Douglas County Schools Colorado

1. Douglas County Schools Colorado Performance Pay Plan for Teachers A Strategic Approach to Teacher Compensation & Appraisal

2. Our Definition Performance Pay is a comprehensive system that aligns teacher appraisal and compensation with the school district’s strategic goals.

3. KEY FACTORS • Positive relationship between the district and the teachers • Leadership and stability on Board of Education and in central office • Union leadership is collaborative, flexible, and believes in taking risks • A tremendous sense of TRUST

4. The Development Process • Diverse committee (1993-94) • Completely separate from negotiations • Very, very slow • At times deliberate • Sometimes unplanned • Often surprising

5. Pay Plan Objectives Align Teacher Compensation and Appraisal with the District’s Strategic Goals by: • supporting the district’s mission and core values • attracting, retaining and motivating the highest qualified teachers while competing in the employment market • rewarding growth, development and skill and knowledge acquisition • providing a degree of predictability and stability • ensuring teacher involvement in the development, evaluation and reward process

6. Pay Plan Flowchart Evaluation Credit Outstanding Teacher Must apply and provide evidence Total General Compensation Skills Acquired, applied and demonstrated skills that support the goals of the school district Master Teacher Knowledge Advanced Coursework and degrees + Proficient Evaluation Evidence of proficiency in the classroom Professional Base Pay Responsibility Pay (District & Site-based) Group Incentive Unsatisfactory Evaluation Teachers with an unsatisfactory evalua-- tion will not be eligible for any salary increases = Total Teacher Salary

7. Teacher Performance Pay Evaluation Credit Proficient • Classroom performance • Evaluation criteria based on job description • Must be satisfactory in all criteria • Increase in base salary Outstanding • Must be proficient • Application process • Additional criteria • Proficient salary increase plus bonus Unsatisfactory • Unsatisfactory in any single criterion • No evaluation credit or salary increase • Remediation program

8. Oustanding Teacher 2001 Four Program Options: • Type “A” - District Developed Criteria • Type “B” - Standards Based Instruction • Type “C” - National Board Applicants • Type “D” - Student Achievement Growth Decision by Principal* *Type D decision is not currently being made by principals

9. Oustanding Teacher - Type A National Board Standards Major Areas of Emphasis: • Assessment & Instruction • Content & Pedagogy • Collaboration & Partnership

10. Oustanding Teacher - Type B Standards Based Instruction Major Areas of Emphasis: • Adjustment of Instruction • Feedback on Student Progress • Professional Collaboration • Role of Assessments • Student Ownership and Understanding • Timing of Assessments

11. Oustanding Teacher - Type C National Board Certification Candidates may use the same portfolio as for National Board certification - with minor modifications

12. Oustanding Teacher - Type D Student Achievement Growth Goals are Tied to: • District Strategic Plan • Feeder System Objectives • Building Objectives • Content Standards

13. Skill Blocks Skills must be: • Newly acquired, applied and demonstrated • Supportive of district’s strategic plan • District/Teacher-selected • Taught by highly skilled teachers • Measured by authentic assessment

14. Student Growth National Board or Twice Outstanding Two additional Leadership/Expertise Recognition Creativity/Innovation Master Teacher

15. PREVIOUSLY Special assignment pay Secondary school activities Elementary school activities NEW CONCEPT Site-based responsibility pay - governed by the site District responsibility pay Examples: Beyond the scope of the typical job description Committee work Curriculum work Ongoing commitments Positively impacts/affects students Mentor role for colleagues Draws upon professional skills and knowledge Additional responsibility during the school day Site-Based Responsibility Pay

16. Work supported: PPIC - the umbrella group Group Incentive Board Outstanding Teacher Health Insurance Committee Skill Blocks Development Transfer Committee Evaluation Committee Professional Development 21st Century Partnership DETERMINING FACTORS Number of meetings Time of meetings Difficulty of tasks Time required outside meetings District Responsibility Pay

17. Group Incentive • Reward teachers for outstanding student performance -Tied to measurable gains in student achievement • Enhance collegiality • Encourage positive school and community relations Purpose:

18. Group Incentive • Establish group • Determine goal • Determine measurement ( pre & post) • Define activities, responsibilities & timeline • Submit plan for approval • Work the plan • Submit report & results Process:

19. Reading &writing skills Mathematics proficiency Conflict management/problem-solving skills Computer/technology skills Individual learning plans Content-specific vocabulary Most are tied to building accountability plans Group Incentive Sample Goals: 90% of Goals

20. Hypothetical Compensation • General Salary $39,000 • Evaluation* (SG)* $ 1,188 • Knowledge** $ 1,000 • Outstanding Teacher (SG) $ 1,250 • Master Teacher (SG) $ 2,500 • Group Incentive (SG) $ 437 • Skill Block*** (CD) $ 425 • Site Responsibility*** $ 225 • District Responsibility*** $ 500 General Pay Incentive Bonuses Average $819 SG - Student Growth CD - Classroom Demonstration $46,525

21. Douglas County Schools Colorado Performance Appraisal for Teachers A Strategic Approach to Teacher Appraisal

22. Swing to the Middle The Teacher Evaluation Pendulum Focusing on Achievement Alone Focusing on Teacher Behavior Alone Input Output ?? A Balance

23. Student Achievement vs. Growth Growth Achievement K 12 Aug. May Achievement refers to what a student knows at a place in time Growth refers to what a student has learned during a particular period of time Teachers must feel they have a large causative effect on the results of whatever measurement is being used.

24. An Important Relationship Student Growth Teacher Appraisal Teacher Compensation

25. Appraisal Alignment • Each site will have an action plan that is linked to the strategic directions of student achievement growth and effective use of resources. • Individual appraisals will include the use of data aligned with the strategic directions of student achievement growth and the building actions plans.

26. The IMPACT • Measurable increases in student performance as demonstrated on standardized tests & other district assessments (We must be very cautious with these results) • Teachers are more able to qualify and quantify what they do • Increased collaboration and focus on goals and student performance measures • Entire system has increased knowledge of developing and using data

27. The IMPACT (cont.) • Greater buy-in by all constituencies because of increased input • Observed increases in teacher skill level and changes in teacher behavior • Greater focus on all aspects of teacher evaluation • Program choice has increased the feeling of professionalism among teachers • Enhanced public image and support

28. Implementation Requirements • Communication systems • Ambiguity tolerance until “bugs” worked out • Time and attention - lots of both!!!!! • Implementation committee • Payroll system modifications • Ability to deal quickly with unforeseen issues • Training • Trust

29. Funding Considerations • Additional funding required to launch program • Cannot reward by “taking away” • Some increases applied to base • Some payments made in bonus format - easier to fund and to budget • Do not set quotas!!! • Prediction difficult until track record set • Basic salaries must remain competitive in market

30. Contacts & Info • Ellen Bartlett, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources (303) 814-5253 Fax: (303) 814-5308 e-mail: ellen_bartlett@ceo.cudenver.edu • Rob Weil, President Douglas County Federation of Teachers (303) 688-3381 e-mail: DCFT@aol.com www.DCFT.net