1.This Act may be cited as
the Securing Teacher Effectiveness,
Leaders, Learning, And Results Act
or the
STELLAR Student
Act
.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Effective teachers
and principals are the backbone of our schools and the key to successful
students.
(2)Teachers and
principals deserve our full support as they take on one of the most important
and most challenging responsibilities—educating our children.
(3)Research shows
that high-quality and effective teaching is the single most important
school-based factor impacting student learning.
(4)High-quality
evaluations that provide meaningful feedback are a crucial element in giving
educators the support they need to help students achieve at high levels.
(5)Teachers and
principals also deserve access to high-quality professional development
opportunities.
(6)Constructive
feedback specifying areas for improvement could be useful to both teachers and
principals.
(7)Although research
also suggests that quality teacher evaluations are an important tool in
improving teacher performance, for many teachers, the current evaluation
systems do not provide useful feedback that would help the teachers improve and
grow as instructors.
(8)In formal studies,
including research highlighted in The Widget Effect
, nearly 75
percent of teachers reported that they have not received specific suggestions
on how to improve classroom practices in annual evaluations.
(9)Across all local
educational agencies, only 43 percent of teachers, including novice teachers
who may benefit the most from suggestions, report that current evaluations
systems help them.
(10)Research also
shows that school leadership quality is second only to teacher quality among
school-related factors that impact student learning.
(11)Strong school
leadership is a key determinant of whether schools can attract and retain
effective teachers. Principals set the direction and the vision for a
school.
(12)Effective
teachers and principals also deserve to be recognized for excellence and
receive commendations in areas of strong performance and significant
improvement.
(13)High-quality
teacher and principal evaluations have the potential to be a powerful tool and
should play a significant role in improving the public education system.
(14)Teachers and
principals should provide input and contribute directly to designing,
implementing, and improving evaluation systems in their school
districts.
(15)Students and
parents deserve effective teachers and inspirational principals who are
performing to the best of their ability and who are helping to close
achievement gaps and raise student achievement.
3.Robust teacher
and principal evaluations
(a)Teacher and
principal evaluationsSection 1111(a) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(a)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
(3)Report on
teacher and principal evaluationsFor any State desiring to
receive a grant under this part, the State educational agency shall submit to
the Secretary not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the
Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leaders,
Learning, And Results Act, a report on—
(A)the system in the
State of evaluating teachers’ and principals’ performance; and
(B)how such
evaluation factors into decisions on tenure, compensation, promotion, and
dismissals of teachers and
principals.
.
(b)Teacher and
principal evaluationsSection
1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(11)Robust teacher
and principal evaluations
(A)Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of the
Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leaders,
Learning, And Results Act, each State shall carry out the
following:
(i)Establish, after
taking input from teachers and principals, a statewide definition of teacher
and principal effectiveness that includes not less than 4 levels of performance
ratings for teachers and for principals, including an effective rating and a
highly effective rating, based on such definitions.
(ii)Demonstrate that
the State has developed, after taking input from teachers and principals, a
model teacher and principal evaluation program under which—
(I)individuals in
charge of administering teacher and principal evaluations within each local
educational agency in the State are provided rigorous training on how to
conduct the teacher and principal evaluations, including—
- (aa)how
to provide specific feedback about improving teaching and principal practice
based on evaluation results; and
- (bb)how
to evaluate teachers and principals using the performance ratings described in
clause (i) and established under subparagraphs (B)(iii) and (C)(viii);
(II)a teacher or
principal who is evaluated is provided, based on the evaluation results,
professional development opportunities that meet the specific needs identified
for the teacher or principal;
(III)measures are
taken to ensure that any personally identifiable information of teachers and
principals is not publicly disclosed, except as required to comply with the
reporting requirements of paragraph (1)(C)(ix), and clauses (i)(III) and
(ii)(III) of paragraph (2)(B), of section 1111(h);
(IV)regular
monitoring and assessment of the quality, reliability, validity, fairness,
consistency, and objectivity of the evaluation program and the evaluators’
judgments takes place within and across local educational agencies in the
State;
(V)each teacher’s
performance is evaluated in accordance with subparagraph (B);
