Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/92845
How the president sees it Component 5: We're not there yet Measuring student growth is absolutely necessary, but it's a complex endeavor, as complex as the needs of today's students. W e invited EA presidents to meet with us on October 9th and 10th to go over what we all knew about the current state of DPAS II-Revised, what we needed to accomplish and to strate- gize about how best to get there. I am certainly aware of the difficul- ties that teacher members (includ- ing all certificated personnel) have faced with this year's implementa- tion of Component 5, the student progress measurement portion of teacher evaluation. We've heard from members and their local lead- students with whom they would never work. On the other hand, educators had long recognized the importance of measuring student growth over just targeting proficiency; the develop- ment of a different kind of test; the concept of alternative assessments beyond mere test-taking; and the critical need for valid, reliable, and fair measures of student progress. We all worked hard last year to We need to make sure, President Jenner says, that DPAS II-R holds us responsible for what we control. ers about your frustrations, disap- pointments, problems, and upsets. As a teacher myself, I am not so far from the classroom to not clearly see how challenging these last two months have been. Local leaders and DSEA have been trying to steadfastly represent member interests and concerns, to carry the proper message to the right people, to speak forcefully and effectively, and to move the message that it is essential to get this done right. Are we there yet? Obviously not; however, we have come a long way. DSEA ACTION! (USPS 010111 ISSN 01995413) is the official publication of the Delaware State Education Association. ACTION! is mailed 7 times a year, (September, October, combined Nov/Dec issue, February, March/April, June and July) at DSEA headquarters located at 136 E. Water St., Dover, DE 19901. Telephone: 302-734-5834, or toll-free: 1-866-734-5834. Our Wilmington office may be reached by calling 302-366-8440. Subscriptions are included in membership: $2.32 a year for teachers and $1.19 a year for ESPs. Subscriptions are $5 per year to those ineligible for membership. Periodical postage paid at Dover, DE 19901. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DSEA ACTION!, 136 E. Water St., Dover, DE 19901. President FREDERIKA JENNER Vice President MIKE HOFFMANN Treasurer KAREN CROUSE NEA Director MARY JO FAUST Exec. Director HOWARD WEINBERG Editor PAMELA T. NICHOLS Program Assistant SUSAN W. KELLER Where were we last year? When the details about Compo- nent 5 were first released in May, 2011, we were faced with a scenario of an overly-complicated 100-point plan, the investment of all teachers in the school-wide scores from math and ELA testing, and the reliance for too many teachers on cohorts of move the plan and the conversation away from those first iterations of Component 5 to one that has the capacity to measure the impact of a teacher on the students he/she teaches in the subject area(s) to which he/she is assigned. Where are we today? I know that there are repeated problems with the roll-out of the "B" and "C" measures. Just like you, we have tried to respond to the newest parts of the plan. There has been confusion over information, training, and engagement by schools and districts. However, in spite of all the challenges, I think that we are actually moving in the right direction: in recognizing that one size (one test) does not fit all; in recognizing the differences among Groups 1-2-3; in following up on Measures "B" and "C." Out in your schools, at district liaison, and at meetings with DEDOE, we have all been working hard to explain where the system should be improved and what needs to be fixed to get this done right. Leading the way. . . T his month we salute Liz Skinner, a full- time paraprofes- sional for eight years, currently working in an integration class- room in Colonial's William Penn High School. A member of the Exec. Board of the Colonial Paras Assoc., she is also chair of the district/para Liaison Comm. Why did you become involved in your Association? There are important decisions regarding my job that I wanted 2 October 2012 DSEA ACTION! Where do we need to be in the end? We need a clear, practical, man- ageable, sustainable system. We need technology and infrastructure that supports reliable, timely test- ing and information platforms. We need a smooth and dependable implementation process. We need confident participants—faculty and administrators—who are well- informed and ready to engage. We must continue to seek out and develop additional assessment tools that demonstrate genuine student progress. And, we need practition- ers—teachers and school and dis- trict leaders—involved in the review and transformation of the process. While current effort focuses on Component 5, we cannot overlook Components 1-2-3—the real meat of teacher evaluation, how you do your job. In the end, we need to make sure that DPAS II-R holds us responsible for the things that we control, not those that are beyond our control. Although not easy, we need to stay engaged to make sure that DPAS II- R turns out to be the system we want and deserve—a system that fairly assesses the work you do. THERE IS POWER IN THE UNION. Frederika Jenner President frederika.jenner@dsea.org to be part of making. Knowing our contract is important for us as well as for our students. What is your local's biggest challenge? Our biggest challenge is getting our members to vote on Election Day for candidates that are supportive of education and especially ESP's. We also want them to get involved with our Association. What are you proud of? Being chosen to go to NEA's Women's Leadership Conference last spring was my greatest privi- lege. I learned so much about the future of education and how I could play an important role in that future. I hope that the paras I come in contact with will have a great feeling of self-worth. "In the perfect world at work…. "… We would all arrive every morning anxious to educate our students. We would work together as a team to show the nation that we are a finely-oiled machine that needs every part to help students succeed. Every member of the team would feel important and equal." www.dsea.org