Value-added

teacher evaluation
Reforms
Jessica L. Rostami
Vernon Township School District
for William Paterson University - 201610-EDLP6090-80
April 3, 2016

What is value added teacher

evaluation reform?
TEACH NJ - Teacher Effectiveness and
Accountability for the Children of New Jersey
Referred to as Tenure Reform Law (August 2012)
Mandates evaluation structure and outlines
requirements for NJ educator evaluations

tenure decisions must now be linked to evaluation

outcomes and teacher effectiveness ratings

Increased time required to earn tenure

to raise student achievement by improving
instruction through the adoption of evaluations
that provide specific feedback to educators, inform
the provision of aligned professional development,
and inform personnel decisions..
Source: NJDOE. August 2012. Chapter 26 - 18A:6-118.

ACHIEVE N J

New evaluation and support system that provides

more detail and support processes/structures to
effectively implement new evaluation system
(September 2013)

created to better align educator evaluation with

practices that lead to improved student outcomes
Teacher effectiveness should be measured
Evaluations need input from multiple measures
Timely feedback and professional development are
vital

Teachers should have a lot of input

Tenure and other recognition should be based on
effectiveness
Source: http://
www.state.nj.us/education/genfo/faq/faq_eval.shtml

Historical context
Timeline
2010 States must link teachers to students
and calculate student growth as part of
Federal Mandate for Stimulus Funds

2012 TEACH NJ passed and growth

measures required as part of evaluation

2015 SGP reports began (evalulation of

2013-2014 teachers)

2016 SGP and SGO continue and are

updated yearly
Source: NJDOE Achieve NJ. (February
2016).
Overview of student growth percentile
powerpoint, p.2

Why they exist

Inspire collaboration
Revise assessments given to be high-quality,
accurate, useful measures of achievement

Enhance and inform teaching using data

Encourage reflection on teaching and refinement
delivery to meet student needs

Teachers must consistently prove that they are

effective instructors as shown in observations, as
well as student growth data
Teachers must focus professional learning goals to
improve instruction after reflecting on
observations and data
Ensure only effective educators teach our children.
All others are let go via ineffective process

New teacher evaluation goal

overview
Focus on improved student outcomes
Including objective measures of student growth to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement
Based on individuals job description, professional standards, and statewide evaluation criteria
Incorporates multiple measures of student progress and multiple data sources
Multiple objective measures of student learning are both formal and informal assessments
May include teacher-developed goals for student learning, student performance assessments, teacherdeveloped assessments, standardized assessments, and district- established assessments.

Individual professional development plans written by the teacher and principal/designee

Needs to improve teaching, learning, and student achievement. Will include timelines for implementation,
responsibilities of the employee for implementation, and support to be provided

TEACH NJ details
Must use state approved evaluation model

Most popular: McREL, Stronge,

Danielson/Teachscape, Marzano
Many other approved programs: http://
www.nj.gov/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/approv
edlist.pdf

Teacher practice+ SGP + SGO = summative

rating
Teacher practice =

observations (short and long, unannounced and

announced),

Teacher supplied artifacts

SGP = student growth profile = standardized

test results

SGO student growth objective =

district/teacher assessments

Research shows teacher quality is single-most in-school predictor of

student success

Evaluations to promote continuous teacher development and growth

4 levels of summative ratings

TENURE 4 years for new hire

a new teacher must complete a

district mentorship program in
1st year

After, must be rated either

effective or highly effective in
two of the three subsequent
years.

Effective evaluations required to maintain tenure

Teacher Practice: Observations

Source: Teacher Evaluation and Support Overview, Aug. 2015, p.2

Evaluation Weighting 2015-2016

(source: 8/5/15 memo)
Non-tested areas
80% of NJ teachers fall in this category

Student Growth Objective (SGO): 20%

Growth measured by
teacher-given student
assessments

Teacher Practice: 80%

Mostly observations, also

documentation logs,
professional development
plan, surveys, etc.

Source: Teacher Evaluation

and Support Overview, Aug
. 2015, p.1

Evaluation Weighting 2015-2016

(source: NJDOE 8/5/15 memo)
Tested Areas*

Student Growth Percentile (SGP)

10%

NJASK/Parcc scores in NJ:

(SGO) 20%
Teacher Practice 70%
*SGPs for principals and teachers of
4th-8th grade Language Arts and 4th-7th
grade Math
Less than 20% of NJ teachers

Source: Teacher Evaluation and Support Overview, Aug. 2015, p.1

Student Growth Objective Rationale

ACHIEVE NJ A Student Growth Objective is an
academic goal that teachers and
evaluators set for groups of students. It
shall be specific and measurable, based
on available student learning data,
aligned to Core Curriculum Content
Standards (or other standards adopted
or endorsed by the State Board), and
based on growth and/or achievement.
(from Achieve NJ - SGO 2.0: from
Compliance to Quality)

TEACH NJ act:

The standards for approval of educator evaluation rubrics at a

minimum shall include: a provision ensuring that performance
measures used in the rubric are linked to student achievement.
requires all educator evaluations to include multiple measures of
student learning.

20% of the 2015-2016

overall evaluation
PURPOSE

Promote quality instruction

Improve student learning

Included as percentage of eval score

SGO Value
(from Achieve NJ - SGO 2.0: from Compliance to Quality )
a method to help TEACHERS improve practice
by setting goals and showing effectiveness based
on student learning as tracked by an SGO.
Promote reflective and collaborative teaching
that improve student learning
An authentic measure of teacher effectiveness
for ADMINISTRATORS that focuses on student
learning from a teachers daily work.
Learning targets that STUDENTS are expected to
master in a course based on a basic idea of
individual point
Use multiple data sources to determine starting point:
Grades, test scores, previous year, pre-assessments,
markers
Markers for success: attendance, independence, participation.

