Highly qualified teachers : equity plan update

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State of Arizona
Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers
Equity Plan Update
January 2009
Tom Horne
Superintendent of Public Instruction Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
1
Ensuring that all Arizona children receive the high-quality education they deserve requires an effective teacher in every classroom along with school and district leadership that is focused on raising student achievement. Arizona’s educators, from the classroom teacher to the district superintendent, are the most important component of our state’s strategy for educational success. In keeping with this policy, Arizona is committed to the goal that poor and minority children must not be taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and/or out-of-field teachers. Arizona further recognizes that teacher quality has a major impact on student achievement. We remain committed to the goal of ensuring that every child in Arizona is taught by a highly qualified teacher who is equipped to teach in a way that enables every student to experience academic success. Arizona identified Five (5) Next Steps in the
Arizona Revised Teachers Equity Plan (2006). These steps were: Step 1-Dissemination of Information; Step 2-Data Collection and Analysis; Step 3-Communication with Identified LEAs; Step 4-Modifying LEA Plans and Step 5-Monitoring Equitable Distribution Teachers. Responses to all Five Steps identified in the Arizona Revised Equity Plan submitted to the USDE are provided in the Arizona Highly Qualified Equity Plan Update
• Conduct an Equity Study in twenty-five districts . The response format includes: Identification of each Step, update on each Step, and identification of Next Steps. During the next eighteen months, Arizona will focus on four initiatives that align with the previously identified steps to ensure equitable distribution of highly qualified teachers:
• Implement the Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT) in all LEAs
• Design a “New” HQT Web Application and Reporting System
• Implement fully (NCLB) P.L. 107-110, Section 2141(c)
Highly Quality Teachers Equity Plan Goals (September 29, 2006) Goal 1 Arizona will develop and implement a statewide data collection system to continuously monitor, through data collection and analysis of teacher distribution patterns, that Arizona’s poor and minority students are not being taught by inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers at a higher rate that other students. Goal 2 Arizona will ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and out-of-field teachers by focusing statewide efforts on recruitment, preparation, and retention of HQ teachers, supporting leadership in high poverty and minority schools, providing for statewide HQT policy coherence, and through technical assistance and monitoring. Step 1-Dissemination of Information Information will be disseminated to district and charter schools beginning this fall reminding them of the importance of having highly qualified and experienced teachers in schools with higher numbers of poor and minority students. District and charter schools will be encouraged to consider this issue when making teaching assignments. They will also be reminded of NCLB Title II HQT requirements and Arizona certification rules. Reporting documents and technical assistance tools will be made available via the ADE HQT website, fall federal programs workshops and summer HQT conferences. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
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Update (December 2008):
Title II-A reporting documents and technical assistance tools may be viewed on the HQT home page at www.azed.gov/asd/hqtp.
Title II-A staff created the Arizona Guidance on Expenditure of Title II-A Funds to provide LEAs guidance in appropriate expenditure of funds. This technical assistance tool may be viewed at http://www.ade.az.gov/Guidelines/AcademicAchievement/EX-16.pdf. Forty-seven Local Education Agency’s (LEA) in LEA Improvement signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with ADE as required pursuant to (NCLB) 107-110 Section 2141(c). Key provisions of the agreement include:
• Determination of the expenditure of Title II-A funds to meet (NCLB) PL 107-110, Section 2141 requirements;
• Update of the HQT Position Input Application by October 15, 2008
• Completion of the NCLB LEA Consolidated Plan on ALEAT (Goal Topic 2, Parts A and B) by March 15, 2009.
• Formation of a 2141 Review Team; and
• Administration of the National Staff Development Council Standards Assessment Survey (SAI) with 50% return rate at all sites.
Internal ADE collaboration between divisions and units has increased the ability to disseminate information to LEAs.
• Title II staff participates in LEA Review Team on-site visits.
• Title II staff participates in Title I, Cycle 4 Monitoring on-site visits.
• Title II staff presents collaboratively with other units/divisions at the Mega Conference (Title I), English Language Learner Conference (Title III), and Fall Process Workshops (School and LEA Improvement).
• Title II staff participates in LEA Case Management Meetings which provides all interested divisions/units within ADE the opportunity to discuss selected LEAs in LEA Improvement and develop a collaborative ADE Action Plan for providing technical assistance to these LEAs.
• Title II staff assisted with the design and launch of the online Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT) that unifies NCLB Plans and Monitoring for Title I, Title II, Title III and LEA Improvement.
Title II staff provides daily technical assistance to LEAs, administrators and teachers through phone calls, letters, emails and on-site visits. Next Steps (2008): Title II staff in collaboration with School Improvement and LEA Improvement will implement an Response to Intervention(RTI model) to provide technical assistance in implementing the requirements of the (NCLB) PL 107-110, 2141 Memorandum of Agreement to all 123 LEAs who have not made AYP for three years, and do not have 100% highly qualified teachers. Title II staff will expand collaboration with other units/divisions within ADE, specifically Exceptional Student Services to strengthen the technical assistance provided to LEAs and increase the number of highly qualified special education teachers. Step 2-Data Collection and Analysis ADE will begin the annual web-based HQT data collection from all LEAs (including charter schools) in December 2006 for the 2006-2007 school year. The data will be analyzed to determine which schools have teachers who are not highly qualified. In addition, the data will be analyzed according to poverty levels to determine if higher poverty schools have greater numbers of teachers who are unqualified or out-of-field. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data will also be reviewed to determine which students experience an achievement gap. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
3
Update (December 2008):
ADE contracted with Jane Dowling of Wellington Consulting Group, LTD to analyze HQT data for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. Copies of the analysis are contained within the Arizona Revised State Plan and Revised Equity Plan Update for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. These Updates may be viewed at http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/hqp/2007-08HQTRevisedStateEquityPlan.pdf, and http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/hqp/2006-07HQTRevisedStateEquityPlan.pdf. ADE established a timeline for submission of HQT data that allows for increased verification of data.
• July 1 HQT Input Position Application opens
• October 15 HQT data due from LEAs that have missed AYP for three years and lack 100%
highly qualified teachers.
• November 1 HQT data due from LEAs that are identified in LEA Improvement, Year 1 and
LEAs that are participating in Title I, Cycle 4 Monitoring.
• December 1 HQT data due from the remainder of LEAs.
