Welcome Day with Ga PSC West Georgia RESA

Welcome! Day with Ga. PSC West Georgia RESA February 7, 2013

Coming Soon! Tiered Certification

Landmark Rule Changes • Performance-based Educational Leadership – 2008 • Certificate Upgrade Rule – 2010 • Coming Soon, Tiered Certification • January 2014 is target date

Why Tiered Certification? • Georgia – one of only 10 states using a single tier system • 21 states use a two-tier system – include initial & professional (clear renewable) • Other states use system with three or more tiers

Why Tiered Certification? • Addresses the need to focus attention and resources on early career teachers About 40% leave the profession within five years at a tremendous cost to taxpayers

Why Tiered Certification? • Assures advancement in the profession is based on teaching effectiveness, rather than just hanging on We currently have no defense against criticisms about teacher quality from politicians & the media

Why Tiered Certification? • Provides a way of recognizing the accomplishments of excellent teachers Upper tiers recognize and use the skills of excellent teachers – a good fit with motivation theory

Why Tiered Certification? • Creates a pathway for teachers to advance in the profession while remaining in the classroom Currently, education is a “flat” profession – no where to grow

Why Tiered Certification? • Equips educators with skills to work collaboratively to improve teaching and learning. Advancement to higher tiers equips teachers with skills that support learning communities & improved teaching & learning

Tiered Cert Task Force • • • PSC Staff Superintendent Public IHE Governor’s Office Principal and Assistant Principal • PAGE/GAE • Curriculum Director • • DOE Staff USG Staff Private IHE RESA HR Director Teachers Professional Learning Director

Tiered Cert Task Force • Task force work began in December • Anticipate finishing the work next August or September • Currently plan for rule initiation in October with an effective date of January 2014

Tiered Cert Task Force • • Task force meetings Presentations like this Focus group & sub-committee work Getting input from Georgia educators is very important to assuring a rule that provides opportunities for educator growth and improves teaching & learning

Tiered Certification • This presentation represents some initial ideas about tiered certification; it provides a starting point for the task force work • Some questions that may assist in guiding our discussion (see HO) • We value your input on these questions; this will provide the task force with your very helpful ideas & concerns

Tiered Certification • What we are presenting is some initial thinking about tiered certification • These ideas are to get the conversation started • The task force will make recommendations that culminate in a new rule next fall • The initial concept includes five tiers

Tier 1: Pre-service Certificate • Advantages – Consistent method for criminal history checks – Under the Code of Ethics – This certificate becomes a platform to improve preparation programs and as a way to make pre-service teachers more valuable to schools/districts

Tier 1 to Tier 2 • Content-specific Performance Assessment – Minimum score to successfully exit the program. Useful for candidate evaluation, program evaluation, & induction roadmap • Program provider sign off on readiness to take appropriate GACE assessment • Achieve “passing” score on appropriate GACE assessment • Many school-based experiences culminating with a year long pre-service experience. •

Tier 2 Induction Certificate • Advantages – Recognizes that novice teachers need to grow in a safe environment supported by teacher leaders, administrators, and others – Creates a statewide system for quality induction – Links to the teacher induction guidance document developed by a DOE/PSC – led task force. Induction programs are being piloted by RTTT districts.

Tier 2: Induction Certificate • Advantages (continued): – The results of a nationally validated performance assessment used to differentiate induction services for individual teachers – 3 year Non-Renewable Certificate – meet professional teaching standards to get clear renewable (Possible waiver for 4 th year at the request of the employing district)

Tier 2 to Tier 3 • Employing districts sign off on induction completion • Educator must meet measurable standards before moving to a clear renewable certificate (will not be TEM – not ready – value added, surveys, student learning objectives, state-wide evaluation instruments, maybe later, but now) • May use the content-specific performance assessment administered during student teaching as the measurement

Tier 2 to Tier 3 (continued) • Professional learning focused on areas of need defined in the pre-service performance assessment and/or state-wide eval. instrument • Revisit use of TEM in 2 to 3 years • Program providers could possibly having a role in decisions about induction teachers moving to next tier • If funding/logistics could be worked out, a peer review component would be powerful (by teacher leaders)

Tier 3: Professional Certificate • Advantages: – Teacher demonstrates effectiveness to qualify for the professional (clear renewable) certificate – Good for five years; only renewed if performance continues to meet or exceed standards

Renewing the Professional Cert • Meet requirements for professional learning/impact on student performance • Will consider a requirement that a measurable standard be met prior to renewal • TEM score will not be used – same reasons, but will revisit use in 2 -3 years • If unsatisfactory evaluation(s) – a new definition of unsatisfactory under the new state evaluation system - in the 5 year period, must demonstrate successful remediation to peer review team.

Tiers 4 & 5 • Teacher Leader (or Advanced & Teacher Leader) • Supports the RTTT Career Ladder work • Overarching purpose of Career Ladder: establish a pathway for growth & advancement for expert teachers desiring to remain in the classroom • Uses the experience and expertise of highly effective teachers in defined roles to – help build a strong educator workforce and – increase student learning • Additionally, this effort should also improve our ability to retain our most skilled and effective teachers.

Tier 4: Teacher Leader I • Links to Career Ladder in RTTT: a Teacher Leader I or Advanced is an expert teacher who teaches full-time, but is paid for specific instructional leadership opportunities they assume • Contingent on funding • Demonstrated performance • No ethics sanctions above a reprimand

Tier 5: Teacher Leader II • Links to Career Ladder in RTTT: a Teacher Leader II continues to maintain some classroom teaching responsibilities; is also granted release time for specific instructional leadership responsibilities for which they are paid. • Contingent on funding – release time and salary upgrade • The task force will build on the work of the career ladder task force in determining standards for achieving this certification tier & for certificate renewal.

Tier 5: Teacher Leader II • Within two years of receiving this certificate the educator must either: – – – Hold a Coaching Endorsement Hold a Teacher Leadership Endorsement Earn a degree in Teacher Leadership National Board Certification Other equivalent preparation • No ethics sanctions above a reprimand

Tiered Certification • • • Tier 1 – Pre-service certificate Tier 2 – Induction certificate Tier 3 – Professional certificate Tier 4 – Teacher Leader I certificate Tier 5 – Teacher Leader II certificate

Tiered Certification Questions?

Contact Information • Kelly Henson, Executive Secretary – kelly. henson@gapsc. com • David Hill, Division Director for Educator Preparation & Certification – david. hill@gapsc. com

Thank you!