Developing Metrics

Metrics to Assess Equitable Teacher and Leader Access

Choosing the right metrics for the state or local context is essential to determining the root causes of inequitable access. To gain an accurate understanding of any complex system or phenomenon, multiple measures should be used.  The Data Review Tool provides tools and resources to support the GTL Center's approach to considering data for use in assessing equitable access:

  • Identify Equitable Access Metrics
  • Analyze Data and Assess Quality
  • Create Equitable Access Metrics

Consider the following guiding questions when developing or selecting metrics to assess equity gaps in your state or local context:

Taking Stock of Available Data Consider Quality and Comprehensiveness of Data Analyze Data

1. Where were your data collected (state, district, classroom, student)?

2. Are your data disaggregated?

3. Are any variable definitions unlcear? Is any additional information needed?

4. Are there any values that seem illogical or unusal? Can this situation be explained?

5. How complete are your data?

6. Are you familiar with federal or state laws on data privacy?

1. How were the data collected?

2. What do you know about your data that leads you to trust its accuracy?

3. Do you have any reason to be concerned about the accuracy of the data? If so, can this be addressed in the future?

4. After acknowledging the limitations or assumptions of your data early on, do you have any additional concerns about the quality of your data?

1. Which districts in your state are the most high-poverty? The least high-poverty? Which have the most and least students from minority backgrounds?

2. How do your educator metrics compare when broken down by student poverty levels? By student minority status?

3. What does this look like for your most meaningful metrics? 

4. Are the trends between different metrics aligned or in conflict? How might any contradictions be explained?

5. Are there patterns on a regional level? Are there patterns by school type? Are there differences between high-and low-performing districts? What other patterns do you see?

6. Do you see similar patterns among school leaders as for teachers?

7. Are there patterns when looking at students with special needs, English language learners, rural students, career and technical education, or other specific subgroups?

 

Metrics to Consider

Category

Possible Metrics to Understand Equitable Access between Schools
(Comparing Schools by …)

Possible Metrics to Understand Equitable Access among Students
(Percentage of Students …)

Prepare
  • Percentage teaching outside of licensure area
  • Percentage teaching on provisional/emergency license
  • Percentage of teachers with less than four years of teaching experience
  • Percentage of teachers in their first, second, or third years of teaching
  • Number of years of previous teaching experience (average)
  • Percentage of leaders in their first year as building principle
  • Percentage of leaders with less than four years of experience as building principle
  • Number of years of leaders' previous leadership experience as building principal (average)
  • Distribution of teacher class assignments (e.g. remedial, Advanced Placement) by teaching experience
  • With teachers teaching outside of licensure area
  • With teachers teaching on provisional license
  • With teachers possessing multiple endorsements/license areas
  • With teachers in their first year of teaching
  • With teachers in their first, second, or third years of teaching

Attract
  • Number of applicants per teaching vacancy
  • Number of applicants per principal vacancy
  • Percentage of teaching positions vacant on first day of school
  • Number of recruiting dollars spent per vacancy
  • Percentage of nontraditional teachers (e.g.,long-term substitutes, visiting teacher/exchange programs)
  • Percentage of alternatively certified teaching applicants
  • Number of bilingual applicants per positions
  • Number of English as a Second Langage-certified applicants per positions
  • Number of Special Education-certified applicants per positions
  • Percentage of National Board Certified teachers
  • Percentage of principals with state certification based on the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards
  • Without a teacher on the first day of school (vacancy unfilled)
  • With a nontraditional teacher (e.g., retiree rehires, long-term substitutes, visiting teacher/exchange programs)

Develop
  • Percentage of teacher with at least 90 minutes per week of collaborative planning time
  • Percentage of teachers with a specific and measureable professional development plan
  • Percentage of principals with a specific and measurable professional development plan
  • Percentage of teachers engaged in job-embedded professional development (such as working on teams led by highly effective peers)
  • Percentage of teachers who agree or strongly agree that they have access to quality professional development (climat survey)
  • Percentage of principals who agree or strongly agree that they have access to quality professional development (per climate survey)
  • Number of students per teacher in leadership position (e.g. grade/content teams, school committees, school leadership team, school improvement team)
  • Number of teachers with a master's degree in a content area
  • Number of teachers with a master's degree in a non-content area (e.g. education leadership, curriculum specialist, elementary education, special education)
  • Number of teachers with advanced coursework in a content area
  • Number of students per teachers who lead professional development as experts (e.g. in content, assessment, classroom environment)
  • Distribution of teacher class assignments (e.g. remedial, Advanced Placement) by teacher credentials (e.g. certification, post-secondary degrees)
  • Average total salary (including starting salary, salary at 5 years, salary at 10 years, and earnings potential)
  • With teachers who have at least 90 minutes per week of collaborative planning time
  • With teachers who agree or strongly agree that the school is a supportive and inviting place (climate survey)
  • With teachers who have a specific and measureable professional development plan