ADE established a “3 step process” that provides LEAs with feedback concerning the accuracy of their HQT data submitted on the HQT Input Position Application. This 3 step process includes a Preliminary Summary Report, a Summary Report, and a Highly Qualified Teacher Final Report. ADE hired an Information Technology Specialist III in the Fall of 2008 to design a “new” HQT Web Application and Reporting System. Next Steps (2008): ADE staff will implement an enhanced HQT Web Application and Reporting System. General Timeline for Design and Implementation of Enhanced HQT Web Application and Reporting System February 2009 Analyze the current database and application processes to determine best design solution for the rewrite. March 2009 Begin general design of enhanced application. April 2009 Begin design of the new relational database (HQT Web Application). May 2009 Populate historical data to assist in developing the enhanced HQT Web Application. June 2009 Test HQT Web Application by ADE and selected LEAs. July 2009 Expand testing with additional LEAs and include basic reporting options. August 2009 Deploy to production environment HQT Web Application for use in input of HQT data by LEAs for 2009-2010 data collection. Step 3- Communicate with Identified LEAs Once district and charter schools are identified as having higher numbers of inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers in higher poverty schools, ADE will review the LEA’s Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers to determine what strategies are being implemented to address this issue. The ADE will communicate with the LEAs to determine what the contributing factors are that cause this situation to exist and provide technical assistance to help ameliorate any inequities. Update (2008): ADE contracted with Wellington Consulting Group, LTD to conduct an Equity Study beginning March, 2009. The study will survey 25 LEAs with Title I and non-Title I schools receive the largest Title II allocations per year. The study will collect, analyze and interpret data collected through the survey and interview process; report on findings of data analysis in a written narrative report with tables; and provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
4
ADE was awarded a Transition to Teaching Grant, 2007 to focus on “Grow Your Own” programs. (See the Alternative Paths to Certification section for further explanation). ADE employed a Transition to Teaching Program Specialist to oversee “Grow Your Own” programs in Apache and Navajo Counties and Roosevelt and Nogales districts. Title II staff and Transition to Teaching staff continue collaboration with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Unit at ADE to increase the number of teachers in high need district and charter schools in Arizona through participation in the CTE Career Professions program. In a press release dated November 25, 2008 (“Out-of-field Teaching Persists in Key Academic Courses, Especially in America’s High-Poverty and High-Minority Schools”), The Education Trust cited “leaders of K-12 and higher education that have stepped up to the plate to improve the ways in which teachers are prepared and recruited”. The article identified successful programs. Arizona currently participates in three of the identified programs.
Teach for America [www.teachforamerica.org] Teach For America is a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This year, more than 5,000 corps members are teaching in over 1,000 schools in 29 regions across the country. In Arizona, nearly 400 corps members are teaching approximately 25,000 students across 13 school districts and 80 schools. Since 2005, thanks to broad community support ,Teach For America in Phoenix has been able to significantly increase its impact on students from low-income areas by becoming Arizona’s largest pipeline of highly qualified math and science teachers. Before starting the traditional school year, all incoming corps members attend a rigorous summer institute to learn and practice crucial skills necessary for success in the classroom. The program immerses corps members in the art of education as they begin teaching in a summer school program under the guidance of a cadre of experienced educators who mentor, observe, and provide on-going feedback to the corps members. During the summer training institute corps members receive instruction in six courses based on the Teach For America Teaching As Leadership framework including: Teaching As Leadership; Instructional Planning and Delivery; Classroom Management and Culture; Literacy Development; Learning Theory; and Diversity, Community and Achievement. In 2008, we were able to bring over 700 outstanding recent college graduates to Phoenix to complete the summer training institute. During their 2 years in Teach For America, corps members receive a myriad of professional development opportunities and ongoing support from the TFA regional staff as well as through the partnership with ASU at the Downtown campus. Ninety percent of corps members are enrolled in ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL) master’s in education program. Teach For America and Arizona State University are very proud of their partnership as they join forces to address the most pressing educational needs in Arizona.
For additional information please visit our website at www.teachforamerica.org or contact Matt Cogan at matthew.cogan@teachforamerica.org.
The New Teacher Project (Phoenix Teaching Fellows) [www.PhoenixTeachingFellows.org]
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by ensuring that poor and minority students are taught by outstanding, highly-qualified teachers. Founded by teachers in 1997, TNTP partners with school districts and states to implement scalable responses to their most acute teacher quality challenges. TNTP recruits and trains thousands of exceptional new teachers annually, supports school principals in effectively staffing their classrooms by the start of school, provides high-quality teacher certification in four states, and documents the policy barriers that keep students from getting the teachers they need. Since its inception, TNTP has trained or hired approximately 33,000 teachers, benefiting an estimated 4.8 million students nationwide. It has established more than 70 programs and initiatives in 28 states and published three seminal studies on urban teacher hiring and school staffing. This year, TNTP’s clients include school districts in 26 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, St. Paul, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, San Antonio, and Washington, DC, among others. For more information, please visit www.tntp.org. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
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The Phoenix Teaching Fellows program recruits, selects, and trains outstanding individuals to enter high needs schools as highly qualified teachers in the areas of math, science, special education, language arts, and elementary education. These high achieving individuals will see to it that all students, regardless of background or prior experiences, excel academically in order to strengthen our communities and develop our future leaders. In addition, Phoenix Teaching Fellows form a powerful network of like-minded teacher leaders who will join the efforts to improve the quality of Arizona schools. In August of 2008, 28 new Fellows entered Phoenix Elementary and Murphy School Districts, teaching in the schools and classes where they are most needed. Our first cohort was selected from a pool of 470 applications. The 2008 cohort of Teaching Fellows is an impressive group: High Undergraduate GPA: Average undergraduate GPA of the Fellows cohort is 3.13 Leveraging Professional Experience in their Classrooms: Average professional experience before becoming a Fellow is over 6 years Graduate-level Education: Nearly 2 of 5 Fellows received graduate degrees before becoming Fellows Ethnic Diversity: 23 percent of Fellows are people of color Gender Diversity: Nearly one-third of Fellows are men Critical Shortage Areas: 100 percent of Fellows have filled vacancies identified as critical shortage areas by Phoenix Elementary and Murphy School Districts Fellows are selected through The New Teacher Project’s research-based selection model, which identifies candidates with those characteristics predictive of success in increasing achievement levels in high needs schools. All Fellows receive intensive, hands-on training at a six-week Summer Institute before entering the classroom and then attend classes through the College of Teacher Education and Leadership at Arizona State University at the West campus. Within two years of entering the classroom, Fellows are expected to earn a Masters of Education degree and Arizona certification while teaching full time, broadening their knowledge base to deliver strong, and well-planned lessons to students. The program selects individuals who demonstrate a long-term commitment to making a difference as teachers. The Phoenix Teaching Fellows initiative is a partnership between Phoenix Elementary School District and Murphy School District and the U.S. Department of Education through the Transition to Teaching grant. NAUTeach: A program built to improve and increase the number of science and mathematics teachers in Arizona NAUTeach is a collaborative program across the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences and the College of Education. With leadership provided through the Center for Science Teaching and Learning and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, NAUTeach has committed to graduate 60 science and mathematics teachers each year, more than double the current number of graduating teachers. The five year program implementation is supported by a $1.4 million grant from the National Science and Mathematics Initiative, a $1 million endowment gift from the Helios Foundation, and a $1 million endowment match from ExxonMobil. Following a highly competitive national selection process, NAU joined twelve other universities nationwide in the implementation of a new science and mathematics teacher certification program based on the nationally recognized program at the University of Texas at Austin. The program, called NAUTeach, is a science and mathematics-specific certification program with an emphasis on translating teaching strategies developed on campus to the reality of the secondary classroom. NAU began implementing the program at their Flagstaff campus fall semester 2008. NAUTeach students start the program by enrolling in an initial two course sequence, called Step 1 and 2. Working with a Master Teacher, a partner on campus, and a Mentor Teacher in the K-12 classroom, college students learn to implement curriculum materials that are known to be highly successful with K-12 students. These courses not only provide students with an opportunity to test their interest in teaching, but do so with a limited investment of time and money. The courses are one-credit hour each and students who complete the course are given $125 to offset the cost of tuition. Forty-seven NAU mathematics and science students enrolled in two sections of Step 1 for fall 2008 and approximately 70% of them decided to continue into the Step 2 course. This is a higher than anticipated number of students continuing with the program, as the UT model generally expects 50% of Step 1 students continue to Step 2. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
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The program continues with a core of four courses with systematically increasing levels of responsibility for teaching in the secondary classroom. In addition, students participate in a course called Research Methods that allows them to experience inquiry and problem solving processes, and a course in the history and philosophy of science and mathematics. The certification program is designed to complement an undergraduate major in science or mathematics while still allowing the student to graduate in four years. Based on results at the University of Texas, not only do more students elect to certify in secondary science and mathematics through this program, but 80% of the program graduates are still in the classroom after four years – a significant increase from the national average of 50%.
