EDUCATOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Senate Bill 817 (Substitute S-2)

Sponsor:  Sen. John Pappageorge

House Committee:  Education

Senate Committee:  Education

Complete to 6-3-14

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 817 (S-2) AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 5-14-14

The bill would amend provisions of the Revised School Code that require teacher and school administrator performance evaluations, to do the following:

o                   Revise the way in which student growth must be measured in 2014-2015.

o                   Delay until the 2015-2016 school year implementation of a requirement that performance evaluations meet certain criteria, including an annual year-end evaluation and the assignment of an individual effectiveness rating.

o                   Lower the percentage of an annual evaluation based on student growth and assessment data from 50 percent to 25 percent during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, and then increase the proportion to 40 percent during the 2017-2018 school year.

Student Growth

The code requires the board of a school district or intermediate school district or the board of directors of a public school academy (customarily called a charter school) to adopt and implement for all teachers and administrators a performance evaluation system. Among other things, the system must evaluate a teacher's or administrator's job performance, using multiple rating categories that take into account data on student growth as a significant factor. For this purpose, the code requires student growth to be measured by national, state, or local assessments and other objective criteria. Senate Bill 817 (S-2) would delete this requirement concerning the measurement of student growth.

Instead, under the bill, for the 2014-2015 school year, and for grades and subjects in which state assessments are administered in compliance with federal law, student growth would have to be measured, at least in part, using the state assessments. For other grades and subjects, student growth would have to be measured, at least in part, using alternative assessments that were rigorous and comparable across schools within the school district. [The bill includes similar language in provisions that exempt a school district, ISD, or a charter school from the educator evaluation requirements, if a performance evaluation system, meeting certain criteria, is already in place.]

Educator Evaluation Delayed

Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, the code requires a school district, ISD, or charter school board to ensure that the performance evaluation system includes an annual year-end evaluation for all teachers and administrators, adoption and implementation of a state evaluation tool or a comparable local tool, the assignment to each individual of an effectiveness rating based on the score on the annual evaluation. The system must require that an educator be dismissed, if rated as ineffective on three consecutive evaluations.  Under Senate Bill 817 (S-2), these requirements would apply beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.

Student Growth Factor in Educator Evaluation

Finally, under current requirements, a certain percentage of an individual educator's annual evaluation must be based on student growth and assessment data as follows: for the 2013-2014 school year, at least 25 percent; for the 2014-2015 school year, at least 40 percent; and, beginning with the 2015-16 school year, at least 50 percent. Senate Bill 817 (S-2) would delete these requirements. 

Instead, as amended on the Senate floor, for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, 25 percent of the annual evaluation would be based on student growth and assessment data.  Then, beginning with the annual year-end evaluation for the 2017-2018 school years, 40 percent of the annual year-end evaluation would have to be based on student growth and assessment data.

MCL 380.1249                                                             

FISCAL IMPACT:

SB 817 would delay the implementation of certain criteria, such as an annual year-end evaluation and effectiveness rating assignment in performance evaluations until the 2015-2016 school year. This could save the state any related costs in the preceding fiscal year.  Additionally, the bill deletes a requirement concerning the use of student growth measures for the evaluation of a teacher's or administrator's job performance for Fiscal Year 2014-15 and lowers the percentage of student growth and assessment data use from 50 percent to 25 percent for FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17.  This could create savings by postponing the use of student growth requirements.

However, in Fiscal Year 2014-15, for grades and subjects in which state assessments are not required, SB 817 requires that student growth must be measured, at least in part, using rigorous and comparative alternative assessments.  For those who would need new alternative assessments, this would produce additional costs. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Bethany Wicksall

                                                                                                                           Karen Shapiro

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.