Tarek ibn Ziyad Charter School enters teacher performance pay program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
Contact: Brianna Chambers |
TAREK IBN ZIYAD ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
ENTERS TEACHER PERFORMANCE PAY PROGRAM
~ Becomes the 12th charter school in the state to undertake professional development and
achievement-based pay plan for teachers ~
Inver Grove Heights – Education Commissioner Alice Seagren announced today that Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy will implement Minnesota’s nation-leading Q Comp performance and professional pay program. Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy will be the 12th charter school in the state to participate in Q Comp, and will receive $65,260 in state aid for the 2006-07 school year for implementation efforts.
“I commend Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy Charter School for choosing to participate in this nation-leading education reform program that is gaining great momentum in Minnesota schools and districts,” Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “Q Comp enhances professional development for teachers while paying them based upon performance and student achievement.”
Last year, Governor Pawlenty proposed and the state legislature approved Minnesota’s Q Comp program. Q Comp provides up to $86 million for districts that join the program.
Q Comp is designed to advance the teaching profession by providing structured professional development and evaluation, as well as an alternative pay schedule that compensates teachers based on performance, not just seniority. The program brings together career advancement, professional development and compensation linked to academic achievement. It includes a locally agreed-upon peer evaluation process for every teacher that is based on skills, responsibilities and student academic growth. This plan is voluntary and will add up to an additional $260 per student in participating districts.
The Q Comp program gives participating schools and school districts the flexibility to meet local needs within a comprehensive model of improved teaching and learning. At Tarek ibn Ziyad, administration and teacher representatives have agreed to the following:
Career advancement opportunities for teachers: The career ladder includes two positions with various duties and compensations. These positions are:
• Mentor Teacher: Primary function is to assist the professional development and success of others by sharing personal knowledge, expertise and best practices along with the testing of research-based strategies to identify those that succeed in the school’s context. This position provides a salary augmentation of up to $2,000 and .25 release time.
• Lead Teacher: Primary function is to facilitate peer coaching for teachers and on-going coordination of professional learning communities. This position provides 20 days release time per year.
Job-embedded professional development: The Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy Q Comp program will focus on improved achievement in both reading and math. Their goals include an increase to an average of 60% proficiency in both math and reading for students in the aggregate and in each No Child Left Behind (NCLB) subgroup for grades three through seven as measured by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA II). In kindergarten through grade two, students will make an average of one year’s academic growth in reading and math as measured by the Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) or other standardized test.
Performance pay: Sixty percent of a permanent salary increase will be based on teacher performance with the following factors:
• 20% based on teacher evaluations that reach a specific performance standard
• A novice teacher must be 70% proficient or exemplary
• A proficient teacher must be 90% proficient or exemplary
• A mentor teacher must be 75% proficient or exemplary
• A lead teacher must be 90% proficient or exemplary
• 20% based on attainment of the school wide goal as outlined in component two
• 20% based on measures of student achievement using the NWEA goals including a majority of the students in a teacher’s classroom will achieve at least one year’s growth (meet their individual target)
In addition, teachers will be eligible for one-time performance awards of the following amounts:
• $100 if the school reaches the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goal of achieving a proficiency index target of 75% in reading
• $100 if the school reaches the AYP goal of achieving a proficiency index target of 70% in math
• $800 if 80% of the students in each class achieve their individualized target growth in math and language arts as measured by the NWEA
• If 60% to 79% of the students in each class achieve their individualized target growth in math and language arts as measured by the NWEA assessment, awards will range from $600 to $790 calculated by the percent of the class achieving the targeted growth goals multiplied by ten
Objective and comprehensive teacher evaluation: Each teacher will be evaluated a minimum of three times by at least two members of the evaluation team which includes the executive director, lead teacher, mentor teacher and an outside consultant. Classroom instructional practices will be evaluated using a comprehensive rubric based on the Charlotte Danielson model. This evaluation tool is aligned with the educational plan and professional development goals and focused on the professional practices needed to reach student achievement goals.
Alternative professional pay schedule: Performance pay will be awarded both as permanent salary increases and additional performance awards as outlined in component three.
“The approval of our Q Comp program will enable us to expand the teacher incentive system that has already given us such good results,” Executive Director Asad Zaman said.
Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy is a K-7 grade charter school, serving approximately 320 students with over 40 staff members.
Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy is the twelfth charter school to be approved for the Q Comp program behind:
• New Visions School
• TRIO Wolf Creek Charter School
• Emily Charter
• El Colegio Charter School
• STRIDE Academy
• Minnesota Transitions Charter Schools
• Oh Day Aki Charter
• Northfield School of Art and Technology (ARTech)
• Beacon Academy
• Duluth Public Schools Academy
• Sojourner Truth Academy
School districts that began implementing the Q Comp program during the 2005-06 school year:
• Minneapolis
• Hopkins
• St. Francis
• Mounds View
• St. Cloud
• Alexandria
• Fridley
• La Crescent-Hokah
• Marshall
School districts that will begin implementing Q Comp during the 2006-07 school year:
• Grand Meadow
• Albert Lea
• Alden-Conger
• Brainerd
• Wayzata
• Eden Prairie
• Red Rock Central
• International Falls
• Le Center
• St. Louis Park
• Osseo
• Lac qui Parle Valley
• North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale
• Clearbrook-Gonvick
• Proctor
• Burnsville
• St. Anthony-New Brighton
• Minnetonka
• Delano
• Centennial
• Pine River
• Brandon
• South Washington County
• South Saint Paul
• Farmington
Approximately 134 other school districts have indicated to the Department of Education they are planning to submit an application for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years.
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