Volume 6, Number 1
February/March 2012

Webinars on Performance-Based Compensation: Initiatives in Charter Schools

The Center for Educator Compensation Reform (CECR) conducted a series of three webinars during March related to performance-based compensation initiatives in charter schools and charter management organizations. CECR recognizes that although several charter programs participate in the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), charter schools operate differently from traditional schools and school districts, creating unique performance-based compensation experiences. Each webinar focused on a different topic related to compensation reform in charter schools.

Webinar 1: Identifying and Utilizing Supports for Developing Performance-Based Compensation Systems

The first webinar, held on March 15, 2012, highlighted resources available to charter schools to support their performance-based compensation initiatives. As charter schools typically operate without resources available to traditional school districts, finding appropriate supports is challenging. Presenters discussed the importance of sharing resources to support program implementation. Presenters then shared ways that states and districts implementing the TAP System, through the National Institute for Excellence in Education, share resources. Finally, presenters highlighted available CECR resources related to the topic.

Webinar 2: Identifying and Sharing Best Practices From High-Performing Charter Schools

Peggie Garcia from the National Charter School Resource Center hosted this webinar in collaboration with CECR on March 21, 2012. The webinar offered examples for sharing best practices among charter school organizations, focusing on specific examples from the New Leaders for New Schools Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) programs across the country. EPIC has designed a variety of professional development tools for educators based on best practices from its programs in Massachusetts, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

For more information on EPIC, visit http://www.newleaders.org/what-we-do/epic/.

Webinar 3: Innovation in Charter Education Performance Management Systems

On March 29, 2012, the second webinar highlighted charter school programs with aligned performance management systems. The nature of charter school management allows more flexibility in human resources decisions, which allows for strong alignment in recruitment, hiring, linking evaluation expectations with preparation programs, and using results to inform professional development and compensation decisions. Presenters first provided an overview of human capital management strategies, including system alignment. Next, presenters from E.L. Haynes Charter School discussed their experiences in developing a comprehensive talent management system. Finally, presenters from CECR included examples of available online resources from http://www.cecr.ed.gov.

Bill Would Revamp Teacher Pay, Tenure—Daily Comet. March 18, 2012.

http://www.dailycomet.com/ article/20120318/ARTICLES/ 120319618?p=all&tc=pgall

If passed, Senate Bill 603 in Louisiana would establish a performance-based compensation system for teachers. The law would also change teacher tenure laws. The proposed legislation empowers local education agencies to design a new pay scale for teachers, based on evaluations of performance and student test scores, in addition to seniority and educational background. Teachers would earn tenure after earning a “highly effective” designation for five years.

Utah Legislature Passes Administrator Evaluation Bill—Deseret News. March 6, 2012.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/ 865551616/House-passes-administrator- evaluation-bill.html

Utah legislators passed Senate Bill 64 in early March. This bill changes the way the state evaluates and pays school administrators. The law establishes a new salary schedule in which annual evaluations of administrator performance would make up 15 percent of salary decisions.

Bill Would Give New Teachers Chance at Leadership Pay—Times-News Magic Valley. February 16, 2012.

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/education/ bill-would-give-new-teachers-chance-at-leadership-pay/ article_bc5ccb87-5312-5532-b26c-51fb6ac7b4b2.html

A new bill, introduced in the Idaho House of Representatives, expands the number of teachers eligible to compete for bonuses under the new state system to include teachers with fewer than three years of experience. The bill is currently with the House Education Committee awaiting a hearing.

South Dakota House Panel Approves Teacher Bonus Plan—CBS News. February 8, 2012.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505244_162-57373583/ sd-lawmakers-begin-debate-on-teacher-bonus-plan/

The South Dakota House of Representatives is considering passing a law that creates a bonus program for teachers based on evaluations and student performance. The plan also would provide bonuses for teachers in hard-to-staff subjects and schools.

Grading Our Teachers: Value-Added Formula Raises Alarm for Some—The Commercial Appeal. February 6, 2012.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/ 2012/feb/06/grading-our-teachers- value-added-formula-raises/

Educators in Tennessee are wary of the new evaluation system based on teacher observations and value-added scores—in particular, value-added scores for teachers in nontested grades and subjects. Approximately 55 percent of teachers use schoolwide student growth. Although this number comprises 35 percent of the overall evaluation score, educators express concern about the use of schoolwide student growth to determine tenure and employment decisions for individual teachers.

Community Training and Assistance Center:

Henrico County Public Schools

Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) collaborates with the Community Training and Assistance Center to implement the Learning Leaders Initiative in eight high-need schools in the district—five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The Learning Leaders program recruits, hires, trains, and evaluates personnel to ensure effectiveness and accountability. The program includes a comprehensive evaluation to assess teacher strengths and weaknesses, provides additional compensation for teachers and principals who take on leadership roles, and offers performance-based compensation to teachers and leaders who improve student achievement.