(VI)each principal’s
performance is evaluated in accordance with subparagraph (C);
(VII)on the basis of
the evaluation, each teacher or principal receives—
- (aa)a
performance rating, as described in clause (i), that is based on multiple
measures;
- (bb)in
the case of a teacher—
(AA)in a grade level
and subject area with a statewide assessment, a measure of student learning
gains that is comparable across the State for all teachers in grade levels and
subject areas with a statewide assessment; or
(BB)in a grade level
and subject area without a statewide assessment, a measure of student learning
gains that is comparable across the local educational agency for all teachers
in grade levels and subject areas without a statewide assessment;
- (cc)ongoing formative
feedback and specific recommendations on areas for professional improvement,
which includes an identification of areas in which the teacher or principal can
strengthen practices to improve student learning;
- (dd)a
measure of student academic growth with respect to the State’s academic
standards of the school’s students, including students in each of the subgroups
described in paragraph (2)(C)(v)(II);
- (ee)commendations for
excellence in areas of strong performance and in areas of significant
improvement; and
- (ff)in
the case of a teacher or principal who is identified as being in 1 of the
lowest 2 performance ratings described in clause (i), a 1-year comprehensive
remediation plan;
(VIII)evaluation
results are used as the principal factor in informing all key personnel and
staffing decisions, including retention, dismissal, promotion, compensation,
and tenure;
(IX)evaluation
results are the primary factor used in determining layoffs during any reduction
in force;
(X)any teacher or
principal who receives 1 of the lowest 2 performance ratings and does not
successfully improve performance on an evaluation after completing the
comprehensive remediation plan as required under subclause (VII)(ff) is
prohibited from working in any elementary school or secondary school served
under this part;
(XI)any teacher or
principal who receives the lowest performance rating for 3 consecutive years is
subject to dismissal;
(XII)evaluation
results are used to ensure that low-income students and students of color are
not assigned at higher rates than other students to classes in core academic
subjects taught by teachers who have received 1 of the 2 lowest evaluation
rates in their most recent evaluation; and
(XIII)a system is
implemented under which each teacher and principal is evaluated at least
annually.
(iii)Demonstrate that
each local educational agency in the State has adopted a local educational
agency-wide teacher and principal evaluation program that—
(I)was developed
after seeking input from teachers and principals;
(II)meets the
standards for validity and reliability developed by the State; and
(III)meets the
minimum requirements set forth in clause (ii).
(iv)Demonstrate that
each local educational agency in the State is seeking input from teachers and
principals to make improvements to the evaluation program on an annual
basis.
(v)Submit, on a
regular basis, to the Secretary a review of the teacher and principal
evaluation systems used by the local educational agencies in the State,
including—
(I)comparing the
teacher and principal evaluation results, for each local educational agency and
each such agency's schools, against the student academic achievement and
student academic growth in all local educational agencies in the State and all
schools served by such local educational agencies;
(II)assessing the
extent to which each local educational agency's existing system demonstrates
meaningful differentiation among teacher performance levels and among principal
performance levels; and
(III)comparing
implementation and results across local educational agencies' evaluation
systems to ensure—
- (aa)comparability
across the State in implementation of such systems; and
- (bb)that such
systems meet the State's criteria or definitions for each of the terms
described in clause (i).
(vi)Provide
technical assistance to improve an agency's teacher and principal evaluation
system so that the system provides meaningful differentiation and is aligned
with student academic achievement and student growth results in the agency and
in each of the agency's schools.
(vii)Establish a
timeline for implementation that—
(I)ensures that
measures of student academic growth, as described in subparagraphs (B)(i) and
(C)(i), are developed not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the
Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leaders,
Learning, And Results Act;
(II)ensures
evaluation systems that meet the requirements of subparagraphs (B) and (C) are
implemented statewide by not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of
such Act, except that such systems shall not have to meet the requirements
under subclauses (VIII) through (XII) of clause (ii); and
(III)ensures
evaluation systems that meet all the requirements of this paragraph are fully
implemented statewide by not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of
such Act.
(viii)Submit to the
Secretary an annual report on implementation of the State plan under this
section and on meeting the timelines required under this section.
(ix)Publish a report
each year showing the average estimate of teacher impact on student growth for
each of the performance ratings described in clause (i).
