Link Before You Leap

1. Race to the Top Link Before You Leap Ohio RttT Webinar Presented by Battelle for Kids June 9, 2011

2. Race to the Top What is Linkage? Why Do We Link?Who Links?When Do You Link? Where Do We Link?Who Can Help Us Link?

3. Race to the Top What is Linkage? • Linkage is a process that allows teachers to attribute instructional influence on student academic progress and to receive teacher-level value-added reports. The linkage process includes: • Establishing a roster of students taught throughout the year • Indicating the month(s) when students are in and out of the classroom (i.e. mobility) • Reporting the percentage of instruction a teacher has for a given student for a given subject.

4. Race to the Top What is Linkage? Why Do We Link?Who Links?When Do You Link? Where Do We Link?Who Can Help Us Link?

5. Race to the Top Discrepancies and Variation in Data • Working with hundreds of districts and thousands of schools across the country, Battelle for Kids has learned that virtually every school has required significant revisions or modifications to: • teaching assignments • number of students taught • mobility of students • instructional responsibility attributed to a single teacher • In spring 2010, more than 125,000 rosters were verified by educators in South Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Oklahoma. Recent analyses of linkage results from schools across the country yield alarming results, including:

6. Race to the Top Discrepancies and Variation Data

7. Race to the Top Impact Associated with Inaccurate Data • Without reliable data and information, educators, policy-makers, and others will make inaccurate assumptions about instructional practices and students’ performance. • Inaccurate or incomplete data impact the credibility of school transformation. Stakeholders who support goals for transformation will question every decision if they suspect there are errors in the data upon which decisions are being made.

8. Race to the Top Value-Added Information • Without accurately linked data between teachers and students, value-added reports will not provide a true picture of what’s happening in the classroom because: • The number of students included in the analysis, as reported through the teacher-student linkage process, has been proven to vary considerably and will have an impact on value-added results, especially with small class sizes (i.e., self-contained elementary or special education classes). • Therefore, the data may reveal ineffective teachers as effective or effective teachers as ineffective by analyzing an inaccurate population of students and their test results.

9. Race to the Top Misidentification of Subjects Taught • If teachers are not accurately associated with the subjects they taught in the data leading up to analysis, they will be associated with the wrong subject in the analysis. As a result, teachers may be recognized as effective or ineffective in subjects they did not teach or lack analysis in subjects they did teach.

10. Race to the Top Strategic Compensation • Consider the impact of using incorrect data to drive performance-pay programs for teachers and principals (e.g., TIF awards). With inaccurate data, it is possible for districts to: • Reward the wrong people—ineffective teachers may be improperly rewarded or vice versa • Reward educators for the wrong things (i.e. rewarding a teacher in a content area that teacher never taught while not recognizing a teacher who did)

11. Race to the Top Educator Evaluation • When using value-added information as a component of an educator’s evaluation, it is imperative to have the most reliable information to ensure that teachers are not misidentified, mislabeled or mistreated due to a flawed analysis based on inaccurate data.

12. Race to the Top What is Linkage? Why Do We Link?Who Links?When Do You Link? Where Do We Link?Who Can Help Us Link?

13. Race to the Top Who Participates in the Linkage Process? • Involving principals and teachers in the process helps to ensure that the most accurate teacher student linkages are captured, and that they are captured transparently. • By understanding the data that goes into the linkage system, teachers and principals have more confidence and trust that the information truly reflects his/her classroom and students across the school year.

14. Race to the Top Who Participates in the Linkage Process? • Year One (2010-2011 SY)= 30% of Ohio districts and schools • Year Two (2011-2012 SY = 60% of Ohio districts and schools • Year Three (2012-2013 SY = 100% of Ohio districts and schools • Teachers in Grades 4 through 8 ; Reading and Math • Some schools are participating in extended testing and are linking at additional grades and subjects • (e.g.; grades 3, social studies, High School)

15. Race to the Top Principals’ Responsibilities in Managing Linkage • Establish a support team for your school by designating members of your staff who will serve in a supportive role during your school’s linkage process • Upon accessing the online linkage system, review the teachers and classes initially loaded. • Make certain that teachers have the correct list of class rosters, adding and/or deleting where necessary • Facilitate completion of the linkage process • Use available linkage reports to ensure staff are completing linkage successfully, and provide support as needed • Review for accuracy and approve the final linkage data that will be used in the analysis

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17. Race to the Top Teachers’ Responsibilities in Completing Linkage • Teachers complete the following steps: • Ensure all students are accurately included on each class roster, and modify rosters by adding/deleting students where necessary • Indicate class enrollment by setting student entry and exit dates • Set percentage of instruction provided • Submit class rosters for principal review and approval

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19. Race to the Top What is Linkage? Why Do We Link?Who Links?When Do You Link? Where Do We Link?Who Can Help Us Link?

20. Race to the Top When Do We Link? There are three important periods during the linkage process: Principal Set-up Period: Principals gain access to the linkage system to verify their staff list and staff’s class rosters. Teacher Linkage Period: Teachers gain access to the linkage system to verify their classrosters and set linkage attribution—the students they taught, how long they taught them, and the percentage of instruction they provided each student. Principal Approval Period: Principals have one last opportunity to review staff linkages before giving final approval.

21. Race to the Top When Do We Link? The linkage windows for the 2011 linkage process were: April 18 – May 20 Principal Setup Period May 10 – May 20 Teacher Linkage Period May 23 – May 27 Principal Approval Period

22. Race to the Top What is Linkage? Why Do We Link?Who Links?When Do You Link? Where Do We Link?Who Can Help Us Link?

23. Race to the Top • Principal and Support Team Member Support • Online: Principals and support team members can submit an electronic support ticket. Once a question is submitted online, be sure to log back into the portal to review responses. • Phone: Phone support is available to principals and school support teams. Principals and support team members may contact the Customer Support Team at 1-866-543-7555, Monday-Friday 8 am to 6pm. • Teacher Support • Building-Level: Teachers should seek assistance from their principal and school support team identified by the principal. Your support team is identified on the “My Linkage” page. • Online: Teachers may submit electronic support tickets, available on the “My Linkage” page. Once a question is submitted online, be sure to log back into the portal to review responses. Is There Help For Link?

24. Race to the Top support@battelleforkids.org For general questions and help: Questions?