Five Factors that Affect Implementation of New Teacher Evaluation Systems

Posted on February 10, 2015February 8, 2015 by coreeducation

Studies have shown that new teacher evaluation systems are being implemented at record rates, but questions remain about how best to implement those systems. In collaboration with the Northeast Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance and the New Hampshire Department of Education, REL Northeast and Islands examined the implementation of new district teacher evaluation systems in the Read more about Five Factors that Affect Implementation of New Teacher Evaluation Systems[…]

New SLO Resources from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

Posted on December 17, 2014December 13, 2014 by coreeducation

In today’s contentious education debates, Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) offer a compelling middle ground that provides rigor and concrete data yet in a way that accommodates student needs. The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) has several new resources available for education leaders to use in order to take full advantage of the Read more about New SLO Resources from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders[…]

New Evaluation & Support Briefs from Education First

Posted on December 16, 2014December 13, 2014 by coreeducation

Teachers need ongoing, targeted supports to be effective. That’s why district and state leaders across the country are changing how they evaluate and support teachers. Over the past three years, 16 states have changed their teacher evaluation policies, with another 28 poised to do so in the next few years. It is well known that Read more about New Evaluation & Support Briefs from Education First[…]

Real Progress in Maryland: SLOs and Teacher and Principal Evaluation

Posted on October 27, 2014October 25, 2014 by coreeducation

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is making significant strides in guiding and supporting the implementation of Student Learning Objectives as part of a teacher and principal evaluation (TPE) system statewide. A new report from CTAC and WestEd prepared through the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center (MACC at WestEd), examines frontline educators’ overall perceptions of TPE and Read more about Real Progress in Maryland: SLOs and Teacher and Principal Evaluation[…]

Alternative student outcomes in teacher evaluation systems

Posted on August 27, 2014August 24, 2014 by coreeducation

What do we know about using alternative student growth measures to evaluate teacher performance? The following three updates from The Institute of Education Sciences provide research-based answers to that question. States increasingly are interested in incorporating measures of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations. But the typical measure of student growth—progress on state assessments from Read more about Alternative student outcomes in teacher evaluation systems[…]

Landmark Partnership in Maryland

Posted on August 21, 2014September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

In a landmark agreement, leaders of eight Maryland education organizations are joining together to support the implementation of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), a key component of the new teacher and principal evaluation system. This level of collaboration is unprecedented at the statewide level. All of the organizations have agreed to coordinate resources and strategies and Read more about Landmark Partnership in Maryland[…]

State Oversight of District-Designed Teacher-Evaluation Systems

Posted on June 10, 2014 by coreeducation

In 2011, President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan provided states with flexibility from certain requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act. The flexibility process requires states to develop and implement new educator-evaluation systems to help identify effective teachers. While some Read more about State Oversight of District-Designed Teacher-Evaluation Systems[…]

Alternative Measures of Student Growth: What Can We Learn from Early Adopter Districts?

Posted on May 12, 2014 by coreeducation

School districts across the country are incorporating measures of student achievement growth in teacher evaluations—but that’s a challenge in grades and subjects that lack standardized state assessments. In response, some districts have turned to alternative measures of student growth–that is, measures that rely on something other than state assessments in reading and math in grades Read more about Alternative Measures of Student Growth: What Can We Learn from Early Adopter Districts?[…]

REL Northeast Explores SLO Implementation

Posted on March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 by coreeducation

How are states defining and applying Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) in their teacher evaluation systems? That is the question that a new report from Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands answers. The report provides an overview of how states are using SLOs, based on a review of state education websites. SLOs are an alternative Read more about REL Northeast Explores SLO Implementation[…]

Alternatives to State Assessments for Measuring Teachers’ Contributions to Student Achievement Growth

Posted on November 7, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Statistics show that an increasing number of school districts have adopted new teacher evaluation techniques. As opposed to what many have feared, districts have almost never used student test data alone to evaluate teachers. Even if they did, the typical measure of student growth—progress on state assessments from one school year to the next—usually covers Read more about Alternatives to State Assessments for Measuring Teachers’ Contributions to Student Achievement Growth[…]

New Resources for Using Student Learning Objectives

Posted on September 1, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Did you know that nearly half of U.S. states require, recommend, or have identified student learning objectives (SLOs) as a measure of student growth for evaluating educators? To support states and districts in developing and implementing SLOs, the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) has developed two new resources. New! Professional Learning Module: Read more about New Resources for Using Student Learning Objectives[…]

Building a Technology Infrastructure for Student Learning Objectives

Posted on August 27, 2013September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

As schools open for the 2013-2014 school year, one of the new acronyms on the lips of many education professionals is SLO. SLOs, or Student Learning Objectives, are an alternative to standardized testing that can demonstrate student, as well as teacher, growth and progress. SLOs have been mandated in many states and districts in order Read more about Building a Technology Infrastructure for Student Learning Objectives[…]

Rating Early Elementary Teachers: Where’s the Data?

Posted on July 3, 2013 by coreeducation

A new report, “An Ocean of Unknowns”, from Laura Bornfreund at the New America Foundation describes the challenges involved with attempting to reform teacher evaluation systems to include student data for pre-k through grade 2 students. Following are portions from the executive summary of that report: What is the best way to use data to Read more about Rating Early Elementary Teachers: Where’s the Data?[…]

New Resources from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

Posted on July 1, 2013 by coreeducation

The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders combines the efforts of three education organizations: American Institutes for Research (AIR), Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Public Impact. They are dedicated to supporting state education leaders in their efforts to grow, respect, and retain great teachers and leaders for all students. The GTL Center continues Read more about New Resources from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders[…]