Care Enough to Count: Measuring Teacher Performance

Ronnie DetrichWing Institute

“What Gets Measured Gets Done”• Training is not sufficient

Most training focuses on knowing about. Knowing what to do is not sufficient. Performance drifts soon after training ends.

• Measurement is necessary to determine if important things are done.

• For measures to be meaningful must have performance standards.Example: PraiseRate criterion: 2 per minuteRatio of specific to general praise: 2:1Ratio of praise to corrective feedback: 4:1

Functions of Counting

• Identifies the prevalence of behavior.Describes the percent of population meeting standard.Determines if and at what scale intervention is required.

• Sets occasion for feedback/reinforcement.Positive or Corrective feedback.Positive or Negative reinforcement.

• Distinguishes between Can’t Do and Won’t Do Problems.Can’t do-does not have skills to perform.Won’t do-usually problem of motivation.

Prevalence Measure

• Measure of prevalence define scale of problem.

• Assess before intervening.Are there barriers to performance?Do teachers know the performance standard?Do teachers have the skill?

• Allows decisions about allocation of resources.Answers drive solutions. Solutions determine resource allocation.

Performance Feedback

• Measurement determines if performance standard is met.Basis for feedback

• Feedback does not teach how to perform only that criteria met or not.

• Features of effective feedbackMore frequent the feedback better effects (Jones, Wickstrom, &

Friman, 1997; Mortensen & Witt, 1998).

Daily better than weekly. Immediate better than delayed. Immediate more preferred than delayed.

Can’t Do or Won’t Do

• Failing to meet performance standard is neither diagnostic or prescriptive-only descriptive.Won’t do=has the skill but does not do enough to meet

standard.Can’t do=does not have the skill.

• Responsiveness to feedback is diagnostic. If responsive=won’t do problem-no other intervention

required.Not responsive may be can’t do-more intensive

intervention required.

Mortenson & Witt, 1998

Data-based Decision Making and Resource Allocation

• Not all teachers require the same level of support. Some respond well to training.Others require degrees of increasingly intensive

intervention.Data determines which teachers require more or less

intervention and support.

Performance Measurement as Treatment Integrity

• To measure performance requires a protocol of what is to be done.

• Measurement reflects compliance with protocol-treatment integrity.

Dimensions of Treatment Integrity

• Exposure (Dosage): the extent to which participants are exposed to the intervention as prescribed. Curricula usually prescribe frequency and duration of

exposure that is necessary for benefit. Ex: 3/week for 30 minutes/session.

Failing to satisfy either can impact student benefit.Ex: 1/week for 30 minutes.

Dimensions of Treatment Integrity

• Adherence: the extent to which the components of an intervention are delivered as prescribed. Most commonly measured dimension. It is necessary but not sufficient to produce benefits.

Adherence with low dosage not likely to produce positive outcomes.

Dimensions of Treatment Integrity

• Student responsiveness: degree to which student participates to program. Engagement in instructional activities. Accuracy of responding.

Practical Approach to Measurement at Scale

• Measure those practices likely to have the greatest impact. Progress monitoring.

• Measure dimensions of treatment integrity.Hierarchy of measures.

• Measure practices that cut across domains first. Praise/corrective feedback necessary for both academic

and social domains.

• Data determine frequency of measurement.

• Data basis for feedback to teachers and determine next steps.

Take Home

• What teachers do is important.• If it is important measure it.• We can’t know if important things are happening

unless we count.• Measuring performance is expensive.

Failing to measure performance is even more expensive.

• Measuring performance allows intervention only when necessary and at proper level of intensity.

Thank you for your attention

Copies available at winginstitute.org