Securing Teacher Effectiveness, Leadership, Learning, And Results Act of 2013 or STELLAR Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require each state receiving school improvement funds to: (1) define teacher and principal effectiveness and establish performance ratings; (2) demonstrate that it has developed, in collaboration with teachers and principals, a model teacher and principal evaluation program; (3) demonstrate that each of its local educational agencies (LEAs) has adopted a teacher and principal evaluation program; (4) demonstrate that each LEA is collaborating with teachers and principals in developing and making annual improvements to such program; (5) review, report on, and assist LEAs in improving such evaluation programs; and (6) establish procedures to ensure that ineffective teachers and principals facing unemployment are treated fairly.
Requires teacher evaluations to: (1) emphasize student academic growth, (2) include observations of the teacher's classroom performance, (3) rate teachers using at least four performance categories, and (4) provide results that are comparable for all teachers in grade levels and subject areas across the state and within the teacher's LEA.
Requires principal evaluations to: (1) emphasize student academic growth; (2) factor in their school's graduation rates; (3) assess the principal's success in recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining effective teachers; (4) assess the principal's leadership abilities through observations and other relevant data; (5) rate principals using at least four performance categories; and (6) provide results that are comparable across all principals within the LEA.
Requires states to take steps to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by teachers rated as less than effective.
Requires states and LEAs to report the number and percentage of teachers and principals in each performance rating at: (1) the state, LEA, and school level; and (2) their LEAs and schools that have the highest and lowest poverty rates or the highest and lowest percentages of minority students. Requires states to report student attendance rates, disaggregated by each school and each teacher and principal at each school within specified jurisdictions.
Directs the Secretary of Education to: (1) recognize each LEA that has innovative, high-quality, and effective teacher or principal evaluation programs that lead to professional development and improved student performance; and (2) establish a clearinghouse to share the best practices of such programs with educators.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 768 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 768
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require
the establishment of teacher evaluation programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 15, 2013
Mrs. Davis of California (for herself and Mr. Polis) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require
the establishment of teacher evaluation programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Teacher Effectiveness,
Leadership, Learning, And Results Act of 2013'' or the ``STELLAR Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Effective teachers and principals are the backbone of
our schools and the key to successful students.
(2) Teachers and principals deserve our full support as
they take on one of the most important and most challenging
responsibilities--educating our children.
(3) High-quality evaluations that provide meaningful
feedback are a crucial element to giving educators the support
they need to successfully achieve at high levels.
(4) Teachers and principals also deserve access to
professional development opportunities so they can continue to
learn and grow as educators.
(5) Research shows that high-quality and effective teaching
is the single most important school-based factor impacting
student learning.
(6) In formal studies, including research highlighted in
``The Widget Effect'', nearly 75 percent of teachers reported
that they have not received specific suggestions on how to
improve classroom practices in annual evaluations.
(7) Across all local educational agencies, only 43 percent
of teachers, including novice teachers who may benefit the most
from feedback, report that current evaluations systems are
helpful.
(8) Research also shows that school leadership quality is
second only to teacher quality among school-related factors in
its impact on student learning.
(9) Strong school leadership is a key determinant of
whether schools can attract and retain effective teachers
particularly in high poverty schools, as research has found
teachers' satisfaction to be more influenced by the culture of
the school than by the demographics of the school's students.
(10) Principals set the direction and vision for a school,
and studies find that strong instructional leadership and a
focus on building a shared mission focused on student
achievement can create a positive teaching and learning
environment.
(11) Constructive feedback specifying areas for improvement
could be useful to both teachers and principals who are
dedicated to growing professionally.
(12) The most effective way to turn around a struggling
school is through talented teachers and an inspirational
principal.
(13) Effective teachers and principals also deserve to be
recognized for excellence and to receive commendations in areas
of strong performance and improvement.
(14) Evaluations should give teachers and principals the
opportunity to foster mutually beneficial professional
relationships.
(15) Teachers and principals should provide input and
contribute directly to designing, implementing, and improving
evaluation systems in their school districts.
(16) High-quality teacher and principal evaluations have
the potential to be a powerful tool and should play a
significant role in building a talented force of educators.
(17) The goal of evaluation systems is to improve
individual, as well as whole school and district, teaching and
leadership practices to benefit students.
SEC. 3. ROBUST TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL EVALUATIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(11) Robust teacher and principal evaluations.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of enactment of the STELLAR Act, each State plan
shall include the following:
``(i) The statewide definitions of teacher
and principal effectiveness that the State has
established and not less than 4 levels of
performance ratings for teachers and for
principals, including an effective rating and a
highly effective rating, based on such
definitions.
