Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/45838
DPASII-Revised Update Component 5 needs monitoring DPAS II - Ratings Comparison Pending evaluation ratings to be logical, fair and specialists for 2011-2012 will remain the same as currently writ- ten during this "interim" year, under these new, critical condi- tions: P "Unsatisfactory Student Growth" in Component 5 will NOT result in - • The beginning of a "Pattern of Ineffective Teaching" • The requirement of an Improve- ment Plan,* or • A new teacher not being able to earn a Continuing License follow- ing their third year. * Improvement Plans will continue to be required for "Needs Improvement" ratings in Components 1-4. As you may have read in the September 2011 issue of (see page 8), DSEA ques- tioned DoE about their decision to raise the bar for the current school year, the "interim" year of DPAS-II Revised, beyond what will be expected for the school year 2012- 2013. As mentioned in , DSEA leaders asked to meet with Secretary Lowery to discuss this issue. She and her staff listened carefully, heard what we were say- ing, and agreed that the Rating sys- tem for the current interim year should be as originally intended. For many months she has recog- nized the need for 2011-2012 to be a "development" year since Component 5 is not yet complete. Teachers believe they have control over Components 1, 2, 3 and 4 A teacher can spend ten hours planning and preparing for the next week's science lessons. A teacher can design and arrange a classroom for instruction, learning centers and flexible groupings. A teacher's management of the implementation of plans and delivery of instruction is within his/her realm of control. ending approval by the State Board in November, the eval- uation ratings for teachers Ratings for Components 1-4 Satisfactory 4/4 Satisfactory 4/4 Satisfactory 4/4 Satisfactory 3/4 Satisfactory 3/4 Satisfactory 3/4 Satisfactory 2/4 Satisfactory 2/4 Satisfactory 2/4 Satisfactory 1/4 Satisfactory 1/4 Satisfactory 1/4 Satisfactory 1/4 Satisfactory 1/4 Satisfactory 1/4 Ratings for Component 5 High/Exceeds Satisfactory Unsatisfactory High/Exceeds Satisfactory Unsatisfactory High/Exceeds Satisfactory Unsatisfactory High/Exceeds Satisfactory Unsatisfactory High/Exceeds Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Current Regulation 106A/107A Highly Effective Effective Needs Improvement Highly Effective Effective Needs Improvement Effective Effective Ineffective Needs Improvement Needs Improvement Ineffective Needs Improvement Needs Improvement Ineffective Regulation originally proposed by DoE 106A/107A Highly Effective Effective Effective Needs Improvement Needs Improvement Needs Improvement Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Revised Regulation supported by DSEA Includes No Negative Consequences* Highly Effective Effective Needs Improvement Highly Effective Effective Needs Improvemen Effective Effective Ineffective Needs Improvement Needs Improvement Ineffective Needs Improvement Needs Improvement Ineffective In DoE's proposal for evaluation ratings for this interim year, eight ratings would have been punitive (circled in red), and six would have begun a Pattern of Ineffective Teaching. Although the rating circled in blue above is considered Satisfactory in statute, we expect that many teachers and specialists will unjustly fall into this category since there are very few student assessment measures related to their specific assignments. However, many teachers worry that their success in the classroom may not be borne out by the results of students' DCAS scores. That is why we argued for keep- ing the rating system as adopted in 2010, as long as no Improvement Plans or Patterns of Ineffective Teaching are created as a result of Component 5. It is still a problem in the one area (circled in blue above), one we must monitor tenaciously this year. DSEA maintains that if you are successful in Components 1-4 (what you do), then Component 5, the result of what you do, should be Satisfactory or better. If it is not, the system is flawed in some areas. If you are doing every- thing the evaluation system rates you on, and the "output," the meas- ure of student progress, indicates "Unsatisfactory" growth, then there is something wrong with the sys- tem. Many teachers may be unjustly rated "Needs Improvement" Using the rating system for this interim year, many teachers and specialists could potentially fall into this category. This is because they won't have student measures tied directly to their subject matter or specialty. Teachers tell us that the interim rating system makes no sense for 11th and 12th grade teachers who will be rated on test scores earned by 10th graders, students they haven't seen yet. The Needs Improvement rating, by the way, is considered by state statute to be satisfactory. Small comfort. No negative consequences this year for Component 5 Given the lack of fair, valid, and reliable ways to measure student growth this year, we have been adamant that there be no Improvement Plans issued or 4 October 2011 DSEA ACTION! "Patterns of Ineffective Teaching" established this year because of a negative rating in Component 5. *Whatever your rating in Component 5, it will not begin a "Pattern of Ineffective Teaching," require an Improvement Plan, or negatively affect a newer teacher's ability to earn a continuing license following his/her third year of suc- cessful teaching. (A" new teacher" is a teacher who began teaching in 2010-2011 or 2011-2012.) We continue to champion the need for multiple measures and a way to fairly link them to student asssess- ment. It is important for DSEA to show the lack of logic and fairness with this rating system where it exists. Masking a potential problem this year with an Effective rating, when it will be Needs Improve- ment in 2012-2013, won't help us fix the system. Nor will it be fair to teachers and specialists when 2012-2013 rolls around, their rat- ing is threatened, and we have no information to show why it does not reflect a teacher's ability to teach. www.dsea.org DSEA ACTION! ACTION!