Overview
The Texas Comprehensive Center (TXCC) provided technical assistance, professional development, and support services to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) under grant number S283B050020 from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for 7 years. TXCC's work with TEA focused on educator quality and effectiveness; statewide systems of support; English language learners and other diverse students; literacy, mathematics, and science initiatives; early-warning data systems; college- and career-ready standards and aligned assessments; and support to facilitate implementation of and compliance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
Educator Effectiveness
In 2009, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 174, which mandated an accountability system for educator preparation programs. TEA requested assistance from the TXCC in developing that system. The initial assistance was in creating an instrument and implementing a process to assess the performance of educator preparation programs through observations of beginning teachers.
TEA and the TXCC consulted with the Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality and then convened stakeholders from around the state to plan the work. The first task was to develop and implement principal and teacher-exit surveys, which provided feedback on educator preparation programs. Then the scope was broadened to the development of a redesigned teacher appraisal system, which includes a pilot of a multiple-measure teacher evaluation system.
Work in 2010–2011
TEA and the TXCC worked to prepare the survey and the infrastructure to support it so that it would be ready for implementation in May 2011. Among tasks carried out during the year was establishing a weighting system for the items included on the survey. TXCC staff also began working with TEA on a teachers' exit survey to be administered to individuals exiting an educator preparation program. A total of eight stakeholder meetings on the principal and teacher surveys were facilitated by TEA and the TXCC.
TXCC staff also assisted TEA on another requirement of Senate Bill 174 during the 2010–2011 year: examining guidance and support provided to beginning teachers by field supervisors.
Work in 2011–2012
The following year the TXCC continued the 2010–2011 work and expanded to three distinct areas.
- Educator Preparation Programs: Collaboration continues with TEA and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Tasks include refinement of the principal survey and analysis of the survey data, which are providing feedback on the programs that prepare teachers for the classroom.
Contacts: TEA-Janice Lopez, Director Educator Certification and Standards; TXCC-Jackie Burniske, Program Associate. - Teacher Effectiveness: TEA has formed the Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup and invited TXCC, Educate Texas, and ESC Region XIII to collaborate in using research-based practices and consulting with national leaders to revise the teacher appraisal system.
Contacts: TEA-Michele Moore, Associate Commissioner - Educator Leadership and Quality; TXCC-Jackie Burniske, Program Associate. - Principal Effectiveness: The passage of SB 1383 in January 2011 requires development of a comprehensive principal appraisal and professional development system to guarantee that every school in the state is led by a high-quality principal. This component of the work is led by TEA and the Alliance to Reform Education Leadership (AREL) at the George W. Bush Institute. Invited representatives from the TXCC, Texas school districts, universities, and community organizations are working members of the Principal Advisory Committee (PAC). The TXCC began work with PAC in February of 2012.
Contacts: TEA-Janice Lopez, Director Educator Certification and Standards; TXCC-Jackie Burniske, Program Associate.
Previous Work Updates
December 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: On November 6, 2012, the TXCC collaborated with TEA in a stakeholder meeting to initiate the development of an educator preparation program (EPP) framework, working toward establishing standards for EPPs in 2013. A follow-up webinar was conducted by TEA in collaboration with TXCC on November 30 to discuss the draft framework and descriptors. TXCC is working with TEA to update the online training for the Teacher Preparation Effectiveness Survey. TXCC is also assisting TEA with process improvement for data collection, management, and analysis regarding the Accountability System for Educator Preparation (ASEP).
- Teacher Effectiveness: On November 14, in collaboration with TEA, TXCC hosted a kickoff meeting regarding the Educator Appraisal System Evaluation with representatives from Gibson Consulting, American Institutes for Research (AIR), and ESC 13 participating. Following a determination that Phase I work had been completed, the meeting with the Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee (TAAC) planned for December was cancelled.
- Principal Effectiveness: The November 7 meeting of the Principal Policy Steering Committee was cancelled. The next meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2013.
September 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: The TXCC and TEA convened and facilitated a stakeholders meeting on August 22 & 23, 2012 to develop clear goals of what an effective Educator Preparation Program should look like. The results from the meeting will be used to inform the revision of TAC 227 & 228.
- Teacher Effectiveness: The Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup began planning for the next meeting of the Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee (TAAC) to be held in December.
July 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: The TXCC and TEA continued plans on how to transition principal survey data analysis to TEA and potential contractors on the project. In addition, planning continued on convening stakeholders to review the Educator Preparation Program Monitoring Audit instrument.
- Teacher Effectiveness: Two new teacher observation models will be piloted on over 100 campuses during the 2012–13 school year. The two models are the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching (through Teachscape) and the Teaching Skills, Knowledge and Responsibilities Performance Standards (through the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching).
June 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: The Teacher Preparation Effectiveness Survey, which principals of first- through third-year teachers complete annually, closed on June 15. TXCC will work with TEA to analyze the data from the completed surveys. In addition, a literature review provided components to use in a gap analysis between identified components and those used in state monitoring visits with educator preparation programs.
