The document discusses implementing high-quality student learning objectives (SLOs) as part of Maryland's teacher evaluation model. It explains that 50% of teacher evaluations will be based on student growth measures, including SLOs. SLOs require teachers to identify critical content, select quality measures, set rigorous targets, and develop best practice action plans. The document provides questions and examples to guide teachers in developing high-quality SLOs and ensuring they are ambitious yet attainable. After using SLOs for 5 years, teachers reported benefits like stronger collaboration and a focus on student progress and achievement.
2. Maryland’s
Vision for Education Reform
Revise
the PreK-12 Maryland State
Curriculum
Redesign
Teacher & Principal
Preparation, Development,
Retention, and Evaluation
WORLD CLASS
STUDENTS
Build
a Statewide Technology
Infrastructure
Implement
the Breakthrough Center
Approach
3. State Teacher Evaluation Model
Professional Practice
Student Growth
50 % Qualitative Measures
Domain percentages proposed by LEA and approved by MSDE
50 % Quantitative Measures
As defined below
Planning and
Preparation
12.5%
Instruction
12.5%
Elementary/Middle
School Teacher
Two Tested Areas
20% MSA Lag Measure
based on 10%
Reading and 10%
Math
15% Annual SLO
Measure as
determined by
priority identification
at the district or
school level
15% Annual SLO Measure
as determined by
priority identification
at the classroom level
Classroom
Environment
12.5%
Elementary/Middle
or
or School Teacher
One Tested Area
20% MSA Lag Measure
based on either 20%
Math or 20% Reading
15% Annual SLO Measure
as determined by
priority identification
at the district or
school level
15% Annual SLO Measure
as determined by
priority identification
at the classroom level
Professional
Responsibilities
12.5%
DRAFT 6/6/13
High School
or Teacher Tested Subjects or
or
or
20% SLO Lag Measure
based on HSA
Algebra, HSA English 2,
HSA Biology, or HSA
American Government
and including an HSA
data point
15% Annual SLO Measure
as determined by
priority identification
at the district or
school level
15% Annual SLO Measure
as determined by
priority identification
at the classroom level
K-12 Non-Tested
Area/Subject Teachers
20% SLO Lag Measure based on
School Progress Index
Indicators ( Achievement, Gap
Reduction, Growth, College and
Career Readiness), Advanced
Placement Tests, or similarly
available measures
15% SLO Measure as determined by
priority identification at
the district or school level
15% Annual SLO Measure as
determined by priority
identification at the classroom
level
5. Ensure to High Quality SLOs
Keys evaluator accountability
1. Critical Content
2. Quality Measure
3. Rigorous Target
4. Best-Practice Action Plan
5
6. Questions to Consider to
Determine Critical Content
1. What must students know and be able to do
to go to the next level?
2. What are the larger, transferrable ideas &
processes student must apply to meet the
standards of the course or program?
3. What aspects of the course do your students
struggle with year after year?
4. What knowledge, skills, tasks and processes
are being assessed at the end of the course?
7. Questions to Consider to Select
Ensure evaluator accountability
Measures for SLO
1. What have you previously used to measure
student performance on this content?
2. Does the measure meet district criteria?
3. Is the measure aligned to the content?
4. Is the measure common to other teachers in
the same content?
5. Does the measure allow you to assess
progress and/or proficiency?
6. Is the measure rigorous?
7
8. Examples of Types of Measures/Assessments
Commercially Developed and Validated Measures
Aligned with the Standards
Criterion-referenced Tests, Inventories, and Screeners
District common benchmark assessments, end of course
exams
Authentic Measures to Document Performance such as
Performance Assessments, Artifacts, Portfolios
School or Teacher-developed Approved Measures
8
9. Questions to Consider to Determine Targets
1. What was the past performance of current
students?
2.What was the past performance of previous
students?
3.What are district or school performance
targets?
4.What are the targets among teachers of the
same grade or subject?
9
10. Questions to Consider to Determine Targets
5. What is the gap between current
performance and expected performance?
6. What is the rationale for the rigor of the
growth target? Why are these targets
AMBITIOUS and ATTAINABLE?
10
11. Approaches to Settingtargets
Determine rigorous Targets
• Proficiency Target
• 80% of students will pass the end of course exam
• 75% or better will score a 3 or better on the AP exam
• Growth Target
• 100% of my students will progress at one fitness level
• 65% of my 1st graders will make projected growth or better
on the MAP assessment
• Tiered Targets
Differentiated targets based on performance levels of groups
of students
11
12. Questions to Consider to Determine Action Plan
• What specific instructional strategies support target
attainment?
• What professional development is needed?
12
12
15. After 5 years of using SLOs,
teachers said:
These kids are “crazy good” by the end of the
year!
I can count on what students will know and be
able to do when they enter my classroom each
year because of our school-wide SLO focus.
I value the professional conversations I have
with my principal about what I do in my
classroom and why I do it.
15
16. After 5 years of using SLOs,
teachers said:
“Our team talks every day about students and
their progress….we make
sure we support each
other in reaching our
targets….we plan
together, share resources
and regroup kids when
needed.”
16
Our promise was to …..