``(ii) A demonstration that the State has
developed, after taking input from and
collaborating with, teachers and principals, a
model teacher and principal evaluation program
under which--
``(I) individuals in charge of
administering teacher and principal
evaluations within each local
educational agency in the State are
provided rigorous training on how to
conduct the teacher and principal
evaluations, including--
``(aa) how to identify
areas for improvement and
provide specific feedback about
improving teaching and
principal practice based on
evaluation results;
``(bb) how to evaluate
teachers and principals using
the performance ratings
described in clause (i) and
established under subparagraphs
(B)(iii) and (C)(viii);
``(cc) a measure of student
academic growth with respect to
the State's academic standards
of the school's students,
including students in each of
the subgroups described in
paragraph (2)(C)(v)(II), and
training on how to interpret
such measure; and
``(dd) how to reliably and
accurately rate teachers using
the State's rigorous rubric
that meets the requirements of
subparagraph (B)(ii)(II)(aa);
``(II) a teacher or principal who
is evaluated is provided, based on the
evaluation results, professional
development opportunities that meet the
specific needs identified for the
teacher or principal, including
mentorship programs that use highly
effective teachers or principals as
leaders or coaches;
``(III) measures are taken to
ensure that the results of personally
identifiable teacher and principal
evaluations are not publicly disclosed,
except as required under subsection
(h);
``(IV) regular monitoring and
assessment of the quality, reliability,
validity, fairness, consistency, and
objectivity of the evaluation program
and the evaluators' judgments takes
place within and across local
educational agencies in the State;
``(V) each teacher's performance is
annually evaluated in accordance with
subparagraph (B);
``(VI) each principal's performance
is annually evaluated in accordance
with subparagraph (C);
``(VII) on the basis of the
evaluation, each teacher or principal
receives--
``(aa) a performance
rating, as described in clause
(i), that is based on multiple
measures;
``(bb) in the case of a
teacher, in addition to the
measures required under
subparagraph (B)--
``(AA) in a grade
level and subject area
with a statewide
assessment, a measure
of student learning
gains that is
comparable across the
State for all teachers
in grade levels and
subject areas with a
statewide assessment;
or
``(BB) in a grade
level and subject area
without a statewide
assessment, a measure
of student learning
comparable across the
local educational
agency for all teachers
in the same grade
without a statewide
assessment for
elementary schools and
for all teachers in the
same grade and subject
area without a
statewide assessment in
secondary schools;
``(cc) ongoing formative
feedback and specific
recommendations on areas for
professional improvement, which
includes an identification of
areas in which the teacher or
principal can strengthen
practices to improve student
learning;
``(dd) commendations for
excellence in areas of strong
performance and in areas of
significant improvement; and
``(ee) in the case of a
teacher or principal who is
identified as being in 1 of the
lowest 2 performance ratings
described in clause (i), a
comprehensive remediation plan
within set time parameters not
to exceed 1 year;
``(VIII) evaluation results are
clearly communicated to each teacher
and principal, and the steps, goals,
and requirements of a professional
development or remediation plan are
clearly communicated to the teacher or
principal;
``(IX) evaluation results are the
primary factor used in determining
layoffs during any reduction in force;
``(X) evaluation results are used
to ensure that low-income students and
minority students are not assigned at
higher rates than other students to
classes in core academic subjects
taught by teachers who have received
one of the two lowest evaluation rates
in their most recent evaluation;
``(XI) evaluation results are used
as the principal factor in informing
all key personnel and staffing
decisions, including decisions with
respect to tenure, promotion, and
retention;
``(XII) any teacher or principal
who receives the lowest evaluation
performance rating for 2 consecutive
years is subject to dismissal;
``(XIII) any teacher or principal
who receives the lowest performance
rating and does not successfully
improve performance on an evaluation
after completing the comprehensive
remediation plan as required under
subclause (VII)(ee) is prohibited from
working in any elementary school or
secondary school served under this
part;
``(XIV) any teacher or principal
who receives the second lowest
performance rating and does not
successfully improve performance on an
evaluation after completing such
comprehensive remediation plan is
prohibited from working in any
elementary school or secondary school--
``(aa) in a State-defined
turnaround status; or
``(bb) in the lowest 5
percent of schools based on its
performance against State-
defined student achievement
goals.
``(iii) A demonstration that each local
educational agency in the State has adopted a
local educational agency-wide teacher and
principal evaluation program that--
``(I) was developed after seeking
input from and collaborating with
teachers and principals;
``(II) meets the standards for
validity and reliability developed by
the State; and
``(III) meets the minimum
requirements set forth in clause (ii).
``(iv) A demonstration that each local
educational agency in the State is seeking
input from and collaborating with teachers and
principals to make improvements to the
evaluation program on an annual basis.
