Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES)

1. Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) 2014-2015 Circle Survey Training November 2014

2. Goals for Today’s Training • Circle Survey overview • How to access and complete the survey • Key Circle Survey business rules • Circle Survey reports

3. Circle Survey Overview The Circle Survey: • Is a multi-rater tool administered by MSU’s Research & Curriculum Unit on behalf of MDE • Is provided to all districts free of charge • Has 3 equally weighted components • Certified staff feedback (33% of overall survey score) • Principal self evaluation (33% of overall survey score) • Supervisor evaluation (33% of overall survey score)

4. Circle Survey Overview, Cont. • Survey contains 30 leadership indicators divided into 6 categories • Each indicator is equally weighted • The Circle Survey counts a total of 30% of an administrator’s MPES Summative Assessment Score • Indicators were developed and screened by multiple focus groups consisting of your peers • Indicators align with the MS Standards for School Leaders • Indicators are available on the MDE’s website • Average survey response time was 8 minutes last year

5. Circle Survey Overview, Cont. The Circle Survey is REQUIRED by the MDE for all districts in 2014-2015 and beyond. • Other tools, such as the VAL-ED, may NOT be used in place of the Circle Survey for MPES.

6. Circle Survey Overview, Cont. Key Dates Nov. 14: Data pulled from ELMS Dec. 1: Districts receive Circle Survey codes Dec. 1: Circle Survey opens Jan. 31: Circle Survey closes (cannot be reopened) Mar. 31: Circle Survey reports issued Apr. 30: Circle Survey Conference completed, Circle Survey Conference report and MPES form filed in personnel file, and Circle Survey Conference date reported in ELMS

7. To Access the Survey For principals completing the survey as a self-assessment: • You will receive the survey link and your key code from your district’s central office • Your first completed survey response will be kept; incomplete attempts and duplicate attempts to complete the survey will be automatically discarded • Your individualized response will be disaggregated from the feedback from other participants so that it can be weighted for a third of the overall Circle Survey score (i.e., you and your supervisors will see your self-evaluation scores on the Circle Survey report)

8. To Access the Survey, Cont. For supervisors completing the survey: • Only the official supervisor of recordfor an MPES participant should log in and use a supervisor code to complete the Circle Survey for an MPES participant • Only one person may be designated an official supervisor of record per MPES participant (i.e., cannot have dual supervisors of record) • If you supervise multiple MPES participants, you will need to complete a separate Circle Survey for each participant (selecting each MPES participant by name and using a separate key code for each one) • Your individualized response will be disaggregated from the feedback from other participants so that it can be weighted for a third of the overall Circle Survey score (i.e., MPES participants will see your scores on the Circle Survey report) • Your first completed survey response will be kept; incomplete attempts and duplicate attempts to complete the survey will be automatically discarded

9. To Access the Survey, Cont. For staff completing the survey: • Staff members are being provided with a separate training webinar • Full- and part-time certified staff (e.g., teachers, counselors, librarians) are eligible to participate • Staff responses will be aggregated to ensure confidentiality and will be weighted a third of the overall Circle Survey score (i.e., MPES participants will not see staff key codes on the Circle Survey report) • Staff members’ first completed survey response will be kept; incomplete attempts and duplicate attempts to complete the survey will be automatically discarded

10. To Access the Survey, Cont. It is VERY IMPORTANT that districts distribute the correct access websites and key codes to survey participants. READ THE SURVEY INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY and contact the RCU with questions BEFORE you take the survey.

11. Key Business Rules • Missing subscores become zeroes unless the district successfully completes the MDE’s appeal process (details available in the MPES Process Manual).

12. Key Business Rules • The number of staff codes issued per MPES participant is based on data each administrator submitted in ELMS during the goal-setting process. • No minimum staff n-count • No minimum staff participation rate, but the number of staff who complete the survey for each MPES participant will be reported to the MDE • Tip: Use school computer labs and the fishbowl method to ensure high staff participation and confidentiality

13. Key Business Rules Important Reminders: • District officials (not MPES participants) should assist schools in distributing the codes to certified staff members. • MPES participants should NOT have access to staff codes because it erodes staff trust in the confidentiality of their survey responses.

14. Key Business Rules Acertified staff member should complete the Circle Survey for the school administrator(s) who oversees the staff member’s performance.* *E.g., All certified staff should complete the Circle Survey for the head principal. Additionally, if an assistant principal oversees a certain grade (e.g., 7-8th grade teachers only) or a select subgroup of teachers (e.g., math and science teachers only), then those certified staff should complete his/her Circle Survey. If the assistant principal’s role is schoolwide, then all certified staff in the school should complete the Circle Survey for the assistant principal. *E.g., All CTE teachers should complete the Circle Survey on the CTE director.

15. Key Business Rules The MDE’s expectation is that all certified staff overseen by an administrator will participate in the administrator’s Circle Survey. The MDE recognizes that some certified staff may wish to “opt out” of the survey (e.g., certified staff who have been employed at the school for fewer than 60 calendar days), and the MDE recommends that these staff members be permitted to “opt out,” if requested. However, all staff must be given the opportunity to participate.

16. Key Business Rules • . Q: What if I reported in ELMS that my school has 100 staff members, but only 50 of them actually report to me and complete my Circle Survey? Will that reflect negatively on my Circle Survey participation rate? A: No, the MDE understands that many factors affect an administrator’s staff population throughout the year. Just document this issue in your personnel file so that you can explain your staff participation rate if it were ever questioned.

17. Circle Survey Reports • District superintendents will receive detailed reports with Circle Survey scores in March. • District superintendents are responsible for ensuring these reports are distributed to MPES participants prior to or during the Circle Survey Conference. (Districts must release the Circle Survey reports to the MPES participants.) • The Circle Survey report is then filed in the MPES participant’s personnel file, and the date of the Circle Survey conference is recorded by the MPES participant in ELMS. • Let’s view a sample report.

18. Circle Survey Questions Please contact the RCU helpdesk.

19. General MPES Questions http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/educator-evaluations/mpes mpes@mde.k12.ms.us