CTAC Report - Catalyst for Change
The Community Training and Assistance Center Final Report on the Pay for Performance Pilot, Catalyst for Change was released in January 2004 and provided valuable information about objective-setting and guided the Joint Task Force in developing the student growth portion of the new ProComp System. The Full Report and an Executive Summary are available on the Web.
Here are some quick facts on the findings and recommendations of the study:
FINDINGS
l At all three levels—elementary, middle and high school—students whose teachers had objectives ranked "excellent" on a four level rubric achieved higher mean test scores than students whose teacher's objectives were lower.
l Students of teachers who met two obejctives had significantly higher test scores than students of teachers who met one or no objectives.
l The percentage of teachers who set excellent objectives increased over the course of the pilot.
l Teachers' ability to meet objectives increased significantly as they gained more experience in the pilot. One year pilot participants met 89%; four year participants met 98% of their objectives.
l DPS/DCTA collaboration on behalf of student achievement was significant.
l Teachers and principals had many opportunities to influence the cours of the pilot, which they reported was a positive and meaningful experience.
RECOMMENDATIONS
l Alignment - The link between classroom objectives, school improvement plans and district standards and goals should be strengthened.
l Assessment - Denver is positioned as a national leader in the area of linking teacher compensation, in part, to student achievement as a resutl of the pilot.
l Professional Development - Other opportunities for teachers and principals to shape professional development should be created.
l Leadership - Since the collaboration between DPS and DCTA has been so effective in the pilot, it should be extended to other parts of district educational operations.