Carson’s teacher effectiveness improves to 98%

Teacher effectiveness in the Carson City School District in instruction and leadership has improved to 98.4%, up from 97% from last year, associate superintendent of human resources Dan Sadler shared Tuesday.

Sadler reviewed this year’s results of the Nevada Educator Performance Framework Tuesday in an annual presentation to the Board of Trustees.

Nevada Revised Statute 391.485 requires local education agencies to conduct an evaluation for certified and administrative positions through the NEPF. The framework’s cumulative score is determined by weights of instructional practice at 65%, professional responsibilities at 20% and student performance at 15%.

Evaluations are unique for librarians, speech-language pathologists, school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses and school counselors depending on their discipline.

Reviews are performed in five-step cycles, including the educator’s self-assessment, a pre-evaluation conference, plan implementation, a mid-cycle goal review and the summative evaluation and post-evaluation conference. Each step allows the evaluator and educator to gather evidence of performance, Sadler said. They also have an opportunity to discuss student learning goals and recommendations, in the case of teachers, to work on specific learning targets or assessments that would make them more effective in the classroom, Sadler said.

“Obviously, our goal for everybody is to move student achievement up,” Sadler said.

Trustee Matt Clapham asked about individuals who might need remediation if they’re deemed ineffective or are considered developing, noting two staff members who were rated as such.

Sadler provided an overview of Carson City School District’s results provided by the state. Teachers or administrators who received a rating of highly effective often are thought to be exempt from being evaluated, but Sadler said they still must go through the process. Their score, however, is exempt for a year. The entire process itself also remains highly collaborative.

• Of 24 total administrators, 20 were ranked effective, two were highly effective and two were exempt.

• Of 14 school counselors, seven were effective and seven were highly effective.

• Of six school nurses, four were effective and two were highly effective.

• Of four school psychologists, all were highly effective.

• Of nine school social workers, one was rated ineffective, two were effective, three were highly effective and three were exempt.

• Of 10 speech-language pathologists, one was effective, five were highly effective and four were exempt.

• Of three teacher-librarians, one was effective and two were highly effective.

• Of 405 teachers, one was ineffective, six were developing, 256 were effective, 107 were highly effective with 110 accounting for class size ratio adjustment, and 35 were exempt.

For teachers like Carson Middle School’s leadership teacher Tiffany Rankin, an experienced instructor who has been through several changes with her own self-assessments as she changed subjects, the evaluation process is helpful and time-consuming. Rankin teaches a quarter-long version class of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a college readiness class, for sixth graders and a year-long version for seventh and eighth graders, but previously she taught introduction to leadership and sixth-grade English as well as a year of fourth grade.

“(The state sets) the bar pretty high for doing all of these things with assessments and getting assessments and instructions,” Rankin said. “As a newer teacher, they helped me to structure my lesson plans and to know the best way to go about doing things like collect data during a class. The only reason why it loses it shine over time is especially when a teacher has taught the same subject over the course of many years.”

She said it can be a challenge to settle on a student learning goal (SLG) to help a teacher teach, reteach and assess, which often might be based on one-time tests students take.

“There is pressure to pick an SLG that is meaningful and making it relevant,” Rankin said. “There should be more educators involved in the discussion of what really makes this type so meaningful.”

Sadler said Tuesday for most teachers or administrators, the evaluation process is most useful in providing the feedback and support they need, whether it’s in coaching, in site mentors or in providing a formal plan of assistance toward improving proficiency or student achievement.

“This district is stacked with good supports to help our teachers,” Sadler said. “One of the best things, time and time again I hear, is, ‘We get all kinds of support.’ A lot of time and energy and effort go to bringing those people into the conversation.”