Achievement Measures

 

Description

The TEAM evaluation system combines student growth scores, student achievement scores, and educator observation scores to develop a level of overall effectiveness (LOE) score for each educator. Achievement scores, which measure student mastery of grade level standards, comprise a portion the LOE score. Educators select an achievement measure that most closely aligns to their primary teaching assignment from the State Board of Education approved list. Achievement measure options are constrained by grade band and grade level. Teachers meet with their evaluators early in the school year to choose a measure and set the scaling for that measure.

Achievement Measure Selection Resources

The guidance provided in these documents reflects the law and state board of education rules and policies as of August 2023.

Using “Off the Shelf” Assessments as an Achievement Measure

 

The department continually monitors and makes recommendations to the state board for revising the menu of achievement measures that may be used as the achievement measure component of educator evaluation based on increasing availability of higher quality measures of performance. Districts interested in submitting assessments to be reviewed for next school year may do so by Jan. 15. For more information about the approval process, click here for the Measure Approval Process document.

Choosing Achievement Measures for Teachers at Multiple Schools

Teachers who teach at three or more schools may use system-wide TVAAS scores. It is recommended that teachers who teach at two schools choose the appropriate school-wide score for the school at which they spend the majority of their time.

Using CTE Industry Certifications as an Achievement Measure

 

The department’s programs of study in career and technical education (CTE) are designed to be reflective of statewide labor, economic, and post-secondary opportunities that provide students with viable career paths. This statewide focus gives districts the ability to offer high school students coursework that provides sequential and progressive learning and allows for students to transition seamlessly into industry and post-secondary.

Industry certifications aligned to the programs of study are available for achievement measure selection as part of teacher evaluation. The decision on how to weight the scores of the national industry certifications, as well as all other achievement measures, is a local-level decision. Administrators and teachers should discuss the weightings and develop a scale to define performance levels based on 1-5 point scale. These scales should be defined in terms of students sitting for and ultimately passing the industry certification. Administrators and teachers are advised to use the data from the previous year to set the “At Expectations (3)” performance level, then define the remainder of the scale from that baseline. “Above Expectations (4)” and “Significantly Above Expectations (5)” will represent a robust goal related to the percentage of students who pass the exam.

Achievement Measure Mediation

 

According to T.C.A. § 49-1-302, an educator being evaluated must mutually agree with the evaluator on which achievement measure is employed as part of the LOE. This measure must be aligned as closely as possible to the teaching assignment of individual teachers and duty assignments of each individual administrator. In cases where there is a disagreement, the educator being evaluated chooses the evaluation measures; however, the department will verify alignment when requested. For more information on the mediation process and criteria, see the Achievement Measure Mediation Protocol.