AZ Dept of Ed to examine teacher effectiveness

On February 26 and 27, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) will be conducting a summit on Arizona’s Framework for Measuring Educator Effectiveness for over 550 teachers and administrators at the Wigwam Resort. The summit, entitled Using Student Performance Measures in a Comprehensive System to Improve Teaching and Learning, will address the use of student performance measures in educator evaluation systems.

“Being able to effectively measure and evaluate the performance of our teachers and principals is a critical component in our efforts to improve education in Arizona,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal. “Evaluating the quality of instruction is especially challenging for educators who teach a subject that is not covered by our AIMS tests. This conference will help provide a roadmap for schools, districts and charters to implement a comprehensive teacher and principal evaluation system.”

Passed in 2010, SB 1040 mandates that the “State Board of Education adopt and maintain a model framework for a teacher and principal evaluation instrument that includes quantitative data on student academic progress that accounts for between thirty-three percent and fifty percent of the evaluation outcomes. ADE has been working to educate and train schools and local education agencies on the development of educator evaluation systems that can improve teaching and learning.

This Summit is the second of three in assisting schools and local education agencies in developing their evaluation systems. WestEd’s Southwest Comprehensive Center has partnered with ADE in the design of all three summits and is providing the opportunity to bring in national experts – including Dr. Laura Goe from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality and Dr. Stanley Robinowitz, Director of WestEd’s Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center – as part of the program.

Purpose of this Summit:

• To review the Arizona Framework for Measuring Educator Effectiveness: Measuring Student Academic Progress for Group A (those measured by AIMS) & Group B (Non AIMS measured) Teachers;

• To explore options in the use of multiple measures for Group A and Group B teachers;

• To determine LEA readiness to implement the Arizona Teacher-Principal Framework;

• To continue to develop an action plan for the design of a LEA educator evaluation system; and

• To identify resources, tools and assistance available to LEAs