DPS and TJ are LEAPing into a new system that they hope will forever change the way teachers are evaluated.
Artwork by Ed Gloor
LEAP is an acronym that stands for Leading Effective Academic Practice, and is Colorado’s new teacher evaluation program which teachers at Thomas Jefferson High School will be getting to know intimately this year.
This new pilot program during the 11-12 school year in DPS schools involves all classroom teachers, specials/electives teachers, intervention teachers and all special education teachers as subjects for how this program can be effectively implemented. TJ Assistant Principal Scott Lessard says, “LEAP will focus teachers on 21 identified best practices, identified by experts with the objective of teachers growing their skill in these areas and therefore improving student learning overall.”
Teachers will be evaluated four times in a school year; twice by an administration member at the school, and twice by a “peer observer.” The LEAP website for DPS defines “Peer Observers as, “… fellow teachers who have been hired specifically for this role because they are recognized for their experience and expertise in content, classroom instruction, student achievement, and best practices.” Software Engineering Teacher Stacey Fornstrom says he doesn’t mind the peer evaluations. “Many people have come to visit/observe my class through the years. I haven’t gone through peer observation yet, so it will be interesting to get input from someone new.”
Since this is a pilot program, schools in the Denver Public Schools district had the choice to participate in this program. All teachers voted and the decision was made based on a majority vote specific to each school. Fornstrom also talked about the voting process. “TJ as a school voted for the pilot; it’s either everyone in or everyone out. TJ teachers voted yes so they can see what is involved in the new evaluation system and make recommendations as to what the final form should look like,” he said. Since this is a pilot program, no teachers will be affected by program outcomes.
This program is a response to Senate Bill 191, which has the same criteria as the LEAP program, and was lobbied for and made an initiative by teacher unions according to The Denver Post. It is already state law, DPS is just figuring out how best to implement it. This response is the LEAP program. The bill states its purpose as “…to serve as a basis for the improvement of instruction; enhance the implementation of programs of curriculum; serve as a measurement of the professional growth and development of licensed personnel; and evaluate the level of performance based on the effectiveness of licensed personnel; and provide a basis for making decisions in the areas of hiring, compensation, promotion, assignment, professional development, earning and retaining non-probationary status, dismissal, and nonrenewal of contract.”
Lessard explains this as, “The big difference [in the changes from using the LEAP system] is historically teachers were granted continuing employment based solely on the evaluation of their school administrator. Under SB 191 the administrator’s opinion is now only worth about 12.5 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. The rest is made up of a peer observation, student perception surveys and 50% is based on student growth as measured by a variety of assessments.”
The program measures teachers through 21 indicators, including: 21st Century Skills, Academic Language Development, Masterful Content Knowledge, Differentiation, High Impact Instructional Moves, Standards-Based Goals, Effective Classroom Management, and Positive Classroom Culture & Climate. Teachers score from “Not-meeting” to “Distinguished.” The grading scale is broken up into four groups: Not Meeting (1-2 points), Approaching (3-4 points), Effective (5-6 points), Distinguished (7 points). “The teacher receives a grade in each of the 21 categories and then the teacher focuses on two predetermined areas for growth. If there is growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year the teacher is given a good grade,” said Lessard.
The administrative evaluation comprises 25% of the total scores for teachers. Test scores (CSAP, benchmarks, etc) make up 50%, and student and peer evaluation are 25%.
The most important factor of the student evaluation portion of this program is measuring student growth, which is defined by an individual’s growth rate compared to students with the same score. For example, Student “A” has a specific score on, say, her 9th grade Reading CSAP. Next year, her score improves by 112 points. That score is not only compared to her previous score, but to the range of scores that other students in 10th grade who also had the same score as student “A” in 9th grade had.
DPS is not using the “Student Outcomes” bracket for the pilot program. This section is still in development.
Fornstrom and Lessard also spoke on their personal thoughts about the program. “One positive for student learning is that it will require teachers to be very intentional about everything that happens in their classroom. I think this will help students because teachers will put new emphasis on things that might not be one of their strengths,” said Fornstrom.
Lessard agreed, saying, “I think the 21 best practices are very important skills a teacher should work to master. If they master them then the hope is that teachers will be more effective and therefore students will be better taught. Student learning should improve and there will be much rejoicing.”
