ProComp Frequently Asked Questions
Student Growth
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions related to Student Growth. Additional information on this subject is also available at MyDPS. If you prefer to review other topics, please return to FAQs.
Q. How is student growth measured in the ProComp system?
A. Objectives will be based on the teacher’s job assignment and will include pre- and post-measures that reflect learning or value added that results from classroom instruction or service provided. A "Baseline" box is included in the Expected Growth portion of the application to enter the baseline measure as well as another box in which to enter the amount of expected growth. Objectives will be set by the educator or SSP in collaboration with the principal/manager. Teachers who meet two objectives would receive a 1% of the index salary increase. Teachers who meet one of the two objectives would receive a 1% of the index bonus.
Q. What is the difference in the amount of money earned for two objectives versus one objective met?
A. There is no difference in the amount. Meeting one objective earns a one-time bonus of 1% of the index while meeting two produces a permanent salary increase of the same amount.
Q. What's the difference between growth and achievement?
A. Growth represents the progress made by a student while in a teacher’s classroom. It is the value-added by the teacher or student services professional from their instruction or intervention. Large-scale assessments such as CSAP recognize a student’s proficiency at one point in time. This does not measure growth but the student’s level of proficiency at the time the test was taken.
Q. Why is CSAP not to be used for Student Growth Objectives?
A. The Colorado Student Assessment Program measures a student’s summative proficiency as demonstrated on one specific day. It is not designed to measure growth and results are not available on a schedule that permits use as a pre-and post measure of growth. For these reasons, CSAP is inappropriate as a tool for setting and measuring accomplishment of student growth objectives.
Q. Does the teacher/SSP have the flexibility to develop and/or select an assessment to use when setting objectives?
A. Considerations in developing an assessment or using one not previously identified for objective-setting include whether the assessment supports the goals of district initiatives and is acceptable to the principal/manager. The objective-approval process should provide flexibility for teachers and SSPs to explain the rationale for selecting assessments or other decisions made.
Q. How will primary grades be tested for growth since we don’t give CSAP and will those primary teachers be able to earn as much?
A. Since CSAP will not be used to evaluate student growth in ProComp, other data sources (those used to measure student progress for the Colorado Basic Literacy Act, like the D.R.A., Q.R.I., etc.), will be applied to Student Growth Objectives. A drop down box is provided to give the objective writer suggestions of statndard assessments but the writer is free to create assessments.
Q. Where can I get more information on setting objectives?
A. DPS has established a new website called MyDPS (click on the "Objectives" tab), which has necessary information on setting objectives as well as links to the application and handbooks.
Q. The Student Growth component would provide bonuses to staff in schools recognized as distinguished. How will those be determined?
A. Schools will be recognized as Distinguished based on several indicators. The Distinguished Schools Work Group is proposing four indicators that will be considered by the Transition Team: 1) a School Accountability Rating (SAR) which looks at test scores provided by the state; 2) a SAR improvement score, 3) a Beat the Odds Index that looks at the number of schools with students on free and reduced lunch who have a SAR rating of average or higher and 4) a Parent Satisfaction Survey with a return rate of at least 30 percent. The Transition Team will review this model and make suggestions to this first draft.
Q. Will there be quotas for “Distinguished Schools?”
A. There are no quotas in ProComp. The identification of “Distinguished Schools” will be criterion-based
Q. Is CSAP the main measure for student growth and achievement?
A. Actually, the Colorado Student Assessment Program is a very small part of ProComp. CSAP increases are separate from increases for meeting a teacher’s annual objectives and those annual objectives cannot be based on CSAP. A. CSAP increases are based on matched pairs of student scores and exclude children who failed to attend 85% of the school year in question. A. Special Education teachers will be treated like regular classroom teachers in writing objectives. Special Education teachers will write student growth objectives using a checklist and guidelines written for teachers of students with special needs. The checklist will address individual goals and be flexible to allow teachers to adjust their objectives to address the students they serve. A. Yes, both CSAP sustainable increases and salary increases based on a teachers' annual growth objectives exclude students who failed to attend 85% of the school year in question. In the pilot, teachers and principals were allowed to modify the standard to be more lenient if both principal and teacher agree. A. Teachers in non-core subjects would set objectives based on what students learn in their classes. For example, a music teacher would base his or her objectives on the music learning of students. Teachers in these areas often do not have access to district-approved assessments. Teacher-made measurements can be used in this instance in this system. Additional information on how to set objectives and examples are available at MyDPS.Q. Do you plan to factor mobility rates into the CSAP scores? Will you require that students be enrolled in a school for a specific length of time before their scores count?
Q. On what will Special Education teachers base their annual student growth objectives?
Q. Will attendance factor into the scores?
Q. How does the student growth component affect non-core subjects, like band, athletics, art, music and computers?