(B)Requirements for
teacher evaluationsThe evaluation of a teacher’s performance
shall comply with the following minimum requirements:
(i)The predominant factor
of the evaluation is student academic growth with respect to the State’s
academic standards, as measured by—
(I)student learning
gains on the State’s academic assessments established under paragraph (3) or,
for grades and subjects not covered by the State's academic assessments,
another valid and reliable assessment of student academic achievement, as long
as the assessment is used consistently by the local educational agency in which
the teacher is employed for the grade or class for which the assessment is
administered; and
(II)if available,
value-added measures that track individual student academic growth while under
the instruction of the teacher.
(ii)Observations of
teacher performanceA portion of the evaluation is based on
observations of the teacher’s performance in the classroom by not less than 1
trained and objective observer—
(I)that take place on
not less than 2 occasions during the school year the teacher is being
evaluated; and
(II)under
which—
- (aa)a
teacher is evaluated against a rigorous rubric that defines multiple
performance categories in alignment with the State’s professional standards for
teachers; and
- (bb)observation
ratings meaningfully differentiate among teachers’ performance and bear a
relationship to evidence of student academic growth with respect to the State’s
academic standards.
(iii)Meaningful
differentiationThe evaluation provides performance ratings that
meaningfully differentiate among teacher performance using the performance
ratings and levels described in subparagraph (A)(i).
(iv)Comparability
of student gainsThe evaluation provides a measure of student
learning gains that is comparable across the State for all teachers in grade
levels and subject areas with a statewide assessment.
(v)The evaluation provides results that are comparable, at a
minimum, across all teachers within a grade level or subject area in the local
educational agency in which the teacher is employed.
(C)Requirements for
principal evaluationsThe evaluation of the performance of a
principal of a school shall comply with the following minimum
requirements:
(i)The predominant factor of the evaluation is student
academic growth with respect to the State’s academic standards of the school’s
students, including students in each of the subgroups described in paragraph
(2)(C)(v)(II).
(ii)For a principal of a secondary school, a portion of the
evaluation is based on improvements in the school’s graduation rates.
(iii)Support of
effective teachersA portion of the evaluation is based on the
recruitment, development, evaluation, and retention of effective
teachers.
(iv)A portion of the
evaluation is based on the leadership abilities of the principal, as measured
by observations of the principal and other relevant data evaluated against a
rigorous rubric that defines multiple performance categories in alignment with
the State’s professional standards for principals.
(v)A portion of the evaluation is based on student
attendance rates, as calculated by the State or local educational
agency.
(vi)Content of
observation ratingsThe observations described in clause (iv)
provide observation ratings that—
(I)meaningfully
differentiate among principals’ performance; and
(II)bear a strong
relationship to evidence of student academic growth with respect to the State’s
academic standards.
(vii)Description of
leadership abilitiesThe leadership abilities referred to in
clause (iv) include the ability of the principal to—
(I)create a shared
and coherent schoolwide direction and policy for achieving high levels of
student academic growth and closing achievement gaps among students;
(II)identify and
implement the activities and rigorous curriculum necessary for achieving high
levels of student academic growth;
(III)create
opportunities for the community and families of students to engage positively
with school administrators and staff;
(IV)support positive
learning environments for students;
(V)cultivate a
positive and collaborative work environment for school faculty and
staff;
(VI)collect, analyze, and utilize data and
other tangible evidence of student learning and evidence of classroom practice
to guide decisions and actions for continuous improvement and to ensure
performance accountability;
(VII)effectively
oversee and manage a teacher evaluation program that provides individualized
feedback; and
(VIII)have strong
organizational management of a school, including sound budget and personnel
practices.
(viii)Meaningful
differentiationThe evaluation provides performance ratings that
meaningfully differentiate among principal performance using the performance
ratings and levels described in subparagraph (A)(i).
(ix)The evaluation provides results that are comparable
across all principals within the local educational agency in which the
principal is
employed.
.
(c)Additional
State plan requirementsSection 1111(b)(8)(C) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(8)(C)) is amended by
inserting or teachers who received a performance rating under the
evaluation system described in paragraph (11) that is below the effective
level
after teachers
.
