Q Comp reaches milestone in Burnsville
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 8, 2006
Contact: Joe McQuillen, Office: (651) 582-8756, Cell: (612) 845-0083
Q COMP PROGRAM REACHES MILESTONE
~ Burnsville becomes the 25th district in the state to undertake professional development and achievement-based pay plan for teachers ~
Burnsville – Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren announced today that the Burnsville Public School District will implement Minnesota’s nation-leading Q Comp performance and professional pay program. Burnsville will be the 25th district in the state to opt into Q Comp, and will receive $2,778,880 in state aid for the 2006-07 school year for implementation efforts.
“The Burnsville School District should be commended,” said Commissioner of Education Alice Seagren. “They have made a commitment to improving the teacher pay system and the additional training and career options provided under the Q Comp program will have a direct impact on 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 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. Burnsville’s district administration and teacher representatives have agreed to the following:
Career advancement opportunities for teachers: The career ladder will include seven positions with various duties and compensations. These positions are:
• Professional Learning Community Facilitator- Provides training to teachers in performance standards, rubrics, instructional strategies and coaching, assists teachers in the review of achievement data, provides collegial support in the development and implementation of instructional strategies and trains teachers to conduct peer reviews. Compensation will be $2,150 stipend per year plus 10 days of release time and 3 days of summer training.
• Educational Research and Development and Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity Instructor- Provides instruction to fellow teachers in district endorsed courses and compensation will be $3,000 per each 3 semester credit course taught.
• Mentor- Assists first year teachers in meeting professional expectations and may observe new teachers as requested. Compensation of $1,000 will be provided.
• Classroom Demonstration Site Teacher- Serves as example of excellent instruction in math and reading curricula, effectively uses differentiated instruction, demonstrates effective literacy instruction in a secondary content classroom and makes their classroom available for observation. Compensation of $2,000 per demonstration site will be provided.
• Director of Professional Development- Serves full-time in training and supervising PLC facilitators, district evaluators, classroom demonstration site teachers, and mentors. Utilizes and implements a “train the trainers” model, assists PLCs with training, researches best practices, analyzes student data and coordinates their work with the research and assessment coordinator, content specialist and curriculum and instruction coordinator. Total compensation of $118,431 will be provided.
• District Evaluator- Completes summative evaluations. Compensation will include salary as per Burnsville Education Association contract plus $5,000 stipend and release from regular teaching assignment for 3-5 years.
• District Reserve Substitute Team- Provides release time for grade levels and/or departments to spend collegial time together and accompanies district evaluators to each site to allow teachers to participate in pre-observation and post-observation conferences.
Integrated, job-embedded, on-going, site-based and teacher-led professional development activities to improve instructional skills and learning: While the district has multiple goals, one in particular will be that all students will be held to high expectations progressing toward the goal of proficiency in reading. Each site has determined its own goal and measurable objective based on that site’s disaggregated student data. Staff development is led at the building level by PLC facilitators who meet with groups of about 14 teachers.
Performance pay: Teacher compensation will be based on the following factors:
1. Teachers receive a performance increment on the salary schedule if they meet the standard on all components in domain 3 of the evaluation rubric.
2. 80% of performance pay is determined by the demonstration of instruction that exceeds the standard on the selected instructional strategy. Teachers who only meet the standard are eligible for half of the available amount in this area.
3. 10% of performance pay is linked to individual student classroom achievement goals set by the teacher and aligned with the school and district goals.
4. 10% of performance pay is linked to school-wide student achievement gains.
Objective and comprehensive teacher evaluation: Tenured teachers will be evaluated on a four cycle system.
• On cycle A, two summative observations/evaluations are conducted; one by the principal and one by a district evaluator. A formative evaluation is conducted by the PLC facilitator.
• On cycle B, two summative evaluations are conducted by the district evaluators and a formative evaluation is conducted by a trained peer within the department or grade level.
• On cycle C, two summative evaluations are conducted by the district evaluators and a formative evaluation is conducted by the PLC facilitator.
• On cycle D, two summative evaluations are conducted by the district evaluators and a formative evaluation is conducted by a trained peer in a different department or grade level.
Alternative professional pay schedule: All teachers are eligible to participate in the performance pay system earning both performance pay and performance increments. To earn a performance increment, teachers must meet or exceed the standard on every component on each summative evaluation.
“This plan will provide extensive and meaningful professional development for teachers,” said Burnsville Superintendent Ben Kanninen, “which will have a positive impact on student learning and assist us as we work to close the achievement gap.”
Burnsville Public School District’s 800 teachers serve 10,370 students in 15 buildings.
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, Le Center, St. Louis Park, Osseo, Lac Qui Parle, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale, Clearbrook-Gonvick, Proctor and Burnsville 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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