If you are interested in more information or supporting NAUTeach, please contact the Center for Science Teaching and Learning, cstl@nau.edu or call (928)523-7130. Arizona has taken a multi-pronged approach to recruitment and retention of teachers and assuring that teachers do not teach outside their area of certification. Additional targeted efforts include:
Alternative Paths to Certification [http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/altpath/] Alternative Paths to Certification was implemented when the Arizona Department of Education was awarded a Transition to Teaching Grant in 2002 to address the need of recruitment, support, and retention of HQ teachers in high need schools. The grant’s focus was in alignment with the Arizona Department of Education’s goal to ensure that all children are educated by highly qualified teachers in all content areas and grade levels. The Teaching Intern program recruits mid-career changers, recent college graduates and paraprofessionals to the teaching profession in high need school districts. Candidates, with bachelor’s degrees, applying for the teaching intern program must demonstrate content competency by passing the Arizona Educator’s Proficiency Assessment (AEPA). They can then begin the process of interviewing with districts and participating in the teaching intern program. “Highly Qualified” paraprofessionals are eligible to participate in the grant. Their status is determined by passing one of the three contracted paraprofessional exams or by having earned 60 credit hours or an AA degree from an accredited college. These highly qualified paraprofessionals are then ready to participate in the “Grow Your Own”
These two initiatives, Alternative Paths to Certification and Grow Your Own, have been successful in the recruitment of highly qualified teachers and assisting paraprofessionals in obtaining their teaching degrees statewide. Guidance is provided from ADE for all stakeholders in the program. district programs. They are eligible for financial assistance for their coursework through the Transition to Teaching grant. Participants commit to teaching in high need districts for 3 years after obtaining their teaching certificate.
www.ade.az.gov/asd/altpath
Discover Teaching (http://www.ade.az.gov/onlineregistration/calendar/RenderCalendar.asp) Discover Teaching is a sixty-five (65) clock hours Pre-Service Training designed by the Arizona Department of Education. This pre-service training provides participants with information about the teaching profession and the tools and strategies needed to participate in the Teaching Intern Program. Candidates explore teaching as a profession, strategies for teaching 21st Century students and are exposed to pre-requisite knowledge and skills necessary for success in the classroom. LEAs may use their Title II-A funds to assist highly qualified candidates with the $250.00 registration fee. Adjunct Teacher Initiative The Adjunct Teacher Initiative (ATI) was implemented due to the increased state graduation requirements in math and science. Partnerships are developed between school districts and the private sector to assist math and science teachers. The business participants have degrees in mathematics, biology, chemistry, or physics. Adjunct teachers tutor students one on one, assist small groups of students and collaborate with mentors to teach lessons in their classes. The continuum of development for these adjunct teachers replicates an apprenticeship model of observe, tutor and teach through a strong mentorship. This process is also used to recruit employees within two years of retirement into the intern teaching program. The initial process includes: participation in Discover Teaching Pre-Service training that assists them in preparation for entering the classroom, obtaining a fingerprint clearance card, and obtaining a substitute certificate. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
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Career and Technical Education Professions (CTE) The CTE Education Professions
“The Rodel Exemplary Teacher Initiative recognizes and rewards extraordinary teachers, uses these teachers as models of what can be achieved in high poverty schools, and increases the number of excellent teachers working in high-poverty schools. WestEd is currently conducting formative and summative evaluation of the Rodel Exemplary Teacher Initiative. Through observations, focus groups with Rodel teachers, and document review, WestEd evaluators are examining the effect of the initiative on student success, teaching strategies used by exemplary teacher and retention of skills teachers in high-poverty schools. program has grown from 30 programs in 2003 to 96 programs in 2008. Arizona is approaching 2000 students in the Education Professions program. Education Professions has the highest placement rate of all 71 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Arizona with over 84% of our graduates continuing on to higher education and certification programs. The Education Professions program provides a continuum of opportunity for high school students desiring to enter the teaching profession. Education Professions was designed to align with the Associate of Arts (AAEE) degree at the community college level and the AAEE degree was designed to articulate to the state universities elementary education programs thereby creating a seamless transition to earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. Rodel Exemplary Teachers
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/pj/473. Rodel Exemplary Teachers receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond in exchange for a commitment to supervise and mentor six (6) Rodel Promising Student Teachers over three years.
Rodel partners with Arizona Colleges of Education to pair Rodel Exemplary Teachers with outstanding student teachers to complete their student teaching. These student teachers receive supplemental training that specifically address the challenges of teaching in high-poverty schools and focus on practical strategies for increasing student achievement. Student teachers who graduate from this program and choose to work in high-poverty areas for at least three years will receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond upon completion of their third year of teaching http://www.rodelfoundationaz.org/teacher-initiative/teacher-initiative.aspx. To date, Rodel has recognized 93 Arizona exemplary teachers with the potential of training 558 Arizona Promising Student Teachers. Friendly House Teacher Support Collaboration Title II, Adult Education, and Friendly House, a non-profit organization, are collaborating to assist teachers who are unable to pass the AEPA professional knowledge or content knowledge exams due to English Language fluency deficiencies. These learning modules have the clear objective of assisting teachers in passing the AEPA exams. Approximately forty teachers, who are currently teaching on an Emergency Teaching Certificate, will be participating when the training begins in January. Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders During the past two years, Arizona has participated in the Teacher Working Conditions Survey. Each year, the number one reason cited by teachers for leaving the profession or leaving the school where they are currently teaching is lack of leadership. The Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders addresses this concern for leadership development.
The Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders represents a major statewide effort to identify the critical features/conditions of quality internship programs and to determine what guidance should be provided to ensure that these features are part of a statewide principal preparation program. The Arizona Department of Education convened leadership teams from eight universities that have approved educational leadership preparation programs for a two-day work session to accomplish the task of drafting a statewide framework. Team membership requirements were: Dean/Associate Dean of College of Education, IHE Supervisor for Educational Administration Internship, faculty member who teaches a course with an embedded practicum, alumni of the principal preparation program, practicing principal and district-level Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
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administrator. The facilitated work session incorporated the work and research of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and its Developing Internship Programs for School Leaders as well as input from the teams. The goal of the Internship is to provide significant opportunities for candidates to synthesize and apply knowledge and to practice and develop the skills identified in national leadership standards (i.e., ISLLC 2008, ELCC) as measured by substantial, sustained work in real settings, planned and guided cooperatively by university and school district personnel. A well-designed internship program:
• Is based on national standards [e.g., Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC 2008), Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC)];
• Requires collaboration between university and school district;
• Contains a set of school-based assignments designed to provide opportunities for application of knowledge and skills as identified in national standards and research;
• Reflects a developmental continuum of practice (matched with individual intern needs) that progresses from observing to participating and ultimately leading school-based activities related to the core responsibilities of school leaders with analysis, synthesis and evaluation of real-life problems;
• Provides opportunities to work with diverse needs of students, teachers, parents and communities;
• Provides handbooks or other guiding materials that clearly define the expectations, processes and schedule of the internship to interns, university supervisors, mentors, and district personnel;
• Provides supervision by university faculty who have the expertise to provide formative feedback on interns’ performance;
• Provides mentors who are Arizona administrator certified in the principalship or superintendency and collaborate with the intern and university to provide opportunities for developing leadership capabilities; if students are completing their program out-of-state, the mentor must hold a valid administrator certificate in the state where the student is being supervised; and
• Conducts formative and summative evaluation of intern using standards-based competencies from multiple data sources, which may include university supervisor and mentor evaluations, surveys, portfolios, etc.
Next Steps (2008): ADE will implement “Grow Your Own” programs in Apache and Navajo Counties and Roosevelt and Nogales districts with possible expansion to Yuma County. ADE will evaluate the Administrator Preparation Programs at eight (8) institutions of higher education whose programs sunset December 31, 2008 but were extended until August 30, 2009 to allow for implementation of the Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders. Step 4-Modifying LEA Plans LEAs may need to modify their Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers if there are insufficient strategies or plans for addressing equity issues. ADE will provide on-going support to LEAs to ensure that teachers are highly qualified prior to the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year and that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and/or out-of-field teachers. To this end, ADE has created a new position, and is hiring a Title II specialist to provide consultant services to districts and charter schools in their development, implementation and evaluation of HQT initiatives. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
9
Update (2008) A Title II Education Program specialist was hired August 2008 to oversee implementation of (NCLB) PL107-110, Section 2141 Improvement Plans, A-133 Audit Findings, and review and approval of Title II-A carryover funds in excess of 15%. The program specialist also is involved in verifying the accuracy of HQT data through desk-monitoring of data submitted by LEAs through the HQT Input Application. ADE (Title I, Title II, Title III and LEA Improvement) in collaboration with the Southwest Comprehensive Center designed and launched the Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT). ALEAT unifies NCLB Plans and Monitoring for Title I, Title II, Title III and LEA Improvement. This web based tool is available to LEAs through common log-on access on the ADE Homepage. The LEA Plan Instrument is currently available only to LEAs in LEA Improvement. LEA Plan on ALEAT The LEA Plan
• Identify SMART Goal
is a 3-tiered planning structure of goals, strategies and action steps.
• Identify Strategies
• Identify to support the goal
Action Steps
• Identify to support each strategy
Tasks
The LEA Plan is organized around 6 Goal Topics: to support each action step (optional).
• Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
• Math Proficiency
• Highly Qualified Teachers and Paraprofessionals
• Proficiency in English for ELL Students
• Safe, Drug-free Schools Conducive to Learning
• High School Graduation
• Parent Involvement
Title II provided training on Goal Topic #2 Highly Qualified Staff and Paraprofessionals using ALEAT during the Fall Process Conferences hosted by School and LEA Improvement Units at the Arizona Department of Education. Title II and LEA Improvement staff held two three-hour trainings on December 3, 2008 for 2141 Review Team facilitators. Next Steps (2008) Wellington Consulting Group, LTD will conduct an Equity Study with 25 LEAs that have both Title I and non-Title I schools and who receive the largest Title II-A allocations. The study will begin March 2009. A segment of the “Scope of Work” for the Equity Study states:
• Confirm variables under study such as novice vs. experienced teachers, salary levels, Title I & Title II schools, school improvement schools, percent of ELL, etc. and provide numbers & percentage for each variable
• Collect, analyze and interpret data collected through previous steps.
• Report on findings of data analysis in written narrative report.
• Provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues.
Title II staff will provide technical assistance to forty-seven (47) LEAs to complete the LEA Plan on ALEAT by the March 15, 2009 deadline. Title II staff in collaboration with School Improvement and LEA Improvement will implement an RTI model to provide technical assistance in implementing the requirements of the (NCLB) PL 107-110, 2141 Memorandum of Agreement to all 123 LEAs who have not made AYP for three years, and do not have 100% highly qualified teachers. Title II staff will provide training on Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT) to all LEAs that receive Title II-A funds. Arizona Department of Education
Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update
January 2009
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Title II staff will provide additional 2141 Facilitator Training for newly identified 2141 facilitators. Step 5-Monitoring Equitable Distribution of Teachers ADE will monitor the issue of equitable teacher assignments in two ways. The first is to annually review the data on teaching assignment through the HQT data collection. The second is through the Consolidated Plan monitoring process. In monitoring Title II Part A, the ADE staff will account for, evaluate, report to the public and address the distribution of highly qualified teachers and inexperienced teachers. Update (2008) ADE contracted with Wellington Consulting Group, LTD to conduct an Equity Study beginning March, 2009. The study will survey 25 LEAs with Title I and non-Title I schools. The study will collect, analyze and interpret data collected through the survey and interview process; report on findings of data analysis in written narrative report with tables in a format that meets the needs of the Department for incorporation into subsequent reports; and provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues. ADE established a “3 step process” that provides LEAs with feedback concerning the accuracy of their HQ data submitted on the HQT Input Position Application. This 3 step process includes, a Preliminary Summary Report, a Summary Report, and a Highly Qualified Final Report. Next Steps (2008) Wellington Consulting Group, LTD will:
• collect, analyze and interpret data collected through the Equity Study;
• report on findings of data analysis in written narrative report; and
• provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues.
Implementation of the No Child Left Behind 6-Year Compliance Monitoring Instrument on ALEAT (Title I LEAs only). Ultimately, it is ADE’s mission to ensure that all students achieve the Arizona Standards thereby truly leaving no child behind. That goal can only be achieved when every child is taught by a highly qualified teacher. We believe that given the opportunity to learn, all students can achieve to high levels.

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TITLE	Highly qualified teachers : equity plan update
CREATOR	Arizona Department of Education
SUBJECT	Teachers--Arizona; Teacher effectiveness--Arizona; Education--Arizona
Browse Topic	Education
DESCRIPTION	11 pages (PDF version). File Size 171 KB
Language	English
Publisher	Arizona Department of Education
TYPE	Text
Material Collection	State Documents
RIGHTS MANAGEMENT	Copyright to this resource is held by the creating agency and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission of the creating agency. Any attempt to circumvent the access controls placed on this file is a violation of United States and international copyright laws, and is subject to criminal prosecution.
