Clearbrook-Gonvick district says "yes" to Q Comp
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2006
Contact: Stephanie Connolly, Office: (651) 582-8720, Cell: (651) 233-0912
CLEARBROOK-GONVICK SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS “YES” TO Q COMP
~ Becomes 22nd district in the state to undertake professional development and achievement-based pay plan for teachers ~
Clearbrook – Education Commissioner Alice Seagren today announced that the Clearbrook-Gonvick Public School District will implement Governor Pawlenty’s nation-leading Q Comp performance and professional pay program. Clearbrook-Gonvick will be the 22nd district in the state to opt into Q Comp, and will receive $128,960 in state aid for the 2006-07 school year for implementation efforts.
“By joining Q Comp, the Clearbrook-Gonvick School District and their teachers have shown that they are education leaders and innovators,” Education Commissioner Alice Seagren said. “Under Q Comp, teachers are paid based on performance, meaningful professional development is provided for staff, and rigorous evaluation of instruction is conducted. The outcome is teachers who are treated as professionals and students who achieve at higher levels.”
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 another $260 per student in participating districts.
The Q Comp program gives participating school districts the flexibility to meet local needs within a comprehensive model of improved teaching and learning. In Clearbrook-Gonvick, the district administration and teachers representatives have agreed to the following:
• Career advancement opportunities: There will be two career ladders for teachers:
• Instructional Leader – This position will provide leadership in professional learning communities and contribute to professional development of other teachers by leading improvement efforts in curriculum, instruction, technology, assessment and parent/community collaboration. This position provides an annual stipend of $1,500 and up to three days of release time.
• Mentor Teacher – This position will contribute to professional development and success of other teachers by sharing personal knowledge, expertise and best practices. This position provides an annual stipend of $1000.
• Job-embedded professional development: Professional development teams will meet multiple times during a month. Grade-level meetings will occur weekly, task force and leadership team meetings will happen once per month (on different days), and elementary and secondary site groups will meet weekly or biweekly after school. The teams will focus on increasing student achievement in reading using the MCA II assessment.
• Performance pay: A teacher’s compensation will be based on the following factors: 70 percent of performance pay is for research-based professional standards and types of classroom observations, 10 percent is for student achievement gains, 10 percent is for a professional growth plan based on teacher observation and 10 percent is for school-wide student gains.
• Comprehensive and objective teacher evaluation system: Three members will make up the objective evaluation team and will perform observations and complete evaluations so that each tenured teacher will have at least three observation-based evaluations per year. The evaluations are tied to the framework for effective teaching (Charlotte Danielson model) and the evaluation rubrics.
• An alternative salary schedule: The 2006-2007 school year is a transition period from steps to performance-based increments. All of the teacher’s additional compensation beyond steps and lanes, during this transition period, is tied to student and teacher performance as measured by the local MAP tests, MCA II tests, student achievement gains and results of individual teacher evaluations.
"We were elated to learn that our Q-Comp application was approved,” Clearbrook-Gonvick Superintendent Diane Lehse said. “Our team has spent many hours developing the application and connecting it with school reform efforts currently underway. Clearbrook-Gonvick students will benefit because of the focus on improving reading instruction in K-12, which is at the heart of our Q-Comp initiative."
Clearbrook-Gonvick Public School District serves approximately 500 students in pre-K through 12 and employs 37 teachers and 20 non-certified staff.
Minneapolis, Hopkins, St. Francis, Mounds View, St. Cloud, Alexandria, Fridley, La Crescent-Hokah and Marshall started implementing the Q Comp program during the 2005-06 school year. Grand Meadow, Albert Lea, Alden-Conger, Brainerd, Wayzata, Eden Prairie, Red Rock Central, International Falls, St. Louis Park, Osseo, Lac Qui Parle, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale and Clearbrook-Gonvick school districts will begin implementing during the 2006-07 school year. Approximately 134 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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