NOT more

additional assessments for students

or teachers

pretest/posttest performance model

to show precise growth in learning.

ARE an assessment created by teachers that reflects what effective teachers do

everyday, intersection of assessment, instruction and standards

Represents all or most students

Significant amount of school year
Large swath of grade-level standards
Based on quality assessments

SGO vs. SGP

(source: SGO Guidebook 2.1)
TESTED AREAS:
Teachers in tested areas with SGPs = at
least 1 SGO
4th-8th-grade Language Arts and 4th7th-grade Math teachers with an Student
Growth Percentile score may set 1 SGO
NON TESTED AREAS
Teachers without an SGP score w = at
least 2 SGOs
Teachers outside of 4th-8th-grade
Language Arts and 4th-7th-grade Math
must set 2 SGOs.

TIMELINE

Sept/Oct - Determine student starting points using multiple

measures
Oct. 31 deadline for approval of student learning goals, set by
teacher using differentiation based on student starting points
(input/approval from supervisor and/or principal)

Feb. 15 deadline to refine student learning goals, based on

tracked progress (if needed)
May/June administer post test and determine SGO scores.

Student Growth Percentiles (SGP)

(source: SGP Overview, Feb. 2016)
WHAT:
one of multiple measures used to assess educators of 4 th-8th grade Language Arts and 4th-7th grade Math.
10% of overall effectiveness rating
norm referenced.
Based on NJASK and PARCC in NJ

HOW:
derived by comparing a students growth on the test to the growth made by that students academic peers
(students from around the state with similar score histories) (p.1)

By using SGPs, we can answer the question: How much academic progress did a child make during a
school year? (p.1)
EX: a student may not be proficient but could earn a high SGP, based on growth indicating the teachers instruction
and/or admin leadership help significant student gains.

A teacher will be evaluated on the highest score, either the teachers median score from his or her current
roster of students or the median of all scores available for the three most recent years (p.1)

SGP
All students can grow (at all
proficiency levels)
Student Growth Percentiles
(SGPs) measure how much a
student has learned from one year
to the next compared to students
with a similar performance history
from across the state (academic
peers)
Source: (AchieveNJ
, Feb. 2016, SGP Overview Presentatio
n, slide 4)

Teachers with SGPs

Teach at least 1 tested subject area

course
Math (grades 4-7) or ELA (grades 4-8)
must have at least 20 separate
students with SGPs enrolled in the
class for at least 70 percent of the
time

must teach at least 60% of the time,

prior to the test (Achieve NJ, 2016,
SGP Overview Presentation, p.1)

Administrator with SGP - work in a school with tested areas.

Principal and VP/AP evaluation

Earn Tenure - new hires must rate effective or highly
effective in two annual summative evaluations within
the first three years of employment, with the first
effective rating on or after completion of the second
year. (4 years)

Summative: teacher practice + SGO + SGP =

summative evaluation
(source: SGP Overview presentation, Feb. 2016 )
Teacher practice: administrators are observed by their
supervisor

SGO: administrator growth objective

SGP:
Schoolwide SGP data if enough tested areas in school (4-8 ELA,
4-7 Math).

10% of principal evaluation = schoolwide SGP data

Source: SGP Overview, p.2, Feb. 2016

Source: SGP Overview presentation, Feb. 2016, p.13

References
N.J.A.C. 6A:10, EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS. http://www.nj.gov/education/code/current/title6a/chap10.pdf
NJDOE Achieve NJ. (June 2015) Student Growth Objectives: SGO Guidebook 2.1. http://
www.nj.gov/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/15-16SGOGuidebook.pdf

NJDOE Achieve NJ. (February 2016). SGP Overview presentation Feb. 2016. http://
www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/SGPOverviewPresentation.pdf

NJDOE Achieve NJ. (February 2016). SGP Overview. http://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/SGPOverview.pdf

NJ DOE Achieve NJ (August 2015). Teacher Evaluation and Support Overview. http://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/intro/1PagerTeachers.pdf
NJ DOE Achieve NJ (May 1, 2015). Approved Teacher Practice Evaluation Instruments. http://
www.nj.gov/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/approvedlist.pdf

NJ DOE. Achieve NJ Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.state.nj.us/education/genfo/faq/faq_eval.shtml

NJ DOE - Achieve NJ (September 1, 2014). SGO 2.0: from Compliance to Quality. http://
www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/teacher/SGO20FromCompliancetoQuality.pdf

NJ DOE (August 6, 2012). Chapter 26. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/PL12/26_.PDF

Shulman, P. (November 13, 2012). NJ DOE: Educator Evaluation System Implementation Update. https://
education.state.nj.us/broadcasts/2012/NOV/13/8425/Educator%20Evaluation%20Update.pdf
Shulman, P. (May 28, 2013). NJDOE: Educator Evaluation Update. http://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/resources/052813Update.pdf
Shulman, P. (September 16, 2014). NJ DOE: AchieveNJ Update. http://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/resources/091614Update.pdf
Shulman, P. (August 8, 2015). NJ DOE: Achieve NJ Update. https://education.state.nj.us/broadcasts/2015/AUG/18/13966/AchieveNJ%20Update.pdf
Shulman, P. (November 12, 2014). NJ DOE: Achieve NJ Update. https://
education.state.nj.us/broadcasts/2014/NOV/12/12463/AchieveNJ%20Update.pdf
Shulman, P. (August 18, 2015). NJ DOE: Achieve NJ Update. http://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/resources/081815Update.pdf