DATE ORIGINAL	2009-01
Time Period	2000s (2000-2009)
ORIGINAL FORMAT	Born Digital
Source Identifier	EDD 1.2:H 43/2
Location	ocn672386767
DIGITAL IDENTIFIER	HQT_Equity.pdf
DIGITAL FORMAT	PDF (Portable Document Format)
REPOSITORY	Arizona State Library, Arhcives and Public Records--Law and Research Library
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Full Text	State of Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 Tom Horne Superintendent of Public Instruction Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 1 Ensuring that all Arizona children receive the high-quality education they deserve requires an effective teacher in every classroom along with school and district leadership that is focused on raising student achievement. Arizona’s educators, from the classroom teacher to the district superintendent, are the most important component of our state’s strategy for educational success. In keeping with this policy, Arizona is committed to the goal that poor and minority children must not be taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and/or out-of-field teachers. Arizona further recognizes that teacher quality has a major impact on student achievement. We remain committed to the goal of ensuring that every child in Arizona is taught by a highly qualified teacher who is equipped to teach in a way that enables every student to experience academic success. Arizona identified Five (5) Next Steps in the Arizona Revised Teachers Equity Plan (2006). These steps were: Step 1-Dissemination of Information; Step 2-Data Collection and Analysis; Step 3-Communication with Identified LEAs; Step 4-Modifying LEA Plans and Step 5-Monitoring Equitable Distribution Teachers. Responses to all Five Steps identified in the Arizona Revised Equity Plan submitted to the USDE are provided in the Arizona Highly Qualified Equity Plan Update • Conduct an Equity Study in twenty-five districts . The response format includes: Identification of each Step, update on each Step, and identification of Next Steps. During the next eighteen months, Arizona will focus on four initiatives that align with the previously identified steps to ensure equitable distribution of highly qualified teachers: • Implement the Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT) in all LEAs • Design a “New” HQT Web Application and Reporting System • Implement fully (NCLB) P.L. 107-110, Section 2141(c) Highly Quality Teachers Equity Plan Goals (September 29, 2006) Goal 1 Arizona will develop and implement a statewide data collection system to continuously monitor, through data collection and analysis of teacher distribution patterns, that Arizona’s poor and minority students are not being taught by inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers at a higher rate that other students. Goal 2 Arizona will ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and out-of-field teachers by focusing statewide efforts on recruitment, preparation, and retention of HQ teachers, supporting leadership in high poverty and minority schools, providing for statewide HQT policy coherence, and through technical assistance and monitoring. Step 1-Dissemination of Information Information will be disseminated to district and charter schools beginning this fall reminding them of the importance of having highly qualified and experienced teachers in schools with higher numbers of poor and minority students. District and charter schools will be encouraged to consider this issue when making teaching assignments. They will also be reminded of NCLB Title II HQT requirements and Arizona certification rules. Reporting documents and technical assistance tools will be made available via the ADE HQT website, fall federal programs workshops and summer HQT conferences. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 2 Update (December 2008): Title II-A reporting documents and technical assistance tools may be viewed on the HQT home page at www.azed.gov/asd/hqtp. Title II-A staff created the Arizona Guidance on Expenditure of Title II-A Funds to provide LEAs guidance in appropriate expenditure of funds. This technical assistance tool may be viewed at http://www.ade.az.gov/Guidelines/AcademicAchievement/EX-16.pdf. Forty-seven Local Education Agency’s (LEA) in LEA Improvement signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with ADE as required pursuant to (NCLB) 107-110 Section 2141(c). Key provisions of the agreement include: • Determination of the expenditure of Title II-A funds to meet (NCLB) PL 107-110, Section 2141 requirements; • Update of the HQT Position Input Application by October 15, 2008 • Completion of the NCLB LEA Consolidated Plan on ALEAT (Goal Topic 2, Parts A and B) by March 15, 2009. • Formation of a 2141 Review Team; and • Administration of the National Staff Development Council Standards Assessment Survey (SAI) with 50% return rate at all sites. Internal ADE collaboration between divisions and units has increased the ability to disseminate information to LEAs. • Title II staff participates in LEA Review Team on-site visits. • Title II staff participates in Title I, Cycle 4 Monitoring on-site visits. • Title II staff presents collaboratively with other units/divisions at the Mega Conference (Title I), English Language Learner Conference (Title III), and Fall Process Workshops (School and LEA Improvement). • Title II staff participates in LEA Case Management Meetings which provides all interested divisions/units within ADE the opportunity to discuss selected LEAs in LEA Improvement and develop a collaborative ADE Action Plan for providing technical assistance to these LEAs. • Title II staff assisted with the design and launch of the online Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT) that unifies NCLB Plans and Monitoring for Title I, Title II, Title III and LEA Improvement. Title II staff provides daily technical assistance to LEAs, administrators and teachers through phone calls, letters, emails and on-site visits. Next Steps (2008): Title II staff in collaboration with School Improvement and LEA Improvement will implement an Response to Intervention(RTI model) to provide technical assistance in implementing the requirements of the (NCLB) PL 107-110, 2141 Memorandum of Agreement to all 123 LEAs who have not made AYP for three years, and do not have 100% highly qualified teachers. Title II staff will expand collaboration with other units/divisions within ADE, specifically Exceptional Student Services to strengthen the technical assistance provided to LEAs and increase the number of highly qualified special education teachers. Step 2-Data Collection and Analysis ADE will begin the annual web-based HQT data collection from all LEAs (including charter schools) in December 2006 for the 2006-2007 school year. The data will be analyzed to determine which schools have teachers who are not highly qualified. In addition, the data will be analyzed according to poverty levels to determine if higher poverty schools have greater numbers of teachers who are unqualified or out-of-field. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data will also be reviewed to determine which students experience an achievement gap. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 3 Update (December 2008): ADE contracted with Jane Dowling of Wellington Consulting Group, LTD to analyze HQT data for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. Copies of the analysis are contained within the Arizona Revised State Plan and Revised Equity Plan Update for 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. These Updates may be viewed at http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/hqp/2007-08HQTRevisedStateEquityPlan.pdf, and http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/hqp/2006-07HQTRevisedStateEquityPlan.pdf. ADE established a timeline for submission of HQT data that allows for increased verification of data. • July 1 HQT Input Position Application opens • October 15 HQT data due from LEAs that have missed AYP for three years and lack 100% highly qualified teachers. • November 1 HQT data due from LEAs that are identified in LEA Improvement, Year 1 and LEAs that are participating in Title I, Cycle 4 Monitoring. • December 1 HQT data due from the remainder of LEAs. ADE established a “3 step process” that provides LEAs with feedback concerning the accuracy of their HQT data submitted on the HQT Input Position Application. This 3 step process includes a Preliminary Summary Report, a Summary Report, and a Highly Qualified Teacher Final Report. ADE hired an Information Technology Specialist III in the Fall of 2008 to design a “new” HQT Web Application and Reporting System. Next Steps (2008): ADE staff will implement an enhanced HQT Web Application and Reporting System. General Timeline for Design and Implementation of Enhanced HQT Web Application and Reporting System February 2009 Analyze the current database and application processes to determine best design solution for the rewrite. March 2009 Begin general design of enhanced application. April 2009 Begin design of the new relational database (HQT Web Application). May 2009 Populate historical data to assist in developing the enhanced HQT Web Application. June 2009 Test HQT Web Application by ADE and selected LEAs. July 2009 Expand testing with additional LEAs and include basic reporting options. August 2009 Deploy to production environment HQT Web