Table 6: Sample Weighted Outcomes Performance Number of Total Category Competencies Possible Points Planning 4 16 Assessment 2 8 Instruction 5 20 Learning 5 20 Environment Professional Responsibilities 4 16 Total 20 80
Teacher Score to Date 14 6 8 15
Point Shifts
New Targets
-2 -2 +4
14 6 24 20
14 57
16 80
As shown in Table 6, total possible points remain the same. However, with effective competencies demonstrated in Planning and Assessment, the principal borrows two points from each and adds them to specific weak competencies in Instruction, the weakest category. The teacher can earn or lose more points for strengthening this weakness. Once the Instruction competencies are effective, the points revert back to their original distribution. With this design flexibility, PBC becomes an important and useful tool for principals to highlight specific gaps, target them for improvement, and shift rewards accordingly. Raising the level of teaching effectiveness is the most direct and effective way to increase student achievement. The new appraisal process brings reform to teacher effectiveness. As an extension of this process, this PBC system not only rewards individual teacher competency growth but also gives principals a tool to highlight and target specific teacher weaknesses.
Quantitative Measure of Student Achievement The second PBC system component is the quantitative measure of student achievement. As previously noted, TIF and Race to the Top grants require PBC systems as part of the education program reforms in order to qualify for funding. This has given new importance to PBC systems for teachers. With different PBC systems emerging, most borrow best practices from business systems and include two basic components, i.e., a qualitative and a quantitative measure. Best practices, especially in measuring student achievement, have not been identified. The difficulty is in creating ways to incorporate explicit variables outside of teacher control into the measure. As development continues and measures are developed, tested, restructured, and tested again, a measure will emerge that
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