Congress of Houston Teachers (CHT) 10 EVAAS FAQs

10 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
about EVAAS data and HISD teacher contracts
prepared by the Congress of Houston Teachers

At its regular monthly meeting held on February 11, 2010, the HISD School Board unanimously approved Agenda Item H-4 which revised board policy to allow HISD to consider value-added student data (EVAAS) in decisions regarding the non-renewal of a teacher’s term contract.

So what exactly does all this mean for HISD’s teachers?

At this point, there is no definitive answer to that question. Last fall, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier sent out a recorded telephone message to district employees deriding the “vicious rumor” that teachers were going to be fired over student test scores. That statement certainly stands in contrast to the new policy revisions approved at last week’s board meeting.

The superintendent now implies that the district is only looking at teachers with the 421 lowest value-added scores: specifically those third-year probationary teachers who will be eligible for placement on term contracts. The contents of an administrative memo that was recently leaked to the Houston Chronicle would seem to target a wider group of teachers; thus, no person can exactly predict how all of this controversy will unfold in the coming weeks.

These Q&As have been prepared specifically to help clarify the content of this new policy, the position of the Congress of Houston Teachers concerning it, and a number of important potential issues related to its future implementation.

1. What is the position of the Congress of Houston Teachers (CHT) concerning this action by the HISD School Board?

2. Exactly what was contained in the agenda item H-4 that the HISD School Board approved?

3. Are contract-renewal decisions regarding probationary teachers affected by this policy?

4. Do these new nonrenewal policies affect veteran teachers on pre-1996 continuing contracts?

5. Can HISD really change the design of PDAS and MPDAS to include the consideration of EVAAS data?

6. If HISD stays with PDAS/MPDAS as its appraisal instrument, wouldn’t it be just about impossible to use student test scores as the main reason for firing a term-contract teacher?

7. What should I do if I am placed on a growth/intervention plan or feel I am being targeted for nonrenewal due to a poor EVAAS score?

8. Doesn’t it seem like these new policies place a very tough burden on the principal?

9. Will teachers get fired this year for poor EVAAS ratings?

10. So only core teachers in grades 3-8 could get fired under these new termination policies?

1. What is the position of the Congress of Houston Teachers (CHT) concerning this action by the HISD School Board?
The CHT Executive Board opposes any effort to directly use student test scores to reward or punish teachers. This applies to both the district’s use of standardized test data in deciding how to distribute more than $40 million in ASPIRE bonuses as well as its use in driving the appraisal/contract renewal process. CHT also questions the fairness of selectively applying powerful new policy language to only those grades 3-8 core instructors for whom HISD has adequate value-added student data. Nearly 70% of the district’s teachers do not have an EVAAS rating.

BACK TO TOP

2. Exactly what was contained in the agenda item H-4 that the HISD School Board approved?
The agenda item actually included the creation of one new policy and the revision of several others.

Board Policy DEAA (LOCAL) is the new policy formally establishing the ASPIRE bonus program. Previously, ASPIRE was only described in the HISD Compensation Manual and an annual Board Agenda item.

Board Policy DFBB (LOCAL), which had previously included 33 “proposed reasons for the nonrenewal of a teacher’s contract,” had a 34th reason added: Insufficient student growth as reflected by value added scores

Board Policy DCB (LOCAL) was revised to include the same value-added statement.

Board Policy DNB (LOCAL), the policy listing the factors determining principal performance evaluations, was completely rewritten and now includes the principal’s responsibility to have: Effective teacher evaluations

Board Policy DNA (LOCAL) now states that EVAAS data must be considered in scoring PDAS and MPDAS.

And lastly, DMA (LOCAL) now requires the district to use deficiencies identified by EVAAS data in designing staff development activities.

3. Are contract-renewal decisions regarding probationary teachers affected by this policy?
Not in the strictest sense: a probationary teacher may be terminated anytime it is deemed to be “in the best interest of the school district.” And, unlike a term contract employee, a probationary teacher who has been fired has no appeal rights under state law. That is why the new policies only refer to employees on term contracts: the HISD School Board did not need to make any changes to existing board policy if the main teacher contract objective of the administration was to target probationary teachers.

BACK TO TOP

4. Do these new nonrenewal policies affect veteran teachers on pre-1996 continuing contracts?
The nonrenewal policies only affect teachers on post-1996 term contracts.

BACK TO TOP

5. Can HISD really change the design of PDAS and MPDAS to include the consideration of EVAAS data?
CHT does not believe so. The PDAS is HISD’s official appraisal instrument under state law; and it only factors in student test scores to a very small and insignificant degree. In order to suddenly make students' standardized test scores a huge factor in nonrenewal decisions, HISD would have to adopt a new appraisal instrument that includes such a provision; and getting a new local district teacher appraisal instrument approved is a very cumbersome and complicated process that the district is highly unlikely to pursue.

BACK TO TOP

6. If HISD stays with PDAS/MPDAS as its appraisal instrument, wouldn’t it be just about impossible to use student test scores as the main reason for firing a term-contract teacher?
CHT believes so. HISD policy has long included “lack of student progress attributable to the teacher,“ as one of the reasons used for nonrenewal of a contract; but that is not the same thing as solely looking at someone’s EVAAS data.

BACK TO TOP

7. What should I do if I am placed on a growth/intervention plan or feel I am being targeted for nonrenewal due to a poor EVAAS score?
Dr. Grier has stated on the record that the district is going to assist teachers who are identified as being in need of assistance due to troubling EVAAS data. It is essential for these teachers to carefully document any assistance they receive from the district: especially if those intervention efforts aren’t substantive or if there are no efforts at all.

BACK TO TOP

8. Doesn’t it seem like these new policies place a very tough burden on the principal?
Absolutely. The new policies could greatly increase the hours principals will have to spend compiling documentation on teachers that EVAAS has identified as ineffective. The executive director of the Houston Association of School Administrators has stated that many HISD principals find the new policies confusing. It seems likely principals have many other feelings about this new policy language that they are only discussing among themselves.

BACK TO TOP

9. Will teachers get fired this year for poor EVAAS ratings?
Technically, the district could implement this policy for term contract teachers this spring, but it is unlikely to be a widespread practice since state law requires HISD to officially notify a teacher of contract nonrenewal by the middle of April. Given that barrier, it’s more likely that the first implementation of this policy will mostly apply to probationary teachers—primarily those in the third year or optional fourth year probationary contract.

BACK TO TOP

10. So only core teachers in grades 3-8 could get fired under these new termination policies?
Right. For now, this contract nonrenewal policy does not affect high school teachers, teachers in primary grades, special education teachers, PE, electives, etc.: only teachers with EVAAS data. However, the other new policies regarding PDAS and staff development apply to all teachers.

BACK TO TOP

END