Retain 
  • Percentage of teachers who agree or strongly agree that the school is a supportive and inviting place (climate survey)
  • Percentage of teachers who indicate they see professional growth potential within their profession without leaving their role in classroom instruction
  • Percentage of teachers with experience in current teaching assignment (average)
  • Percentage of teachers who live outside the school community or geographic area
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving by teacher or principal race/ethnicity (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving by student race/ethnicity (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving by FRPL (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving by student achievement (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving by evaluation rating of effective or above (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving during the academic year (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers and principals leaving during the full year (not including reductions in force)
  • Percentage of teachers who agree or strongly agree that they are happy with working at their current school (climate survey)
  • With teachers who agree or strongly agree that the school is a supportive and inviting place (climate survey)
  • With teachers who leave during the academic year (not including reductions in force)
  • With teachers who leave at the end of the year (not including reductions in force)
  • Who agree or strongly agree that they are happy with working at their current school (climate survey)
Achieve
  • Percentage of teachers achieving highest student growth category in reading
  • Percentage of teachers achieving highest student growth category in mathematics
  • Percentage of principals achieving higest category of schoolwide student growth percentiles in reading
  • Percentage of principals achieving higest category of schoolwide student growth percentiles in mathematics
  • Percentage of teachers with highly effective evaluation ratings
  • Percentage of teachers with ineffective evaluation ratings
  • Percentage of princpals with highly effective evaluation ratings
  • Percentage of principals with ineffective evaluation ratings
  • Percentage of teachers achieving the highest student growth category as measured by student learning objectives in non-tested grades and subjects
  • Percentage of principals achieving the highest category of schoolwide student growth percentiles, as measured by student learning objectives in non-tested grades and subjects 
  • Distribution of teacher class assignments (e.g. remedial, Advanced Placement) by teacher performance (e.i. evaluation rating)
  • Percentage of teachers absent 10 days or more per year
  • With teachers achieving highest student growth cateogry in reading
  • With teachers achieving highest student growth category in math
  • With teachers achieving highest student performance in math
  • With teachers achieving highest student performance in reading
  • With teachers with highly effective evaluation ratings
  • With teachers with ineffective evaluation ratings

A compilation of example metrics (with space for additional considerations) is available as a supporting document. See the list of Data Review Tool Resources. 

What Can I Do to Support Equitable Access to Great Teachers and Leaders?

Strategies to Consider

  • Collaborate With School Districts to Ensure Accurate and Consistent Data Collection

    To ensure consistency in data collection, work with local education agencies and state educator effectiveness advisory bodies to implement high-quality educator evaluation systems that are approximately comparable across local education agencies.

  • Develop Data-Sharing Protocols With Stakeholders

    Develop protocols for sharing data across stakeholder groups to broaden understanding of the state context of student access to excellent teachers and leaders.

  • Develop Metrics in Collaboration With Stakeholders

    Develop partnerships with key stakeholders (e.g., in an equity workgroup) to determine what metrics should be used to measure student access to excellent teachers and leaders.

  • Develop Visual Representations of State Data

    Work with partners to produce maps using your state and district metrics of choice. These maps can be great communication tools to use when working with policymakers and stakeholders. 

  • Leverage Resources to Broaden Understanding of Equitable Access

    Leverage federal resources, such as your regional educational laboratory or regional center, to develop a summary of the research and related policy requirements on issues of equitable access in your region and distribute to partners during in-person meetings or webinars. 

Resources

  • An Analysis of State Data on the Distribution of Teaching Assignments Filled by Highly Qualified Teachers in New York Schools (REL Northeast & Islands)

    New York rural schools and districts have a high percentage of core teaching assignments filled by highly qualified teachers; there are only small differences across key factors such as poverty and the need for school improvement. Urban schools—particularly those in New York City—have fewer core assignments filled by highly qualified teachers.

    http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?ProjectID=41

  • Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center and Delaware Equity Study

    As part of their 2006 equity plan, state education agency personnel in Delaware sought to conduct an in-depth analysis to understand the reasons behind the teacher access patterns in the state. Staff from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality supported the development of research-based protocols for this analysis. A webcast presentation describing the work and options for regional centers is available.

    http://tqsource.airws.org/toolbox/ED3_Example_Delaware.php

  • Office for Civil Rights Data Collection

    The U.S. Department of Education's Office for  Civil Rights conducts the Civil Rights Data Collection to obtain information on:

    • Enrollment demographics
    • Prekindergarten
    • Math and science courses
    • Advanced Placement
    • SAT/ACT scores
    • Discipline
    • School expenditures
    • Teacher experience

    Users can search for district and school reports to consider patterns and potential barriers to equitable access at a local level.

    http://ocrdata.ed.gov/

  • The Distribution of Teaching and Learning Resources in California’s Middle and High Schools (REL West)

    Access to important educational resources in California’s middle and high schools is not equal among schools that serve different student populations. Overall, the most disadvantaged populations of middle and high school students are likely to have the least access to the resources necessary for learning.

    http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?ProjectID=83