January 2014

The Leader Evaluation and Professional Growth ProgramModule 2: Interpreting Performance and Providing Feedback

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Welcome and Connecting (45 minutes)• Welcome• Intended Outcomes• Connecting the Dots to Reach a Summative Rating

Learning (120 minutes)• Characteristics of Effective Feedback• Evaluator Roles in Providing Feedback• A Video Exemplar• Feedback Carousel• Video Practice: Providing Feedback

Implementing (60 minutes)• 360-Degree Survey Options• Planning for Survey Implementation

Follow-up (15 minutes)

Agenda

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Welcome and Connecting45 minutes

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Please share your name, your district, and an update on the principal observations.• How are they going?• What is one big thing you have learned?

Welcome

Teacher postobservation conferences are a critical link!• Connect evidence and ratings to concrete changes in instruction and

their impact on student learning• Crucial opportunity for teachers to reflect and collaborate to identify

strategies to improve• Rare opportunity for principals and teachers to engage in an in-

depth, highly analytical discussion centered on instructional practice

Instructional Feedback: What the Research Tells Us

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References: Balcazar, F., Hopkins, B. L., & Suarez, Y. (1986). A critical objective review of performance feedback. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 7(3/4), 65–89; Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1998). Feedback interventions: Toward the understanding of a double-edged sword. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7, 67–72; Shute, V. (2007). Focus on formative feedback (Research report). Princeton, NJ: ETS. Retrieved from http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RR-07-11.pdf

Principals vary widely in their skill and ability in providing instructional coaching and feedback; many struggle with:• Asking high-level questions. • Prompting teacher reflection.• Ensuring a balanced or teacher-driven conversation. • Identifying and modeling concrete, actionable changes in

practice.• Connecting feedback to individualized supports and professional

growth planning.

Principals need training, support, and ongoing coaching to provide high-quality instructional feedback.

Instructional Feedback: What the Research Tells Us

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At the end of this session, participants will know and be able to:• Describe how multiple sources of evidence in the Leader Evaluation and

Professional Growth (LEPG) program combine for a summative rating of principal performance.

• Construct meaningful feedback aligned to principals’ areas for improvement.• Understand and utilize the tools for the observation process and evidence

collection.

Intended Outcomes

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Module 1: Principal Observation Process Module 2: Interpreting Performance and Providing

FeedbackParticipants will review the entire LEPG process that results in a summative rating and consider two options for the 360-degree survey instrument as one source of evidence. We will analyze observation data gathered to date and strategize about how to interpret these data and provide appropriate and meaningful feedback to principals.

Module 3: Making Sense of Evidence Module 4: Responding to High-Priority Needs

Module 2: Interpreting Performance and Providing Feedback

LEPG Summative RatingTIF 4 Example

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  Professional Practice Professional Growth School Conditions School Growth Learner Growth

MeasuresPerformance on standards 1-8 of the MSFE LEPG Rubric

Performance on Standard 9 of the MSFE LEPG Rubric

Teachers’ report of school climate

Progress toward goals

Student growth and improvement

Rating scale

Ineffective = 1

Developing = 2

Effective = 3

Distinguished = 4

Ineffective = 1

Developing = 2

Effective = 3

Distinguished = 4

Low = 1Low average = 2High average = 3High = 4

Did not meet = 1Partially met = 2Met = 3Exceeded = 4

Did not meet/low = 1

Partially met /low average= 2

Met/high average = 3

Exceeded/high = 4

Sources of Evidence

Observations and related conferences, artifact review, survey results, SLO quality review

Professional development plan review, conversations and documents related to professional goal progress

School climate survey results

Review of progress toward school goals

School-wide student learning measure results, school attainment of SLOs

Calculation

Rate each indicator for Standards 1-8; average all indicator ratings for Standards 1‒8.

Rate each indicator for Standard 9; average all indicator ratings for Standard 9.

Translate survey results into a 4-point scale.

Rate overall progress against School Growth Plan goals.

Rate performance for each measure and average.

