Neag School of Education Study

As part of the educator evaluation and support system process, the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut will submit to the State Board of Education, no later than January 1, 2014, an implementation study and any recommendations concerning validation of the teacher evaluation and support program core requirements. The results of the study will help determine any changes needed to the Connecticut Guidelines (Core Requirements) and/or the SEED state model.

Should pilot districts identify promising practices within the Core Requirements and/or the SEED state model to implement during the pilot that vary from the established Guidelines, those practices must be approved by the CT State Department of Education in consultation with PEAC (Performance Evaluation Advisory Council) and be incorporated into the scope of the Neag study.

For those interested in reviewing the research questions Neag is using to guide their study, please refer to the outline below.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SEED/DES (District Evaluation System):

1.  How is the SEED/DES enacted in each of the pilot sites?
a.  Is there fidelity to the State Model, where implemented, or the Core Requirements, where districts implement their own model?
2.  Does SEED/DES create opportunities for professional growth for teachers and administrators? To what extent are these differentiated?
3.  What variations occur? (e.g.: Across components of the Model? Across pilot sites? Within pilot sites?) What explains these variations?

EDUCATOR EXPERIENCES WITH SEED/DES:

1. How do educators in pilot sites experience SEED/DES?
a. What, if any, are the sources of variation? (e.g.: Across components of the Model? Across pilot sites? Within pilot sites? Across educator roles? Across educator performance rating?)

OUTCOMES OF SEED/DES:

1.  Do educators report changing their practices as a result of the SEED/DES? If so, why? How?
2.  What is the distribution of summative evaluation ratings within schools and districts?
3.  What variations occur in these outcomes? (e.g.: Across components of the Model? Across pilot sites? Within pilot sites?) What explains these variations?
4.  How do outcomes under SEED/DES compare with those from years prior to its implementation?

SEED Implementation in the Pilot Districts: Progress to Date (Presentation) Published February 4, 2013

SEED Implementation in the Pilot Districts: Phase 2 (Presentation) Published July 10, 2013

Final Neag SEED Pilot Implementation Report Published January 1, 2014