General Assembly passed Education Reform Act of 2010. This LAW:
Extended tenure decisions from two to three years
Established student growth as a “significant” factor in teacher and principal evaluations
Authorized incentives for highly effective educators who work in low-achieving schools
Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in a global economy
Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction
Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most
Turning around our lowest-achieving schools
The State Board of Education adopted Regulation 13.07.09 – Evaluation of Teachers and Principals (Teachers under COMAR 13A.12.02 and Principals under COMAR 13A.12.04.04 or 13A.12.04.05)
“Teacher” means any individual certificated under COMAR 13A.12.02 as a teacher and who delivers instruction and is responsible for a student’s or group of students’ academic progress in a Pre-K—12 public school setting, subject to local school system interpretation.
Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness (June 2010 – December 2013)
Comprised of a representative stakeholder group
Made recommendations for the development of evaluation system
Reviewing student data, setting achievement goals, etc. is not new – its always been a best practice – good principals and teachers do this now - this has been part of the evaluation and accountability discussion for many of you. What is new is this process brings consistency of structure and expectations for all of us versus some of us.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE TEACHING AND LEARNING
Quote From the Targeting Student Growth Document: ….
“Like well-constructed S.L.O.s, good instruction includes gathering data, setting goals based on that data, and assessing whether goals have been met”
TOP’s…. The SLO process is very similar to the action-research that many of you are doing as part of your teacher training.
Mentor Teachers…this is what many of you do every day…This is what the process for quality instruction looks like
Read this slide starting with middle circle: a Student Learning Objective is………
A teacher or principal will have 2-4 SLOs which will focus on the most valuable learning for that content and specific instructional interval.
Key decisions that may require support from a number of experts in your district:
How to determine the most critical content
How to analyze the data is important
How to assess student growth , progress or mastery is important
How to implement instructional strategies to get at instructional rigor is important
Note: Developing and using Student Learning Objectives is not a new strategy and is in use in some of our LEAS in Maryland already.
Today, our training is focused on how to ensure quality SLOs using these four rubric domains. These domains serve as the foundation for quality assurance:
Focusing on the important elements of the SLO will improve quality of the SLO
Not linear, may overlap
Let’s walk through each of the four domains. (Facilitator goes through each of the domains and criteria on rubric.)
More than one – just pick
Aligned Content
Focuses on Critical Skills
Reflects District/School Priorities
Is Appropriate for Instructional Interval
What types of data are they using now to judge students’ instructional starting point?
How valuable is this data for SLO development?
What kinds of data do they wish they had access to make decisions about instruction?
How would this data enhance SLO development?
Quality Measures and Evidence are the third domain necessary for quality assurance. Read bullets on slide under Quality Measure & Evidence.
Ask groups to share feedback on “Measures & Evidence” from the sample SLO they reviewed.
Discuss as needed, slides 28 - 33
Artifacts, portfolios, observations, district level benchmarks, performance assessments.
English – essay
Art – self-portrait
Music -
Series of chapter or unit tests
Susan to provide names of CTE Industry Certifications for examples
Here a few examples you may have listed
Commercial examples: Advanced Placement, Lexile Framework for Reading, Dibels
Criterion- referenced: state tests, Reading Inventory, Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening
Authentic measures: learner portfolio, performance assessments including recitation, district-developed performance scoring rubrics
Note: It is recommended that teacher-developed measures be considered as the last option only when other measures do not exist. In the absence of an already existing approval measure, develop a process for the approval of assessments used for SLOs
.
Target must be supported by data – rationale i.e. How did this year’s 7th graders do in 6th grade?
i.e. What have been the 7th grade scores for the last two years? i.e. 90% of 7th graders in the district will pass district assessment
i.e. AMOs
i.e. How did this year’s 7th graders do in 6th grade?
i.e. What have been the 7th grade scores for the last two years? i.e. 90% of 7th graders in the district will pass district assessment
i.e. AMOs
Various approaches to setting targets
Proficiency – measure against a standard (keeping up)
Growth - change in performance over time, measure against one’s own performance, (catching up)
Our Session today will first focus on using the Rubric for Approving SLOs
HANDOUT - Rubric for Approving Teacher –Written SLOs
NEW!!! Seeing for the first time.
The rubric for approving SLOs is a holistic tool and represents our best thinking, based on the research that is out there. Let me stress that it is the tool to use if LEAs are using the state model.
However, LEAs can add to it and adapt it to their specific needs.
First let’s read silently the paragraph on side 1
Remind participants that districts can add additional domains to support district priorities (bolded sentence)
Point out the words….Logic and Unity
Flip over handout
Continue with next slide with a very brief review of each of the four domains
The process is evolving, messy and will have trail and error – the pilot will help refine the process. Give yourself “permission” to use the pilot as a learning/refining opportunity.
This is a learn, work, learn, work process.
Here are a sample of positive outcomes of using SLOs. Others include (Only mention the following only if not shared by groups)
Provide an equitable and fair process to measure student growth
Create a professional learning culture
Empower educators to use professional judgment
Celebrate teachers who use good instructional practices
Recognize principals for strong leadership
Present opportunities for customized professional development
Provide opportunities to promote best instructional practices in tested and non-tested areas
Celebrate student achievement in all curricular areas
Changes the culture of the school with regards to collaboration – Give example from another district/school where the 7th grade math team all share the entire 7th grade class data, assist new and struggling teachers, regroup for reteaching, acceleration, share lesson plans, talk on daily basis