- Teacher Effectiveness: In collaboration with TEA, the TXCC designed a draft graphic of the Teacher Framework with four broad competencies supported by numerous indicators. The Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee (TAAC) provided the draft content for the framework during the May meeting. The Teacher Framework will be shared with the TAAC using Basecamp. In addition, TXCC worked with TEA on considerations for evaluating the pilot of the teacher appraisal system. TEA identified the Texas Title I Priority Schools (TTIPS) to participate in the pilot of the teacher appraisal system in the 2012–13 school year. Other districts are applying to be a part of the pilot.
- Principal Effectiveness: The Principal Appraisal Advisory Committee (PAAC) met on June 12, 2012. The focus of the meeting was communicating the work statewide, reviewing the draft principal competencies, and discussing the desired characteristics of principal preparation programs.
May 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: On May 21, 2012, TXCC staff met with TEA to continue discussion on the final components of the principal survey data analysis with a new data analysis team. In addition, the TXCC began the literature review of the research and promising practices focusing on state monitoring of educator preparation programs. To further inform the TXCC of the current practices in Texas, a team member attended a monitoring visit of one of the educator preparation programs.
- Teacher Effectiveness: The Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee (TAAC) met Saturday May 5. All of the stakeholders from the February meeting returned to participate in this meeting. The discussions focused on Value Added components of educator evaluation and educator standards. In addition, the members of the core Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup attended a national conference From Legislation to Reality: Implementing the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching.
- Principal Effectiveness: In collaboration with TEA, the TXCC designed a draft graphic of the Principal Framework with four broad competencies supported by numerous indicators. This framework will be shared at a stakeholder meeting to gain feedback from Educator Preparation Programs for principals on June 5, at the SEDL offices.
April 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: The principal survey was opened April 9th to obtain feedback from principals on how well educator preparation programs prepared teachers to provide effective instruction in the classroom. The survey will close June 15, 2012. During April, TEA and TXCC staff also attended the conference, "From Research to Reality: Exploring Practice in Educator Effectiveness." Laura Goe and representatives from Hillsboro County and five states shared promising practices on evaluating educator effectiveness.
- Teacher Effectiveness: Preparations were finalized for the Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for Saturday, May 5th. The TXCC will provide an overview, "Value Added: Concepts and Uses in Evaluating Educator Effectiveness."
- Principal Effectiveness: This month the group met with experts from the Center for Urban Education Leadership (University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Education), The Center for Study of Education Policy (Illinois State University), and New Leaders (a non-profit located in 12 urban areas) to explore the competencies of good principals in urban high-needs schools.
March 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: In close collaboration with TEA, the TXCC developed an online training module to inform principals, superintendents, and human resources staff about the requirements and components of the principal survey and teacher exit survey. Launch date of the module is scheduled for early April 2012.
- Principal Effectiveness: The TXCC participated in the TEA Principal Advisory Committee (PAC) and assisted with the development of a central repository for documents and notes for PAC use.
- The Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup initiated planning for the May TAAC meeting and invited the TXCC to present current research on value added models. The TXCC began conversations with TEA on how to determine the effectiveness of pilot teacher evaluation systems scheduled in districts for this fall.
February 2012
- Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup: The first Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee (TAAC) meeting, hosted at SEDL, was attended by 18 teachers, 4 principals, TEA, and partners. The purpose of the TAAC is to advise TEA on how Texas can strengthen the teacher appraisal system to improve teaching practice and raise student achievement. Stakeholders reviewed current appraisal systems and discussed direction for the future. The TXCC facilitated small group conversations and presented the national perspective on teacher appraisal systems.
January 2012
- Educator Preparation Programs: The decision rules for the principal survey data related to the utilization and analysis of the raw data for program accountability and reporting were finalized. Reports from a stakeholders' meeting in December were prepared, in collaboration with TEA, to share with the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).
- Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup: The TEA, with the assistance of the ESCs, identified stakeholders consisting of 20 teachers—one representative from each ESC region—and four principals; these individuals received a letter of invitation from Robert Scott, the Commissioner of Education. The stakeholders formed the Teacher Appraisal Advisory Committee (TAAC) that will advise on the refinement of the teacher evaluation system.
December 2011
- Educator Preparation Programs: The stakeholders group met to review results from the Teacher Preparation Effectiveness Survey in order to recommend the weight of each section of the survey and cut scores. The group included school district staff, as well as representatives from traditional and alternative educator preparation programs and from educational association.
- Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup: The workgroup continued work on the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality's A Practical Guide to Designing Comprehensive Teacher Evaluation Systems: A Tool to Assist in the Development of Teacher Evaluation Systems.
November 2011
- Educator Preparation Programs: TEA and the TXCC finalized the plans to convene a stakeholder group to provide feedback on setting standards from the principals' data on the Teacher Preparation Effectiveness Survey. Work also continued on the development of decision rules for data from the principal surveys.
- Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup: The workgroup began the review and use of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality's A Practical Guide to Designing Comprehensive Teacher Evaluation Systems: A Tool to Assist in the Development of Teacher Evaluation Systems.
October 2011
- Educator Preparation Programs: The TXCC facilitated multiple meetings and conference calls with TEA and the Project on Educator Effectiveness and Quality (PEEQ) to develop decision rules on how to deal with exceptional data from the Teacher Preparation Effectiveness Survey.
- Teacher Effectiveness Workgroup: The TXCC was invited to join the group to examine the literature on promising and state practices on evaluating educator effectiveness.
