Tools in Place to Support Teacher Growth

This pilot really allows teachers to focus on the quality of their instruction and improve continuously.  Our supervisors will provide us with specific, useful, and detailed feedback, and the DOE is offering support through ARIS.  Logging on to ARIS Learn will allow teachers to access specific professional development modules and take part in activities designed to strengthen abilities in distinct teacher competencies.

PLEASE take some time to log onto ARIS Learn and check out the many things it has to offer.  You can do this by going to www.nyc.gov/schools/ARIS.   Log on using your DOE username and password.  Your DOE username is the first part of your e-mail address.

Need an e-mail, password, or general help logging on? Click on The First Time Login Guide.  Still need help? Call the DIIT Help Desk at 718-935-5100.

Once you’re logged in you can click on the last tab to your right (at the top of the screen) that says Learn.

You should see something like this….

Once the school year has started, a representative from the program, perhaps our talent coach (person delegated to work hand in hand with John and Andrew to help them implement the program), will come to the school to do a PD on using ARIS Learn properly because it has many functions and will be very useful.  

The Pilot in a Political Context

NY State Education Law (Section 3012 - c) requires all districts in the state to implement a new teacher evaluation system that is comprised of multiple measures which means that in addition to assessing teacher competency, student performance will also be considered.  The DOE is in communication with other districts, notably Washington DC who is also struggling with changing the way in which teachers are evaluated.  This law is anticipated to go into effect for all NYC teachers in 2012-2013.  Policy mandates that 1) All teachers need measures of students’ learning; 2)There be multiple student assessments state policy allows one assessment in which case it count for the entire 40% of the teacher competency score; 3) The same measure for every grade and subject; and 4) Practices to support the reliability ad validity of assessments teachers cannot score assessments for which they have a vested interests and test materials must be secure.  Teachers of courses leading to a state exam must use those exams as at least one of their measures of student learning.  By SY 2014-2015, assessments will correlate to the Common Core Standards and teacher competencies should correspond to such standards as well.

The below calendar indicates the suggested timing of the assessments.

Instruction

Domain 3: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques, Cognitively Engaging Students in Learning, and Using Assessment in Instruction

The Classroom Environment

Domain 2: Establishing a Culture for Learning and Managing Student Behavior

Planning and Preparation

Domain 1: Designing Coherent Instruction

Lessons observed should show concrete evidence (the only thing that administrators will use to determine ratings) that all of the various elements of the plan (outcomes, activities, material, method, student grouping, assessment) focus on increasing student understanding of the material.

An example of the form administrators will use to rate teacher performance

Teacher Competencies as 60%

Six teacher competencies will be evaluated on the four-rating scale.

Talent Management Pilot, NYCDOE, Summer 2001,p38 

These six competencies are taken from three of the four domains of the Danielson Framework.

Notice that Professional Responsibilities are not rated.




Below are the six competencies whose ratings on each are combined through the use of a formula to determine the teacher competency measurement.  Your score on the “Measures of Teacher Competencies” will range from 0-60 points.  (This will later be combined with your “Measures of Student Learning” score to determine your overall evaluation out of 100 points)

Key Messages for Teachers