Naperville, IL ~ Over 230 participants attended the Great Lakes TURN Forum on "Using Student Growth Data to Improve Teacher Effectiveness and Appraisal Systems", November 8-9.  Forty teams representing union and teacher leaders, school and district administration, school board members and community stakeholders heard presentations and panels; and found multiple opportunities to network with and learn from educators from ten different states:  Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Maine, Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Local teams of union and administration leaders were brought together by local presidents to begin to address ways to improve teacher effectiveness using new inputs such as student growth data, professional development linked to teacher evaluations and standards for teaching. In addition, local leaders discussed cultural and systemic changes needed to effectively implement a comprehensive, differentiated appraisal process in their local districts in order to ensure meaningful changes in their current systems.

Presentations included John Hussey and Mike Thomas, Battelle For Kids, Jo Anderson, US Department of Education, Patrick Dolan, Education Consultant and author of Restructuring Our Schools:  A Primer for Systemic Change.  

Several local unions shared their efforts to improve teacher appraisal and compensation systems:  

• New Haven Federation of Teachers,
• Toledo Federation of Teachers,
• Columbus Education Association,
• Evanston District 65 Educators Council,
• Schaumburg Education Association, and
• Glenview Education Association.

A panel of Delaware State Education Association leaders provided an opportunity for participants to learn from their efforts to roll out their Race To The Top initiatives to improve teaching and learning at the local and state level.

The participating teams are encouraged to continue sharing their plans and efforts to improve teacher effectiveness using TURNexchange.net.  Each local has been asked to designate a Communication Officer from their union team to use the virtual meeting space to provide updates on their action planning efforts as well as seek out help and support from their Great Lakes TURN colleagues.  

Locals are working to address the following Action Plan questions to share among the GL TURN network:

1. What Framework or Standards for Teaching is your District/Union using or considering to use for your District's Professional Appraisal Plan?
2. What Initiatives Pertaining to Improving Teacher Effectiveness are your Union/Association Working to Implement?
3. What Other Initiatives Pertaining to Improving Teaching and Learning are your Union and District Working Jointly to Implement?
4. What Type of Student Growth Data is Your Union/District Considering to Include in Your District's Professional Appraisal Plan?
5. How Can Great Lakes TURN best assist your Union/Association to Improve Teacher Effectiveness?
6. How Can Great Lakes TURN best assist your Union & District Collaborative Efforts to Improve Teacher Effectiveness?  

For more information about the agenda and presentations, see Great Lakes TURN on this website.