ED Response to OMB Comments

MEMORANDUM

TO: Felicia Sanders (IES)

FROM: Brian Gill, Moira McCullough (Mathematica); Teresa Duncan (ICF)

DATE: January 28, 2014

RE: Response to OMB Questions about the Alternative Student Growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Case Studies of Early Adopters -- OMB Package

Please see below our responses to OMB’s questions regarding the Alternative Student Growth Measures for Teacher Evaluation: Case Studies of Early Adopters -- OMB Package.

1. Will the study team try to determine whether each alternative measure of student growth is valid and reliable using analytical methods and/or based on surveys of respondents?

Because we do not plan to collect the primary data necessary to analyze validity and reliability as part of this study, we will rely primarily on reliability and validity information provided during interviews of respondents. We will supplement information provided during interviews with a review of any relevant documentation, including district analysis of the reliability and validity of the measures in use. Specifically, we plan to collect and report on: the characteristics of reliability and validity measures used by the districts; the frequency of reliability and validity analysis undertaken by the districts in the sample; and the range of reported reliability and validity for each measure.

2. Given the small range of respondents in each district, how will the study team ensure that a wide range of subjects and grades are covered, in particular, teachers of students with disabilities and English language learners?

One approach we will take to ensure that a wide range of subjects and grades are covered in our data collection is to interview dedicated instructional leaders, such as instructional coaches, to supplement our interviews with classroom teachers. We expect these respondents to be able to provide a broader perspective based on their experiences collaborating closely with many teachers across different grades and subjects.

We will also ensure that we include at least one respondent from each of the three conventional grade configurations (elementary school, middle school, and high school) in each of the sample

districts. In each district in which teachers of students with disabilities and English language learners are subject to the alternative growth measures, we will request to interview at least one teacher respondent in those categories.

3. This study will be incredibly timely and helpful for all states and districts struggling with the problem of finding suitable growth measures for teachers of untested grades and subjects. What are plans for dissemination outside of the region?

Each REL report released by NCEE is announced via its NewsFlash distribution list, which reaches approximately 7,600 education stakeholders across the nation. REL Mid-Atlantic also collaborates with other federal technical assistance providers, including other regional educational laboratories and regional resource centers, to share news and reports. We have connections with other relevant organizations such as the Center for Improving Teacher Quality and the National Council on Teacher Quality, and will share the report with them. We can also prepare a press release to announce the report’s availability to national media outlets such as edWeek.