Application for use in input of HQT data by LEAs for 2009-2010 data collection. Step 3- Communicate with Identified LEAs Once district and charter schools are identified as having higher numbers of inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers in higher poverty schools, ADE will review the LEA’s Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers to determine what strategies are being implemented to address this issue. The ADE will communicate with the LEAs to determine what the contributing factors are that cause this situation to exist and provide technical assistance to help ameliorate any inequities. Update (2008): ADE contracted with Wellington Consulting Group, LTD to conduct an Equity Study beginning March, 2009. The study will survey 25 LEAs with Title I and non-Title I schools receive the largest Title II allocations per year. The study will collect, analyze and interpret data collected through the survey and interview process; report on findings of data analysis in a written narrative report with tables; and provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 4 ADE was awarded a Transition to Teaching Grant, 2007 to focus on “Grow Your Own” programs. (See the Alternative Paths to Certification section for further explanation). ADE employed a Transition to Teaching Program Specialist to oversee “Grow Your Own” programs in Apache and Navajo Counties and Roosevelt and Nogales districts. Title II staff and Transition to Teaching staff continue collaboration with the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Unit at ADE to increase the number of teachers in high need district and charter schools in Arizona through participation in the CTE Career Professions program. In a press release dated November 25, 2008 (“Out-of-field Teaching Persists in Key Academic Courses, Especially in America’s High-Poverty and High-Minority Schools”), The Education Trust cited “leaders of K-12 and higher education that have stepped up to the plate to improve the ways in which teachers are prepared and recruited”. The article identified successful programs. Arizona currently participates in three of the identified programs. Teach for America [www.teachforamerica.org] Teach For America is a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. This year, more than 5,000 corps members are teaching in over 1,000 schools in 29 regions across the country. In Arizona, nearly 400 corps members are teaching approximately 25,000 students across 13 school districts and 80 schools. Since 2005, thanks to broad community support ,Teach For America in Phoenix has been able to significantly increase its impact on students from low-income areas by becoming Arizona’s largest pipeline of highly qualified math and science teachers. Before starting the traditional school year, all incoming corps members attend a rigorous summer institute to learn and practice crucial skills necessary for success in the classroom. The program immerses corps members in the art of education as they begin teaching in a summer school program under the guidance of a cadre of experienced educators who mentor, observe, and provide on-going feedback to the corps members. During the summer training institute corps members receive instruction in six courses based on the Teach For America Teaching As Leadership framework including: Teaching As Leadership; Instructional Planning and Delivery; Classroom Management and Culture; Literacy Development; Learning Theory; and Diversity, Community and Achievement. In 2008, we were able to bring over 700 outstanding recent college graduates to Phoenix to complete the summer training institute. During their 2 years in Teach For America, corps members receive a myriad of professional development opportunities and ongoing support from the TFA regional staff as well as through the partnership with ASU at the Downtown campus. Ninety percent of corps members are enrolled in ASU’s College of Teacher Education and Leadership (CTEL) master’s in education program. Teach For America and Arizona State University are very proud of their partnership as they join forces to address the most pressing educational needs in Arizona. For additional information please visit our website at www.teachforamerica.org or contact Matt Cogan at matthew.cogan@teachforamerica.org. The New Teacher Project (Phoenix Teaching Fellows) [www.PhoenixTeachingFellows.org] The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap by ensuring that poor and minority students are taught by outstanding, highly-qualified teachers. Founded by teachers in 1997, TNTP partners with school districts and states to implement scalable responses to their most acute teacher quality challenges. TNTP recruits and trains thousands of exceptional new teachers annually, supports school principals in effectively staffing their classrooms by the start of school, provides high-quality teacher certification in four states, and documents the policy barriers that keep students from getting the teachers they need. Since its inception, TNTP has trained or hired approximately 33,000 teachers, benefiting an estimated 4.8 million students nationwide. It has established more than 70 programs and initiatives in 28 states and published three seminal studies on urban teacher hiring and school staffing. This year, TNTP’s clients include school districts in 26 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, St. Paul, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, San Antonio, and Washington, DC, among others. For more information, please visit www.tntp.org. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 5 The Phoenix Teaching Fellows program recruits, selects, and trains outstanding individuals to enter high needs schools as highly qualified teachers in the areas of math, science, special education, language arts, and elementary education. These high achieving individuals will see to it that all students, regardless of background or prior experiences, excel academically in order to strengthen our communities and develop our future leaders. In addition, Phoenix Teaching Fellows form a powerful network of like-minded teacher leaders who will join the efforts to improve the quality of Arizona schools. In August of 2008, 28 new Fellows entered Phoenix Elementary and Murphy School Districts, teaching in the schools and classes where they are most needed. Our first cohort was selected from a pool of 470 applications. The 2008 cohort of Teaching Fellows is an impressive group: High Undergraduate GPA: Average undergraduate GPA of the Fellows cohort is 3.13 Leveraging Professional Experience in their Classrooms: Average professional experience before becoming a Fellow is over 6 years Graduate-level Education: Nearly 2 of 5 Fellows received graduate degrees before becoming Fellows Ethnic Diversity: 23 percent of Fellows are people of color Gender Diversity: Nearly one-third of Fellows are men Critical Shortage Areas: 100 percent of Fellows have filled vacancies identified as critical shortage areas by Phoenix Elementary and Murphy School Districts Fellows are selected through The New Teacher Project’s research-based selection model, which identifies candidates with those characteristics predictive of success in increasing achievement levels in high needs schools. All Fellows receive intensive, hands-on training at a six-week Summer Institute before entering the classroom and then attend classes through the College of Teacher Education and Leadership at Arizona State University at the West campus. Within two years of entering the classroom, Fellows are expected to earn a Masters of Education degree and Arizona certification while teaching full time, broadening their knowledge base to deliver strong, and well-planned lessons to students. The program selects individuals who demonstrate a long-term commitment to making a difference as teachers. The Phoenix Teaching Fellows initiative is a partnership between Phoenix Elementary School District and Murphy School District and the U.S. Department of Education through the Transition to Teaching grant. NAUTeach: A program built to improve and increase the number of science and mathematics teachers in Arizona NAUTeach is a collaborative program across the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences and the College of Education. With leadership provided through the Center for Science Teaching and Learning and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, NAUTeach has committed to graduate 60 science and mathematics teachers each year, more than double the current number of graduating teachers. The five year program implementation is supported by a $1.4 million grant from the National Science and Mathematics Initiative, a $1 million endowment gift from the Helios Foundation, and a $1 million endowment match from ExxonMobil. Following a highly competitive national selection process, NAU joined twelve other universities nationwide in the implementation of a new science and mathematics teacher certification program based on the nationally recognized program at the University of Texas at Austin. The program, called NAUTeach, is a science and mathematics-specific certification program with an emphasis on translating teaching strategies developed on campus to the reality of the secondary classroom. NAU began implementing the program at their Flagstaff campus fall semester 2008. NAUTeach students start the program by enrolling in an initial two course sequence, called Step 1 and 2. Working with a Master Teacher, a partner on campus, and a Mentor Teacher in the K-12 classroom, college students learn to implement curriculum materials that are known to be highly successful with K-12 students. These courses not only provide students with an opportunity to test their interest in teaching, but do so with a limited investment of time and money. The courses are one-credit hour each and students who complete the course are given $125 to offset the cost of tuition. Forty-seven NAU mathematics and science students enrolled in two sections of Step 1 for fall 2008 and approximately 70% of them decided to continue into the Step 2 course. This is a higher than anticipated number of students continuing with the program, as the UT model generally expects 50% of Step 1 students continue to Step 2. