Colorado is reforming schools, and how we evaluate educators’ effectiveness and improve their skills are in the spotlight.
In Jeffco Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, we are proud of our many teachers who inspire students every day — and we know all teachers can get even better with the right support.
As the state board of education’s rules for implementing the new teacher and principal evaluation law head to the legislature for review, Jeffco is gearing up to be among the first in Colorado to test the new evaluation system starting next fall.
And while the new law starts statewide in two years, Jeffco is already working on building on our teachers’ strengths.
We recently began a national research and development project to increase teacher effectiveness not only through more rigorous evaluation, but also through additional compensation and support—because we believe even great teachers can get better.
The ultimate goals are to dramatically improve student learning and close achievement gaps.
Our research, which involves more than 600 teachers and principals in 20 pilot schools, is funded by a $39 million federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant, the largest grant the district has ever received, and one of only two in Colorado.
In the midst of the growing national discussion about whether compensation has an impact on teacher effectiveness and student learning, Jeffco is going to find out.
Our 20 pilot schools are divided into two groups. Teachers in both groups receive the same supports; the only difference is compensation.
Teachers and principals in half the schools are eligible for additional annual stipends of up to $15,000 for achieving results with students and earning outstanding evaluations. Teachers in the other 10 pilot schools will receive a 1 percent annual participation stipend.
Where did these ideas originate? Research indicates that the most effective alternative compensation programs are designed and implemented by educators and community members working together. That’s why we spent three years working with our teachers’ association — the largest in the state — and our administrators’ association, parents and community members to develop a strategic compensation pilot project that focuses on best practices and teacher collaboration to help students succeed.
For example, we selected eight of our top-performing teachers and trained them extensively to become peer evaluators.
By dedicating their time to observing classroom teachers frequently, peer evaluators will get a richer picture of how each teacher interacts with students and provide deeper feedback about what’s working and what else the teacher might do to enhance learning.
Increased observations and evaluation are only a part of the picture to increase teacher effectiveness in Jeffco.
National research also indicates that alternative compensation programs that make the most difference for student learning encourage teachers to share their expertise. This is an integral part of Jeffco’s strategic compensation pilot project.
That’s why our 20 pilot schools have highly qualified master and mentor teachers who work with classroom teachers to help them continuously improve. Mentor teachers demonstrate effective teaching strategies through model classrooms. Master teachers work side-by-side with classroom teachers, helping them improve their craft.
To determine whether these new supports are working, two external research firms are evaluating our pilot project. A consultant hired by the U.S. Department of Education will study the impact of differentiated compensation on student achievement. The other firm, hired by Jeffco through the grant, will analyze which of the new supports make the most difference for student learning.
Our greatest hope: This pilot project will improve student learning by identifying best practices to help teachers grow — in Jeffco and in schools across Colorado.
Cindy Stevenson is the superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, the state’s largest school district.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