Weight 40% 10% 0% 10% 40%

Ineffective: less than 1.5Developing: 1.5–2.4Effective: 2.5–3.4Distinguished: greater than 3.4

Principal’s reflection

Professional goal-setting

Evidence gathered by the principal and through observations of principal practice

Staff perspectives on principal skills and abilities

Evidence of progress toward school goals and student learning results

Summative rating of performance

Connecting the Dots to Reach a Summative Rating

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Learning120 minutes

“A teacher being critiqued can view the same feedback either as a threat to her core self or as a challenge for improving her abilities … If teachers don’t sense that their core abilities are under indictment, they are more likely to see the conversation as an opportunity for growth. … In the challenge state, individuals feel invigorated and motivated to meet the challenge.”

Setting the Stage

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Myung, J. & Martinez, K. (2013). Strategies for Enhancing the Impact of Post-Observation Feedback for Teachers. Stanford, CA: Carnegie Foundation. Retrieved from http://commons.carnegiefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/BRIEF_Feedback-for-Teachers.pdf

Targeted, Ongoing Feedback

Improved Educator Practice

Improved Student Achievement

Importance of Quality Feedback

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Consider two times you received feedback:1. A time when an evaluator, manager, or colleague approached you in a

way that left a positive impression.2. A time when an evaluator, manager, or colleague did not provide feedback

in a way that was effective for you.

In pairs, share your experiences. Questions to consider:

• When thinking about your own feedback experiences, did you tend to focus on those that were negative? If so, why?

• Thinking about your experiences, how would you define effective feedback? What does it look like? What doesn’t it look like?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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Effective feedback is telling the principal not just the evidence statements you collected but also using those statements to move the principal forward.

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

FOCUSED: Feedback should focus on what was observed.

EVIDENCE BASED: Feedback should be grounded in evidence of practice.

CONSTRUCTIVE: Feedback should reinforce effective practice and identify areas for continued growth.

TIMELY: Feedback should be provided shortly after the observation.

ACTIONABLE: Feedback should focus on behaviors that can be changed.

Characteristics of Effective Feedback

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Consulting

Evaluator Led

Informing, Modeling

Collaborating

Cofacilitated

Sharing, Coplanning

Reflecting

Principal Led

Supportive Thinking

Three Roles for Evaluators in Providing Feedback

How the Role Varies by Principal Knowledge and Need

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Reflecting

Collaborating

Consulting

High Medium Low

Kno

wle

dge

of L

earn

er

Level of Support Needed

The evaluator:• Defines the problem for the principal.• Provides the solution and specific advice.

Consulting occurs when:• A principal needs immediate advice.• A principal is still relatively new.• Consulting is needed as a scaffold to move a principal into deeper

conversations.

Evaluator as Consultant

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The evaluator:• Defines the problem with the principal.• Co-constructs solutions to the problem.• Shares responsibility for moving the conversation forward.

Collaborating occurs when:• There is trust between the principal and the evaluator.• The principal and the evaluator share a common goal.

Evaluator as Collaborator

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The evaluator:• Encourages the principal to think about his or her practice.• Paraphrases what the principal says.• Asks the principal questions about identifying problems and finding

solutions to those problems.• Mostly listens.

Reflection occurs over time when:• The principal develops the capacity to think critically about his or her

practice. • The evaluator learns how to ask questions to get the principal to

think deeply.

Evaluator as a Mirror

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Quick Self-Assessment• Consider a recent postobservation conference with one of your

principals. What role did you take and why?• Which role do you usually take when providing feedback and why?• What supports and/or resources do you need in order to adopt a

different role?

Turn and Talk• How do different roles meet the requirements for “characteristics of

effective feedback”? Remember, characteristics are focused, evidence based, timely, constructive, and actionable.

Consider Your Style and Approach

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Review of Instructional Feedback Observation Rubric

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5

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1

2

3

Using Evidence and TEPG

Rubric

Professional Environment

Deepening Thinking

Focus on Instruction

Planning for Improvement

Preparing Teachers to

Engage

Video Background: It shows a postobservation conference between a teacher

(John) and principal. John teaches sixth-grade mathematics. The lesson observed focused on multiplying decimals. John’s goal is focused on using multiple assessment

strategies to evaluate students’ learning.

Video I: Effective Feedback from a Principal to a Teacher

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Thinking about the six indicators, what was your overall impression of the feedback the principal provided to the teacher?

Did the principal demonstrate the characteristics of effective feedback?

What were some specific strengths? Areas for improvement?

Based on what you observed in the video, what role (consulting, collaborating, reflecting) do you think you would take when providing feedback to this principal?