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 6 The program continues with a core of four courses with systematically increasing levels of responsibility for teaching in the secondary classroom. In addition, students participate in a course called Research Methods that allows them to experience inquiry and problem solving processes, and a course in the history and philosophy of science and mathematics. The certification program is designed to complement an undergraduate major in science or mathematics while still allowing the student to graduate in four years. Based on results at the University of Texas, not only do more students elect to certify in secondary science and mathematics through this program, but 80% of the program graduates are still in the classroom after four years – a significant increase from the national average of 50%. If you are interested in more information or supporting NAUTeach, please contact the Center for Science Teaching and Learning, cstl@nau.edu or call (928)523-7130. Arizona has taken a multi-pronged approach to recruitment and retention of teachers and assuring that teachers do not teach outside their area of certification. Additional targeted efforts include: Alternative Paths to Certification [http://www.ade.az.gov/asd/altpath/] Alternative Paths to Certification was implemented when the Arizona Department of Education was awarded a Transition to Teaching Grant in 2002 to address the need of recruitment, support, and retention of HQ teachers in high need schools. The grant’s focus was in alignment with the Arizona Department of Education’s goal to ensure that all children are educated by highly qualified teachers in all content areas and grade levels. The Teaching Intern program recruits mid-career changers, recent college graduates and paraprofessionals to the teaching profession in high need school districts. Candidates, with bachelor’s degrees, applying for the teaching intern program must demonstrate content competency by passing the Arizona Educator’s Proficiency Assessment (AEPA). They can then begin the process of interviewing with districts and participating in the teaching intern program. “Highly Qualified” paraprofessionals are eligible to participate in the grant. Their status is determined by passing one of the three contracted paraprofessional exams or by having earned 60 credit hours or an AA degree from an accredited college. These highly qualified paraprofessionals are then ready to participate in the “Grow Your Own” These two initiatives, Alternative Paths to Certification and Grow Your Own, have been successful in the recruitment of highly qualified teachers and assisting paraprofessionals in obtaining their teaching degrees statewide. Guidance is provided from ADE for all stakeholders in the program. district programs. They are eligible for financial assistance for their coursework through the Transition to Teaching grant. Participants commit to teaching in high need districts for 3 years after obtaining their teaching certificate. www.ade.az.gov/asd/altpath Discover Teaching (http://www.ade.az.gov/onlineregistration/calendar/RenderCalendar.asp) Discover Teaching is a sixty-five (65) clock hours Pre-Service Training designed by the Arizona Department of Education. This pre-service training provides participants with information about the teaching profession and the tools and strategies needed to participate in the Teaching Intern Program. Candidates explore teaching as a profession, strategies for teaching 21st Century students and are exposed to pre-requisite knowledge and skills necessary for success in the classroom. LEAs may use their Title II-A funds to assist highly qualified candidates with the $250.00 registration fee. Adjunct Teacher Initiative The Adjunct Teacher Initiative (ATI) was implemented due to the increased state graduation requirements in math and science. Partnerships are developed between school districts and the private sector to assist math and science teachers. The business participants have degrees in mathematics, biology, chemistry, or physics. Adjunct teachers tutor students one on one, assist small groups of students and collaborate with mentors to teach lessons in their classes. The continuum of development for these adjunct teachers replicates an apprenticeship model of observe, tutor and teach through a strong mentorship. This process is also used to recruit employees within two years of retirement into the intern teaching program. The initial process includes: participation in Discover Teaching Pre-Service training that assists them in preparation for entering the classroom, obtaining a fingerprint clearance card, and obtaining a substitute certificate. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 7 Career and Technical Education Professions (CTE) The CTE Education Professions “The Rodel Exemplary Teacher Initiative recognizes and rewards extraordinary teachers, uses these teachers as models of what can be achieved in high poverty schools, and increases the number of excellent teachers working in high-poverty schools. WestEd is currently conducting formative and summative evaluation of the Rodel Exemplary Teacher Initiative. Through observations, focus groups with Rodel teachers, and document review, WestEd evaluators are examining the effect of the initiative on student success, teaching strategies used by exemplary teacher and retention of skills teachers in high-poverty schools. program has grown from 30 programs in 2003 to 96 programs in 2008. Arizona is approaching 2000 students in the Education Professions program. Education Professions has the highest placement rate of all 71 Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in Arizona with over 84% of our graduates continuing on to higher education and certification programs. The Education Professions program provides a continuum of opportunity for high school students desiring to enter the teaching profession. Education Professions was designed to align with the Associate of Arts (AAEE) degree at the community college level and the AAEE degree was designed to articulate to the state universities elementary education programs thereby creating a seamless transition to earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. Rodel Exemplary Teachers http://www.wested.org/cs/we/view/pj/473. Rodel Exemplary Teachers receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond in exchange for a commitment to supervise and mentor six (6) Rodel Promising Student Teachers over three years. Rodel partners with Arizona Colleges of Education to pair Rodel Exemplary Teachers with outstanding student teachers to complete their student teaching. These student teachers receive supplemental training that specifically address the challenges of teaching in high-poverty schools and focus on practical strategies for increasing student achievement. Student teachers who graduate from this program and choose to work in high-poverty areas for at least three years will receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond upon completion of their third year of teaching http://www.rodelfoundationaz.org/teacher-initiative/teacher-initiative.aspx. To date, Rodel has recognized 93 Arizona exemplary teachers with the potential of training 558 Arizona Promising Student Teachers. Friendly House Teacher Support Collaboration Title II, Adult Education, and Friendly House, a non-profit organization, are collaborating to assist teachers who are unable to pass the AEPA professional knowledge or content knowledge exams due to English Language fluency deficiencies. These learning modules have the clear objective of assisting teachers in passing the AEPA exams. Approximately forty teachers, who are currently teaching on an Emergency Teaching Certificate, will be participating when the training begins in January. Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders During the past two years, Arizona has participated in the Teacher Working Conditions Survey. Each year, the number one reason cited by teachers for leaving the profession or leaving the school where they are currently teaching is lack of leadership. The Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders addresses this concern for leadership development. The Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders represents a major statewide effort to identify the critical features/conditions of quality internship programs and to determine what guidance should be provided to ensure that these features are part of a statewide principal preparation program. The Arizona Department of Education convened leadership teams from eight universities that have approved educational leadership preparation programs for a two-day work session to accomplish the task of drafting a statewide framework. Team membership requirements were: Dean/Associate Dean of College of Education, IHE Supervisor for Educational Administration Internship, faculty member who teaches a course with an embedded practicum, alumni of the principal preparation program, practicing principal and district-level Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 8 administrator. The facilitated work session incorporated the work and research of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and its Developing Internship Programs for School Leaders as well as input from the teams. The goal of the Internship is to provide significant opportunities for candidates to synthesize and apply knowledge and to practice and develop the skills identified in national leadership standards (i.e., ISLLC 2008, ELCC) as measured by substantial, sustained work in real settings, planned and guided cooperatively by university and school district personnel. A well-designed internship program: • Is based on national standards [e.g., Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC 2008), Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC)]; • Requires collaboration between university and school district; • Contains a set of school-based assignments designed to provide opportunities for application of knowledge and skills as identified in national standards and research; • Reflects a developmental continuum of practice (matched with individual intern needs) that progresses from observing to participating and ultimately leading school-based activities related to the core responsibilities of school leaders with analysis, synthesis and evaluation of real-life problems; • Provides opportunities to work with diverse needs of students, teachers, parents and communities; • Provides handbooks or other guiding materials that clearly define the expectations, processes and schedule of the internship to interns, university supervisors, mentors, and district personnel; • Provides supervision by university faculty who have the expertise to provide formative feedback on interns’ performance; • Provides mentors who are Arizona administrator certified in the principalship or superintendency and collaborate with the intern and university to provide opportunities for developing leadership capabilities; if students are completing their program out-of-state, the mentor must hold a valid administrator certificate in the state where the student is being supervised; and • Conducts formative and summative evaluation of intern using standards-based competencies from multiple data sources, which may include university supervisor and mentor evaluations, surveys, portfolios, etc. Next Steps (2008): ADE will implement “Grow Your Own” programs in Apache and Navajo Counties and Roosevelt and Nogales districts with possible expansion to Yuma County. ADE will evaluate the Administrator Preparation Programs at eight (8) institutions of higher education whose programs sunset December 31, 2008 but were extended until August 30, 2009 to allow for implementation of the Statewide Framework for Internship Programs for School Leaders. Step 4-Modifying LEA Plans LEAs may need to modify their Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers if there are insufficient strategies or plans for addressing equity issues. ADE will provide on-going support to LEAs to ensure that teachers are highly qualified prior to the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year and that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and/or out-of-field teachers. To this end, ADE has created a new position, and is hiring a Title II specialist to provide consultant services to districts and charter schools in their development, implementation and evaluation of HQT initiatives. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 9 Update (2008) A Title II Education Program specialist was hired August 2008 to oversee implementation of (NCLB) PL107-110, Section 2141 Improvement Plans, A-133 Audit Findings, and review and approval of Title II-A carryover funds in excess of 15%. The program specialist also is involved in verifying the accuracy of HQT data through desk-monitoring of data submitted by LEAs through the HQT Input Application. ADE (Title I, Title II, Title III and LEA Improvement) in collaboration with the Southwest Comprehensive Center designed and launched the Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT). ALEAT unifies NCLB Plans and Monitoring for Title I, Title II, Title III and LEA Improvement. This web based tool is available to LEAs through common log-on access on the ADE Homepage. The LEA Plan Instrument is currently available only to LEAs in LEA Improvement. LEA Plan on ALEAT The LEA Plan • Identify SMART Goal is a 3-tiered planning structure of goals, strategies and action steps. • Identify Strategies • Identify to support the goal Action Steps • Identify to support each strategy Tasks The LEA Plan is organized around 6 Goal Topics: to support each action step (optional). • Reading/Language Arts Proficiency • Math Proficiency • Highly Qualified Teachers and Paraprofessionals • Proficiency in English for ELL Students • Safe, Drug-free Schools Conducive to Learning • High School Graduation • Parent Involvement Title II provided training on Goal Topic #2 Highly Qualified Staff and Paraprofessionals using ALEAT during the Fall Process Conferences hosted by School and LEA Improvement Units at the Arizona Department of Education. Title II and LEA Improvement staff held two three-hour trainings on December 3, 2008 for 2141 Review Team facilitators. Next Steps (2008) Wellington Consulting Group, LTD will conduct an Equity Study with 25 LEAs that have both Title I and non-Title I schools and who receive the largest Title II-A allocations. The study will begin March 2009. A segment of the “Scope of Work” for the Equity Study states: • Confirm variables under study such as novice vs. experienced teachers, salary levels, Title I & Title II schools, school improvement schools, percent of ELL, etc. and provide numbers & percentage for each variable • Collect, analyze and interpret data collected through previous steps. • Report on findings of data analysis in written narrative report. • Provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues. Title II staff will provide technical assistance to forty-seven (47) LEAs to complete the LEA Plan on ALEAT by the March 15, 2009 deadline. Title II staff in collaboration with School Improvement and LEA Improvement will implement an RTI model to provide technical assistance in implementing the requirements of the (NCLB) PL 107-110, 2141 Memorandum of Agreement to all 123 LEAs who have not made AYP for three years, and do not have 100% highly qualified teachers. Title II staff will provide training on Arizona LEA Tracker (ALEAT) to all LEAs that receive Title II-A funds. Arizona Department of Education Highly Qualified Teachers Equity Plan Update January 2009 10 Title II staff will provide additional 2141 Facilitator Training for newly identified 2141 facilitators. Step 5-Monitoring Equitable Distribution of Teachers ADE will monitor the issue of equitable teacher assignments in two ways. The first is to annually review the data on teaching assignment through the HQT data collection. The second is through the Consolidated Plan monitoring process. In monitoring Title II Part A, the ADE staff will account for, evaluate, report to the public and address the distribution of highly qualified teachers and inexperienced teachers. Update (2008) ADE contracted with Wellington Consulting Group, LTD to conduct an Equity Study beginning March, 2009. The study will survey 25 LEAs with Title I and non-Title I schools. The study will collect, analyze and interpret data collected through the survey and interview process; report on findings of data analysis in written narrative report with tables in a format that meets the needs of the Department for incorporation into subsequent reports; and provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues. ADE established a “3 step process” that provides LEAs with feedback concerning the accuracy of their HQ data submitted on the HQT Input Position Application. This 3 step process includes, a Preliminary Summary Report, a Summary Report, and a Highly Qualified Final Report. Next Steps (2008) Wellington Consulting Group, LTD will: • collect, analyze and interpret data collected through the Equity Study; • report on findings of data analysis in written narrative report; and • provide recommendations for implementing strategies to address any identified equity issues. Implementation of the No Child Left Behind 6-Year Compliance Monitoring Instrument on ALEAT (Title I LEAs only). Ultimately, it is ADE’s mission to ensure that all students achieve the Arizona Standards thereby truly leaving no child behind. That goal can only be achieved when every child is taught by a highly qualified teacher. We believe that given the opportunity to learn, all students can achieve to high levels.

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Highly qualified teachers : equity plan update

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