Defining Student Performance and Identifying Indicators

Guidance for Defining Student Performance and Identifying Indicators

Kansas State Statute 72-2410

72-2410: Evaluation policies; criteria; development; procedure; evaluation required prior to contract nonrenewal. Evaluation policies adopted under 72-2409 and amendments thereto, shall meet the following guidelines or criteria:

      (a)   Consideration shall be given to the following employee attributes: Efficiency, personal qualities, professional deportment, ability, results and performance, including improvement in the academic performance of pupils or students insofar as the evaluated employee has authority to cause such academic improvement, in the case of teachers, the capacity to maintain control of pupils or students, and such other matters as may be deemed material.

      (b)   Community attitudes toward, support for and expectations with regard to educational programs shall be reflected.

      (c)   The original policy and amendments thereto shall be developed by the board in cooperation with the persons responsible for making evaluations and the persons who are to be evaluated, and, to the extent practicable, consideration shall be given to comment and suggestions from other community interests.

      (d)   Evaluations of the chief administrator employed by a board shall be made by the board. The board shall place primary responsibility upon members of the administrative staff in making evaluations of other employees.

      (e)   Persons to be evaluated shall participate in their evaluations, and shall be afforded the opportunity for self-evaluation.

      (f)   The contract of any person subject to evaluation shall not be non renewed on the basis of incompetence unless an evaluation of such person has been made prior to notice of nonrenewal of the contract and unless the evaluation is in substantial compliance with the board's policy of personnel evaluation procedure as filed with the state board in accordance with the provisions of 72-2409, and amendments thereto.

Sections (a) and (e) are of particular interest to educators as we move forward and away from No Child Left Behind and the Kansas Flexibility Waiver.

Since 2012-2013 KSDE has successfully assisted 286 school districts with adopting, developing or modifying educator evaluation protocols. Prior to 2013, evaluation protocols were almost entirely focused on teachers and their instructional practices. Many districts reported having evaluation checklists as a primary evaluation tool.

The Kansas Flexibility Waiver required all districts to implement evaluations systems that met each of six required guidelines. The addition of student growth measures was part of the evaluation process. These guidelines inspired the development or adoption of more comprehensive evaluation protocols.

Ironically, Kansas statute already expected that student performance be a part of educator evaluation. It just didn’t happen to the extent intended. KSDE legal counsel has recently (January 2016) interpreted the statute addressing student performance as part of the evaluation not as an option, but as an expectation.

Below are some recommendations:

  • Replace “student growth” with “student performance”
  • Allow districts to determine student performance based on local expectations
  • Student performance should be a part of reflective conversations
  • Locally developed performance assessment is valuable
  • Align student performance with individualized teacher goals
  • State assessments are not required for student performance conversation. They are optional.

In summation:

Maintain quality, comprehensive educator evaluations to be comprised of two parts:

  • instructional practice
  • student performance

Student performance definitions and expectations for student “development” will be determined at the district level. State assessments will not be required as an indicator of educator effectiveness.

KSDE will continue providing professional learning opportunities and guidance in the area of educator evaluation.

Student Performance  (Lists of currently used Student Performance Indicators in Kansas)

Other Indicators:  Indicators of student performance consistent with State Board of Education outcomes may be appropriate for use in educator evaluations. The State Board of Education outcomes are social-emotional factors measured locally, kindergarten readiness, individual plans of study, high school graduation and postsecondary success.

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