Video I: Debrief

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The Feedback Carousel

Clarifying Questions

Probing Questions

Resources Recommenda-tions

Evaluator’s Role: Consulting—Collaborating—Reflecting

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How did you feel about providing written feedback for this exercise versus feedback during a conversation?

Which quadrants did you focus on? Why? What role do you plan to take? How does the role affect

which quadrants you focus on? How does the quadrant affect the type of feedback the

principal will receive?

Feedback Carousel Debrief

Pay attention to body language and tone: both your own and the principal’s.

Listen for major themes of the conversation. Paraphrase using a statement shorter than the original. Begin with “So, you” or “You’re” instead of “I hear you

saying.”

Principles of Paraphrasing

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Types of Paraphrasing

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Acknowledge and Clarify—to Recap in a Different Way

“You’re thinking that …”

“You’re wondering if …”

“You’re concerned about …”

Summarize and Organize—Expresses Theme or Provides Structure

“You’re ready to move on to …”

“You’re in the process of …”

“There are three issues …”

“On the one hand … and on the other hand …”

Video Background: Seventh-grade mathematics teacher Sixth year of teaching Teacher’s goal: to improve her use of higher-order

questioning Lesson: development of class grading rubrics

Video II: Let’s Practice

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Watch the short video segment and jot down evidence from the conversation.

Focus your evidence gathering on the following LEPG Rubric Indicators:• Indicator 3-d. Pedagogical Knowledge: The leader demonstrates

knowledge of a range of pedagogy and ensures all adults have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to support student success.

• Indicator 5-b. Relationship Building: The leader builds authentic, productive relationships that foster a collaborative spirit.

Video II: Let’s Practice

Deepening Thinking Asks questions that scaffold the

conversation, assist reflection on evidence and the TEPG rubric, prompt an explanation of thinking, and support connecting feedback to student learning and development.

Instructional Feedback Observation Indicators

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Preparing Teachers to Engage Asks teacher to reflect on

the evidence collected and to consider how it supports or contradicts the teacher’s self-ratings on the TEPG rubric.

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5

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1

2

3

Using Evidence and TEPG

Rubric

Professional Environment

Deepening Thinking

Focus on Instruction

Planning for Improvement

Preparing Teachers to

Engage

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Video II: Feedback Carousel

Clarifying Questions

Probing Questions

Resources Recommenda-tions

Evaluator’s Role: Consulting—Collaborating—Reflecting

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How would you describe or rate the principal’s performance during the observation in the LEPG Rubric Indicators of focus?

What is the specific feedback you chose to share with the principal? Why?

Looking at the Feedback Carousel, in what quadrant(s) does your feedback fall?

Is your feedback focused, evidence based, constructive, timely, and actionable?

What coaching approach seems the most appropriate for this principal? Why?

Video II: Debrief

Implementing60 minutes

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Option 1: Survey items based on the LEPG Standard Indicator language

Option 2: Survey items based on LEPG Standard Indicator rubric language

Option 3: Revised National Board survey items Option 3b: Abbreviated version of the revised National

Board items

360-Degree Survey Options

Number of Survey Items

Standards Addressed

Items Per Standard

Option 1 22 items Std 1−8 2−4

Option 2 22 items Std 1−8 2−4

Option 3 57 items Std 1−8 2−9

Option 3b 41 items Std 1−8 1−9

Summary of Each Option

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Suggested Scale

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly

AgreeI Don’t Know/ Unable to Judge

Never Sometimes Often Always I Don’t Know/ Unable to Judge

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Select a 360-degree survey. Decide who will take the survey

(e.g., all staff, all teachers, a sample of staff).

Determine how survey results will be incorporated into principal evaluations(e.g., as narrative evidence, averaged into relevant Standard ratings).

Determine the survey administration method(e.g., paper and pencil, Survey Monkey, other online method).

Identify a survey administration time and venue(e.g., administration window of one week with link sent via e-mail, one-time administration at a staff meeting).

Planning for Survey Implementation

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Follow-up15 minutes

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As you think about the process of principal observation and constructing and delivering effective feedback, consider the following: What are you most comfortable with? What are your outstanding questions? What do you see as the benefits of providing this type of

feedback to principals? What will be the greatest challenges?

Reflecting