March 4, 2016 (X) Action Required March 28, 2016 (X) Informational
MEMORANDUM NO. 015-16M K–12 EDUCATION
TO: Educational Service District Superintendents School District Superintendents School Building Principals Assistant Superintendents for Business and/or Business Managers Assistant Superintendents for Teaching and Learning School District Personnel Directors School Public Relations Professionals
FROM: Randy I. Dorn, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
RE: Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program Update
CONTACT: Sue Anderson, Director of Educator Effectiveness [email protected], 360-725-6116 Agency TTY 360-664-3631
Introduction On June 7, 2012, Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5895 (ESSB 5895) was signed into law revising the teacher and principal evaluation system and establishing the requirements and details of the revised system. All school districts are fully implementing the revised evaluation system during the 2015–16 school year. The pertinent law and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at http://tpep- wa.org.
Background This memorandum provides school districts current information to support statewide educator evaluation implementation, including: Training requirements for educators in the evaluation system Opportunity to apply for additional iGrant 664 Teacher and Principal Evaluation Program (TPEP) Teacher Training Funds Opportunity to apply for Administrator Training Funds to support administrator training in instructional and leadership frameworks Simplified reporting requirements for iGrant 664 funds MEMORANDUM NO. 015-16M K12ED Page 2 March 04, 2016 Opportunity for teacher leaders to become Teacher Overview trainers
TPEP Best Practices Colloquium registration Minor adaptations to instructional or leadership frameworks – local option
Training Requirements for Educators in the Evaluation System RCW 28A.405.130 requires that anyone who evaluates teachers must receive training on the revised evaluation system and rater agreement. RCW 28A.405.100 directs the TPEP Steering Committee to develop models for elements of the revised system, including professional development for teachers, principals, and principal evaluators. See http://tpep-wa.org/required-training-for-educators/ for a chart that summarizes the minimum training recommended by the TPEP Steering Committee.
TPEP Teacher Training Funds (iGrant 664) The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is not permitted to carry forward any Legislative funding, including iGrant 664 (TPEP Teacher Training Funds). Currently, there are funds from unclaimed allocations (most from districts that have declined to apply). The TPEP Steering Committee has directed OSPI to allocate these funds to districts that can document need, have an approved TPEP Teacher Training plan, and have the capacity to spend the funds by June 30. This is an excellent opportunity for districts to seek additional funding to help cover the cost of all planned and approved teacher training activities. This is also an opportunity for districts that have new ideas for allowable training activities, which take place prior to June 30.
Priority will be given to districts that spent 75 percent or more of their iGrant 664 Teacher Training funds in the 2014–15 school year.
Please complete the survey located at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2621007/TPEP- Teacher-Training-Funds-664 by Monday, March 28, if your district would like to be considered for additional funding. Additional instructions for this process are provided on the survey cover page.
TPEP Administrator Training Funds (iGrant 773) An additional funding source has been identified that could be used for principal, assistant principal, or principal evaluator training in the instructional and leadership frameworks between July 1, 2015 and June 30. The iGrant form package for these funds, iGrant 773, will be budget-only. Districts are to indicate the use of the funds by listing the trainings that administrators attended/will attend (title, dates, locations, and types of costs incurred) in the “Comments” section of the budget page. Be sure to separate instructional framework training from leadership framework training. If your district does not already have an approved iGrant 664, your district must also complete the program assurances, page 2, and the general assurances, page 5, from the iGrant 664 package. Click save when completed. See http://tpep-wa.org/tpep-administrator- training-funding/ for complete instructions. iGrant 773 is due on Monday, March 28. MEMORANDUM NO. 015-16M K12ED Page 3 March 04, 2016 iGrant 664 (TPEP Teacher Training Fund) Supplemental Documentation For the 2015–16 school year, districts need to submit supplemental documentation for outside purchases only (i.e., invoices for materials and purchased services, contracts with Framework Specialists or Authors, etc.) to [email protected]. Documentation for expenses paid to district employees for salary, benefits, stipends, substitutes, or mileage should remain in district files for audit purposes, but will not be submitted.
Opportunity for School Districts to “Grow Your Own” Teacher Overview Trainers Teachers new to teaching or to a district’s framework should have six hours of training in their district’s chosen instructional framework. Beginning in August, Educational Service Districts (ESDs) will be offering “Teacher Overview Training of Trainers” on the various frameworks to prepare teacher leaders and others to offer the Teacher Overview training. Over time, OSPI would like to build capacity such that every school has someone who can provide this training to other staff. As they are finalized, Teacher Overview Training of Trainers opportunities will be posted on the TPEP website http://tpep-wa.org/trainingpd/find-a-training/.
TPEP Best Practices Colloquium – March 16 Registration is still open for the TPEP Best Practices Colloquium on March 16 in Yakima. This all-day event is an opportunity for district teams to share ideas and discuss successes and challenges of implementing the revised teacher evaluation system. Presenting districts include: Cheney, Davenport, Granite Falls, Manson, Methow Valley, Moses Lake, Spokane, Wenatchee, and Yakima. In addition, representatives from all three instructional framework authors will be there to offer updates.
To register, follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2016-tpep-best-practices- yakima-wa-registration-19813746449. More information is available at http://cstp- wa.org/events-calendar/tpep/.
Minor Modifications to Instructional and Leadership Frameworks – Local Option RCW 28A.405.100 requires OSPI to establish a process for approving adaptations to a framework that may be proposed by a school district. See the TPEP website for an outline of the process: http://tpep-wa.org/wp-content/uploads/TPEP%20Minor %20Modification%20Instructions.pdf.
Deadline for proposing changes to be implemented in the 2016–17 school year is April 15. Keep in mind that districts already have authority to add to the critical attributes, possible observables and possible evidence established by the framework authors. MEMORANDUM NO. 015-16M K12ED Page 4 March 04, 2016
For questions regarding teacher or principal evaluation policy matters, please contact Sue Anderson, Director of Educator Effectiveness, at 360-725-6116 or email [email protected]. The OSPI TTY number is 360-664-3631.
K–12 EDUCATION
Gil Mendoza, Ed.D. Deputy Superintendent
Sue Anderson Director, Educator Effectiveness
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OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at (360) 725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200 Olympia, WA 98504-7200.