[Ous-lp-rp13] EDAD 6020, Response to Answer to Question # 3

[Sylvia, Molly]

Jessica,

What happened at Chillicothe HS is a complex example of efficacy, as what
was perceived did not hold true. I think it is fair to expect that students
would grow at a level deemed proficient by the State if teachers are
consistently rated Skilled and Accomplished. I wonder if this was the first
year that teachers' OTES ratings were so high overall? (I'm optimistically
believing that they earned the ratings and the praise was due.) If teachers
truly deserved those ratings and it was the first time that the school
overall taught at that level, it could play a role in student outcomes. If
this was a dramatic change in instruction, students may need time to
adjust, even years to adjust, to a new, rigorous way of teaching in the
building. Maybe if Chillicothe continues to keep their teachers at a high
level, the students will meet those expectations over time. Another
thought, maybe the teachers truly were exemplifying Skilled and
Accomplished traits during their OTES evaluations, even during weekly
walk-throughs. But, even though the teachers were implementing excellent
teaching strategies, they were not strategies that worked for the kids in
the classroom seats. Simply because we devise and teach glowing lesson
plans does not meat that students will learn. The piece you're speaking of
is very much the "managerial" side of teaching. I wonder how
student-teacher relationships are perceived by the students? It sounds as
if strides were made in this effort. I wonder what the culture of the
students is like? Or, the culture of the staff, or school overall? What
outside influences are affecting each students' learning to which the
teacher has no control?

With Dr. Larson's help, we are studying the many forces at play in school
administration and I believe there are just as many at play in student
learning. I hope that Chillicothe HS teachers will take time to reflect
individually and collectively throughout this year. It may benefit to
produce Skilled and Accomplished strategies that are specifically tied to
their students' needs and continue to foster relationships, particularly
with those with disabilities and those on the fringe. Just then, maybe
Chillicothe HS will begin to see a rise in their report card scores. Thanks
for sharing and allowing me to throw some ideas (without judgment) at you.
Green struggles with F's on report cards too often. It's an important piece
to evaluate and consider. Although, we both know, doesn't show the whole
picture.

On Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 3:59 PM, Jessica Orr <jessica.orr at ccsd.us> wrote:

>
> Efficacy plays an important role in the effectiveness of an individual and
> an organization. Specifically, self-efficacy among teachers has been
> remarkably high throughout previous school years at Chillicothe High
> School. According to the 2016-2017 State Report Card for CHS, 73.2% of
> teachers earned an Accomplished rating, while 26.8% of teachers earned a
> Skilled rating (none earned Developing or Ineffective ratings), ratings
> which undoubtedly contributed to high self-efficacy among teachers.
> Similarly, collective efficacy increased as teachers were repeatedly and
> vehemently praised by the principal for being the best staff in the state
> of Ohio and for growing students at exceptional levels. Mastery experience,
> as reflected in teacher evaluations, and verbal persuasion have both led to
> high self- and collective-efficacy; as a result, teachers have been unified
> and persistent even in the face of challenges. Notably, the staff
> repeatedly persevered to engage low-achieving students from low-income
> families, (e.g., making a point to talk to every student every single day,
> making concepts relevant, purchasing drinks for students when they held
> their classmate accountable, etc.), which can likely be attributed to high
> self- and collective-efficacy.
> In contrast, on the same 2016-2017 state report card, Chillicothe High
> School earned an overall F for value-added measures, specifically earning
> F’s in the categories for students with disabilities and the lowest 20% in
> achievement, which illustrates the reality that our students are not, in
> fact, growing at the levels they should be, let alone at the exceptional
> levels for which our staff was praised. With a change in principal for the
> 2017-2018 school year, the false praise has ended, and the administration
> and staff is tasked with taking a difficult look at ourselves, to reflect
> and improve upon our weaknesses in order to reverse the lack of student
> growth. Most certainly, both self- and collective-efficacy has diminished
> as teachers receive honest evaluations that stand in stark contrast to
> previous ratings, as teachers misunderstand and blame the value-added
> system, and as our new principal serves as a scapegoat for the drastic
> shifts that have occurred. Ultimately, efficacy can likely predict
> performance, yet it must be understood that efficacy is based on
> perceptions, and perceptions are not always reality.
>
>
> --
> Thank you,
>
> *Jessica Orr*
> English Teacher
> Department Coordinator
> Chillicothe High School
> Phone: (740) 702-2287, ext. 16231
>
> "You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you
> have something to say."
>        --F. Scott Fitzgerald
>
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>


-- 
*Molly Sylvia*
*7th/8th Grade Social Studies Teacher*
*Jr. High Quiz Bowl Advisor*
*Youth in Government Advisor*
Green High School
4057 Gallia Pike
Franklin Furnace, Ohio 45629
office 740.354.9290 ext. 3212
fax 740.354.9904
*BELIEVE*
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