Program Goals

The specific goals of Learning Leaders are as follows:

·        Build teacher and principal capacity to increase student achievement by improving and aligning standards to ensure effective teaching.

·        Develop district capacity to implement, scale up, evaluate, and fiscally sustain a performance-based compensation system based on the measurable impact of a combination of student achievement targets and value-added measures of student achievement.

·        Retain a community of high-performing educators to drive short-term and long-term academic achievement.

Primary Components of the Program

Educator Evaluation Through Learning Leaders. Through a professional growth and evaluation process, teachers receive an annual summative evaluation score. This process uses multiple measures of performance based on the Professional Qualities and Instructional Responsibilities (PQR) standards established by HCPS. PQRs are blended into the observation rubrics, designed using Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. Measures used to determine a final summative score include collection of observational data and artifacts (e.g., lesson plans, assessments, and student assignments related to classroom practice) as well as student achievement outcomes. For more information on the PQR stndards, visit http://staffdev.henrico.k12.va.us/pgp2/pqr.html.

Under the Learning Leaders program, principal evaluation uses performance targets set by the individual to determine effective performance. These performance targets should relate to a principal's main responsibilities. Principals should:

·        Use walkthrough and lesson observation rubric tools to identify teacher strengths and areas for growth.

·         Assist in developing the individual teacher growth plan and student learning contracts with clear performance targets.

·         Gather data on teacher performance and facilitate his or her reflection on practice and continual improvement in relation to student learning data.

·         Participate with the district instructional directors and curriculum and instruction specialists in quarterly classroom observations as part of the summative performance review.

To determine their summative score, HCPS asks principals to document teacher professional development plans, walkthrough rubric data, student learning target contracts, formal lesson observation reports, and other artifacts that support teaching and learning.

Student Achievement Targets Through Learning Leaders. Teachers and principals also set student learning targets, called student learning contracts, which detail goals for the coming school year. To earn incentives, teachers and principals must meet at least 50 percent of their goals in the student learning contract. When possible, targets should include value-added analysis using multiple tests, including the following:

·         Virginia Standards of Learning Assessment (end-of-course assessments for all core content areas)

·         Phonemic Awareness Literacy Screening (used for Grades K–2 to measure progress in reading)

·         Measures of Academic Progress (used in Grades 3–12 for mathematics and reading)

·         K–2 Grade Math Concept Assessment (being piloted in specific schools in HCPS)

Professional Development Under Learning Leaders. HCPS uses teacher observation data, in conjunction with student learning data, to provide evaluative feedback and design differentiated professional growth opportunities for individual teachers.

In addition, observation data on all participating teachers establish a baseline performance for each teacher that indicates how well he or she implemented the target PQR standards. HCPS places teachers with low levels of performance on a structured growth plan as stipulated in the county’s Professional Growth and Evaluation Process Model.

Additional Incentives Under Learning Leaders. HCPS provides teachers in mathematics, science, and special education a one-time recruitment bonus for agreeing to work in the district. In addition, HCPS provides incentives for teacher leaders who become Learning Leaders coaches. Teachers who have high levels of expertise in using the target PQR standards and meet high levels of student achievement, based on student learning targets and value-added analysis (where eligible), are eligible to serve as coaches.

System Incentives

The Learning Leaders program provides several opportunities for teachers and principals to receive incentives as shown in the following table.

Recent Highlights of the Program

HCPS provides key support to the Learning Leaders program participants including the following:

·         Professional development through the Learning Leaders Academy, which trains teachers on the concepts and skills needed to implement the PQR standards

·         Specific training in data inquiry, provided by the Learning Leaders Steering Committee, designed to train teachers and principals in the use and analysis of student achievement data. The training focuses on growth of individual students, student cohorts, school trends, and measures of teacher and principal effectiveness.

·         Communication and resource sharing

• Learning Leaders website through HCPS, available at http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/ LearningLeaders/LearningLeadersNews.html
• Electronic community, created using the HCPS learning management system. This community provides an online space for Learning Leaders participants to locate resources, share successes, seek advice from others, and post their stories.

For more information about the Community Training and Assistance Center, visit http://www.ctacusa.com/.

Center for
Educator Compensation
Reform

Allison Henderson, Director
Phone: 888-202-1513
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

The Center for Educator Compensation Reform (CECR) was awarded to Westat—in partnership with Learning Point Associates, an affiliate of American Institutes for Research; Synergy Enterprises Inc.; Vanderbilt University; and the University of Wisconsin—by the U.S. Department of Education in October 2006.

The primary purpose of CECR is to support Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grantees in their implementation efforts through provision of sustained technical assistance and development and dissemination of timely resources. CECR also is charged with raising national awareness of alternative and effective strategies for educator compensation through a newsletter, a Web-based clearinghouse, and other outreach activities.

This work was originally produced in whole or in part by the Center for Educator Compensation Reform (CECR) with funds from the U.S. Department of Education under contract number ED-06-CO-0110. The content does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of CECR or the Department of Education, nor does mention or visual representation of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by CECR or the federal government.