Illinois Record of Service October 2010

Illinois Record of Service

October 2010

Great Lakes West State Manager: Nick Pinchok

ISBE Common Core State Standards Gap Analysis

As part of the process of rolling out and implementing the common core in Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois State University sponsored a two-day event to analyze how closely current Illinois learning standards are aligned to the English language arts and mathematics versions of the Common Core State Standards. In late July, members of the Great Lakes West Comprehensive Center participated in the workshop along with nearly 30 Illinois educators. At the workshop, a Web-based tool developed by Achieve, Inc., was used to search by standard and identify duplicates and gaps between the sets of standards. Participants worked diligently and nearly completed the Grades K–12 analysis in both content areas by the end of the second day.

The analysis was completed shortly after the workshop, and Illinois State University is in the process of writing a report on how closely the standards align by grade. ISBE will use the report to help determine the next steps for the common core rollout.

Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC)

Illinois' recent enactment of the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) of 2010 (also known as Public Act 96-0861) was passed to support the development of teachers and principals and to improve the state's current teacher and administrator evaluation practices. PERA requires that student growth be incorporated into future teacher and principal evaluations and that a more comprehensive evaluation system be developed statewide. PERA also requires the creation of a committee to make recommendations on changes to teacher and principal evaluations.

The Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) committee began meeting this summer to explore best practices in evaluation across the country and to help develop a system that works best for Illinois educators and stakeholders. PEAC is a collaborative committee cochaired by Diane Rutledge, Ph.D., (executive director of the Large Unit District Association) and Larry Stanton, J.D., (executive director of the Consortium for Educational Change) and includes ISBE representation and education stakeholders from across Illinois. The committee will continue to meet on a monthly basis until the new teacher and principal evaluation systems are in place.

Great Lakes West and the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality have partnered to support the work of PEAC and its subcommittees. Together, the two centers presented the latest research on teacher and principal evaluation frameworks, rubrics, and systems and provided access to a Web-based tool that reviews and evaluates materials being used across the country. Great Lakes West will continue to provide support on research-based initiatives from other states and seek ways to assist with the evaluation and decision-making process for this important ISBE reform area.

Statewide System of Support (SSOS) RESPRO Coaches' Training

Great Lakes West assisted ISBE with the recent summer regional service provider (RESPRO) coaches' training sessions on August 18–19 and August 25–26. RESPRO coordinators, the Center on Innovation & Improvement (CII), Great Lakes West, and ISBE partnered to deliver two-day regional workshops for RESPRO coaches tasked with providing technical assistance to Illinois districts in corrective action. The training provided attendees with information on the latest enhancements and developments for SSOS processes and scope of work, including the SSOS operations manual recently created by the ISBE Academy of Pacesetting States team. The training also provided an opportunity for coaches to learn about the new Rising Star tool to monitor indicators of success for districts receiving RESPRO support. Rising Star is Illinois' version of CII's Indistar system. Indistar is an online tool to help district and/or school improvement teams inform, coach, sustain, track, and report improvement activities. Great Lakes West assisted with planning and logistics, coordination, and session facilitation at these two RESPRO meetings.

Illinois Record of Service

Great Lakes West State Manager: Nick Pinchok

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