New Directions in Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Compensation

Second Annual CPRE National Conference

Chicago, Illinois

November 29-30, 2001

Sponsored in part by the Carnegie Corporation and Atlantic Philanthropic Services

Based on:

Paying Teachers for What They Know and Do

by Allan Odden and Carolyn Kelley

Corwin Press, 2002, Second Edition

CPRE Research & State/Local Policy Changes

Further information, research and cases:

www.wcer.wisc.edu/cpre

Eras coming to an end

The era of the traditional single salary schedule

The era of the traditional once-every-other-year observe-the-teacher approach to teacher evaluation

Examples of Pay Structure Changes

Initiatives to raise teacher salary levels Incentives for National Board Certification Pay for knowledge and skills Higher salaries for teachers in shortage areas Incentives for teachers in high poverty or low

performing schools School-based performance bonuses

More Examples of Pay Structure Changes …

Signing bonuses Moving expenses and housing supplements Retirement benefits and district rehire

possibilities Shift to pay for knowledge and skills

recommended by NCTAF report Milken Family TAP program Some merit pay but few & they tend not to last

Evaluation Changes

Ability to conduct sound, valid and reliable performance evaluations:– National Board for Professional Teaching Standards– INTASC – Council of Chief State School Officers– Connecticut portfolio evaluations– PRAXIS III -- ETS– Framework for Teaching developed by Charlotte

Danielson

Shift to Performance-Based Teacher Licensure Two stage licensure procedure:

– An initial license, which increasingly requires a test of content knowledge

– Performance assessment to beginning teacher standards within first four years of teaching for professional or standard license

» PRAXIS III in Ohio

» Connecticut “portfolio” based system

» State created performance assessments in North Carolina and Kentucky

» INTASC in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and several other states in development

Shift to performance-based teacher evaluation in districts

Shift to performance-based teacher evaluation in districts all over Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota and Connecticut – many using some version of Danielson’s Framework for Teaching

Iowa will require statewide Connecticut moving its INTASC teacher licensure

assessment into local evaluation systems so teachers will be evaluated to five different levels of classroom performance – aligns local evaluation process with system used for state licensure

Comments on Pay and Evaluation Innovations

Extensive – scope is breath taking Greater variety than at any time in history Except in a minor few instances, not merit pay In most cases, have union and management

support Are vehicles for higher pay levels but not across

the board Are viable examples of “performance

evaluation” and “performance pay” in education

Adopted by public school systems, charter schools and private schools

When done well, can contribute to a stronger teaching profession

As will be shown, support standards-based education reform

Match similar fundamental pay changes in the private sector

Have “staying power”

Why These Changes?

Some education systems just like to change and innovate – but that does not produce lasting change

Most are making these changes for strategic reasons

Strategic Understanding of Evaluation & Compensation Changes

As strategies to accomplish the goals of standards-based education reform -- greater student learning– Prime factor linked to improved learning is better

instruction

– So change evaluation and professional development systems to reinforce continued acquisition and deployment of standards-based instructional practices

– Alter pay system to provide pay increases when teachers’ instructional practices improve to higher standards

Standards Based Education Reform

To teach more (most) students to high levels requires:– Quality teachers– Whose instructional expertise is first rate– And who not only believe students can learn to

high levels but know how to instruct them so they do

So, to accomplish all these goals ... A state, its districts and the teaching profession

must identify what teachers need to know and be able to do -- teaching standards -- to educate students to state performance standards

This expertise, which expands and deepens over time, must become the vision for pre-service preparation, new teacher induction, licensure, ongoing development, & teacher evaluation -- i.e., the education HR system must be overhauled

Including a new compensation system

Strategic rationales, continued ….

As strategies to enhance teaching as a profession– Adopt clear and specific standards for teachers

– Align professional development to those standards

– Evaluate teachers for developing and teaching to the standards

– Develops accountability for teachers to professional standards of practice

As a strategy to increase teacher salary levels– Link pay increases to improvements in teacher performance

– Increase teacher pay levels to recruit and retain good teachers

Teacher Quality and Teacher Pay Levels Matter

Research (Sanders, Dallas, Minneapolis, CPRE) shows that low teacher quality produces declines in student achievement in both reading and math – 60 to 30 %ile

Same research shows high teacher quality produces increases in student achievement – 60 to 76 %ile

And teacher quality costs – low pay reduces teacher quality and higher pay increases teacher quality

Why a new evaluation system? Traditional evaluation systems – an

observation every 2-4 years– Are procedural rather than substantive– Have low validity and reliability– Rarely help to improve instruction– Lack standards and rubrics– Have little if any impact– Require substantial work with little return– Are disliked by teachers and administrators

Performance-Based Evaluations Have professional teaching standards Are more comprehensive and substantive, focus

on district definition of “quality instruction” Gather multiple forms of data over a 4-6 month

process Produce multiple levels of performance Can be part of peer & administrative review Can be linked to professional development Can be linked to salary increases Create professional accountability for teachers

Why teacher compensation?