(d)Section 1111(j) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(j)) is amended—
(1)by striking
Assistance.—The
and inserting the
following: Assistance;
clearinghouse on evaluation systems—
(1)Technical assistance.—
The
;
and
(2)by adding at the
end the following:
(2)The Secretary shall establish a
clearinghouse in the Department to share the best practices relating to teacher
and principal evaluation, including best practices and other information based
on the reports described in subsection (a)(3), the evaluation reviews described
in subsection (a)(11)(A)(v), and any other reports addressing teacher and
principal evaluation that are required under this Act, with other
educators.
.
4.Section 1111(h) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)) is
amended—
(1)in paragraph
(1)(C)—
(A)in clause (vii),
by striking and
after the semicolon;
(B)in clause (viii),
by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
;
and
(C)by adding at the
end the following:
(ix)for each
performance rating described in subsection (a)(11)(A)(i), the number and
percentage of teachers, and the number and percentage of principals, who
received such performance rating, for—
(I)the State
overall;
(II)the highest
poverty and lowest poverty local educational agencies; and
(III)the highest
minority and lowest minority local educational
agencies.
;
(2)in paragraph
(2)(B)—
(A)in clause
(i)—
(i)in
subclause (I), by striking and
after the semicolon; and
(ii)by
adding at the end the following:
(III)for each performance rating described in
subsection (a)(11)(A)(i), the number and percentage of teachers, and the number
and percentage of principals, who received such performance rating, for—
- (aa)the
local educational agency overall;
- (bb)the
highest poverty and lowest poverty schools; and
- (cc)the
highest minority and lowest minority schools;
and
;
and
(B)in clause
(ii)—
(i)in
subclause (I), by striking and
after the semicolon;
(ii)in
subclause (II), by striking the period at the end and inserting ;
and
; and
(iii)by adding at
the end the following:
(III)for each
performance rating described in subsection (a)(11)(A)(i), the number and
percentage of teachers at the school that received such performance
rating.
;
(3)in paragraph
(4)—
(A)in subparagraph
(F), by striking and
after the semicolon;
(B)in subparagraph
(G), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
;
and
(C)by adding at the
end the following:
(H)the information
required to be reported under paragraphs (1)(C)(ix) and
(2)(B)(i)(III).
;
and
(4)by adding at the
end the following:
(7)For purposes of this subsection:
(A)The term highest minority when used in
relation to a school or local educational agency means a school or local
educational agency that is in the highest quartile of schools or local
educational agencies statewide in terms of the percentage of pupils who are
members of ethnic or racial minority groups.
(B)The term
highest poverty when used in relation to a school or local
educational agency means a school or local educational agency that is in the
highest quartile of schools or local educational agencies statewide in terms of
the percentage of students who are certified as eligible for free or reduced
price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1751 et seq.).
(C)The term
lowest minority when used in relation to a school or local
educational agency means a school or local educational agency that is in the
lowest quartile of schools or local educational agencies statewide in terms of
the percentage of pupils who are members of ethnic or racial minority
groups.
(D)The term lowest
poverty when used in relation to a school or local educational agency
means a school or local educational agency that is in the lowest quartile of
schools or local educational agencies statewide in terms of the percentage of
students who are certified as eligible for free or reduced price lunch under
the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et
seq.).
(E)The term
student academic growth means the change in a student's
achievement between 2 or more points in time, as measured through an approach
that is statistically rigorous and appropriate for the knowledge and skills
being
measured.
.
5.Recognition of
local educational agenciesThe
Secretary of Education shall, based on the information received from each local
educational agency report card under section 1111(h)(2)(B)(i)(III) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(h)(2)(B)(i)(III)), recognize and provide commendations to each local
educational agency that implements or has implemented innovative, high-quality,
and effective teacher or principal evaluation programs that lead to
professional development and improved student performance.
6.Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall prepare and submit a
report to Congress that—
(1)identifies any
unnecessary or duplicative education-related reporting requirements and
regulations facing States and local educational agencies as a result of the
amendments made by this Act to section 1111 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311); and
(2)includes the
Secretary's recommendations regarding streamlining or eliminating the
requirements regarding highly qualified teachers under sections 1119 and
9101(23) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6319,
7801(23)) after the teacher evaluation system required under section 1111 of
such Act (20 U.S.C. 6311), as amended by this Act, is fully implemented.