The single salary schedule– Provides salaries to all teachers in a fair way, but– Is not strategically aligned with needed knowledge &

skills continuum or current education goals» Education units and degrees at best indirectly focused on

desired teacher knowledge and skills

» Does not have a student achievement results element

– Not a good structure for salary increases or recruiting and retaining teachers

A More Strategic Teacher Compensation System

Knowledge and skills based pay – pay increases for demonstrated improvements in

knowledge, skills and expertise needed to improve student achievement

School-based performance awards – bonuses for all faculty/staff in a school that meets

pre-set performance improvement targets Neither are individual merit pay Salary benchmarks adequate to recruit & retain

What is Needed for Knowledge and Skills Based Pay Identification of what good teaching is, the

knowledge and skills to do it, or teaching standards linked to student standards and teacher career stages

A professional development strategy to help teachers acquire and deploy that instruction

Assessments of knowledge and skills -- how to assess and who should do it

Linkage to a salary schedule

What is Needed for School-Based Performance Awards Measures of student performance Calculations of change in performance Stretch buy reachable change targets Enabling conditions, including KSBP Valued rewards – bonus levels in the

$1000-$3000 per teacher range Predictable funding

What New Practices Do We Have?

Performance bonuses based on increases in student academic achievement:

Vaughn Charter SchoolCincinnatiColonial, PAValue-added assessments

Bill Sanders KeynoteBreakout sessions

Denver

What New Practices Do We Have?

Knowledge and skills-base pay:Vaughn Charter SchoolCincinnatiPhiladelphiaIowaCoventry, RIDouglas County, COMilken TAP program

What New Practices Do We Have?

Performance-based evaluations: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Miami Performance Evaluation System Adaptation of Framework for Teaching:

Charlotte Danielson keynoteWashoe County (NV)Vaughn Charter SchoolCincinnatiPhiladelphiaMaybe Iowa

Behavioral Levels of Performance

1. Beginning teacher -- entry level

2. Novice -- effective teaching and classroom management

3. Developing Professional – beginning content specific

teaching

(either #2 or #3 would be professional license/tenure)

4. Professional -- solid array of professional expertise

including mastery of content specific teaching

5. Advanced -- assessment & instructional design

A national one: National Board Certified

Two Major Approaches to KSBP Plans

Redesign the entire salary schedule to include knowledge and skills as a core element that triggers major salary increases

Keep current steps and lanes structure and add knowledge and skill elements

Full KSBP ModelPerformance Standard

Performance Level

National Board Board Certification, 3 steps Extra 15-20 %

Distinguished Advanced, 3 steps $77,000-86,000

Solid Professional Proficient, mastery of content specific pedagogy, 3 steps $65,000-74,000

Fully Licensed Professional

Developing professional, 3 steps, $52,500-62,500

Novice Basic, 3 steps, max of 5 years $42,500-50,000

Initial Licensure Max of two years $40,000

An Add-On Approach

Steps

BA

MA

MA +

Knowledge and Skills

1

Developing Professional

+ 5%

2 Proficient

+ 10%

Advanced + 15%

n

National Board Certified + 20%

Salary Benchmarking Needed

Both approaches need salary benchmarking – public sector and the top paying suburbs – to identify salary levels needed – especially in urban districts –to compete for talent in the labor market

Both structure of teacher pay – knowledge and skills, with a school-based performance bonus – and level of pay must change to recruit and retain high quality teachers

Additional Knowledge and Skills For permanent pay increases:

– License in a second subject

– License in a shortage area -- mathematics, science, technology, high poverty school

– Masters in area of license, or just content area

– Expertise for a comprehensive school design

For one time payments, e.g.– computer software, district provided pd classes,

For leadership roles– lead teacher, curriculum council chair, peer assessor,

school mentor/coach/instructional facilitator

Fiscal Advantage of New Pay Systems

Popular with the public and policymakers as vehicles to add money to the teacher salary budget:– Connecticut – school finance system changed to hike

teacher salary levels– Arizona – initiative to raise taxes: $150 million– Iowa – up to $250 million over 3-4 years– Wisconsin – money above the QEO of 3.8%– Cincinnati & Jefferson County (CO)– approval of

referendum levy– States – new money for National Board incentives– Most districts – SBPA and KSBP get new dollars

Key Strategic Characteristics

Evaluation and compensation structure reinforce state, district & school education reform goals

Advancement across categories depends on better instruction -- increased professional expertise

Salary capped if professional expertise does not improve

Aligns pre-service, evaluation and license standards, assessments/evaluation and compensation

Links compensation to teacher quality

Why this broader approach?

Systemic & focuses on improving instruction -- the key to having all kids achieve to high standards

Addresses huge arena between beginning teachers (licensure) and National Board Certification

Integrates all elements of HR system -- pre-service, licensure, recruitment, selection, induction, development, evaluation and compensation -- around effective instruction

Improves teacher evaluation -- a huge plus Including pay makes entire effort real and serious and

pay levels matter in recruiting talent

And …...

This salary structure also can help recruit large numbers of new teachers -- it allows for quicker movement up the salary schedule and also offers higher salaries for the best teachers -- so is attractive to Generation Y

This kind of a new salary structure is an attractive vehicle for raising overall teacher salary levels