``(v) An assurance that the State will, on
a regular basis--
``(I) review the teacher and
principal evaluation systems used by
the local educational agencies in the
State, including--
``(aa) comparing the
teacher and principal
evaluation results, for each
agency and each agency's
schools, against the student
academic achievement and
student growth in the agency
and each agency's schools;
``(bb) assessing the extent
to which each local educational
agency's existing system
demonstrates meaningful
differentiation among teacher
performance levels and among
principal performance levels;
``(cc) comparing
implementation and results
across the evaluation systems
of local educational agencies
in the State to ensure--
``(AA)
comparability across
the State in
implementation of such
systems; and
``(BB) that such
systems meet the
State's criteria or
definitions for each of
the terms described in
clause (i); and
``(dd) assessing the extent
to which each local educational
agency is using its evaluation
system to inform major human
resource systems; and
``(II) provide technical assistance
to improve an agency's teacher and
principal evaluation system so that the
system provides meaningful
differentiation and is aligned with
student academic achievement and
student growth results in the agency
and in each of the agency's schools.
``(vi) An assurance that beginning 1 year
after the date of enactment of the STELLAR Act,
the State educational agency will submit to the
Secretary an annual report on implementation of
the State's evaluation programs.
``(vii) An assurance that the State will
publish a report each year showing the average
estimate of teacher impact on student growth
for each of the performance categories.
``(viii) An assurance that the State is
seeking input from teachers and principals on
the effectiveness of methods measuring student
growth and how to improve such methods.
``(ix) An assurance that processes and
procedures are established to ensure fairness
for nonprobationary teachers and principals
facing loss of employment due to an ineffective
rating in an evaluation program.
``(B) Requirements for teacher evaluations.--The
evaluation of a teacher's performance shall comply with
the following minimum requirements:
``(i) Student academic growth.--A
significant factor of the evaluation is based
on student academic growth with respect to the
State's academic standards, as measured by--
``(I) in predominant part, student
learning gains on the State's academic
assessments established under paragraph
(3) or, for grades and subjects not
covered by the State's academic
assessments, another valid and reliable
assessment of student academic
achievement as long as the assessment
is used consistently by the local
educational agency in which the teacher
is employed for the grade or subject
area for which the assessment is
administered;
``(II) at least one other valid and
reliable measure of student academic
achievement that is used consistently
across the local educational agency in
which the teacher is employed for the
grade or subject area being measured;
and
``(III) if available, value-added
measures that track individual student
academic growth while under the
instruction of the teacher.
``(ii) Observations of teacher
performance.--A portion of the evaluation is
based on observations of the teacher's
performance in the classroom by more than 1
trained and objective observer--
``(I) that take place on several
occasions during the school year in
which the teacher is being evaluated;
and
``(II) under which--
``(aa) a teacher is
evaluated against a rigorous
rubric that defines multiple
performance categories in
alignment with the State's
professional standards for
teachers and definition of
teacher and principal
effectiveness as specified in
clause (i); and
``(bb) observation ratings
meaningfully differentiate
among teachers' performance and
bear a relationship to evidence
of student academic growth with
respect to the State's academic
standards.
``(iii) Meaningful differentiation.--The
evaluation provides performance ratings that
meaningfully differentiate among teacher
performance using the performance ratings and
levels described in subparagraph (A)(i).
``(iv) Comparability of student gains.--The
evaluation provides a measure of student
learning gains that is comparable across the
State for all teachers in grade levels and
subject areas with a statewide assessment.
``(v) Comparability of results.--The
evaluation provides results that are
comparable, at a minimum, across all teachers
within a grade level or, for secondary schools,
for all teachers within a grade level and
subject area in the local educational agency in
which the teacher is employed.
``(C) Requirements for principal evaluations.--The
evaluation of the performance of a principal of a
school shall comply with the following minimum
requirements:
``(i) Student academic growth.--A
significant factor of the evaluation is based
on student academic growth attainment with
respect to the State's academic standards of
the school's students, including students in
each of the subgroups described in paragraph
(2)(C)(v)(II).
``(ii) Graduation rates.--For a principal
of a secondary school, a portion of the
evaluation is based on improvements in the
school's graduation rate as defined in section
200.19(b) of title 34, Code of Federal
Regulations as in effect on the date of
enactment of this paragraph, when applicable,
or in the case of a secondary school with a
graduation rate of more than 90 percent, the
success of the principal in maintaining such
graduation rate.
``(iii) Support of effective teachers.--A
portion of the evaluation is based on the
recruitment, development, evaluation, and
retention of effective teachers.
``(iv) Leadership abilities.--A portion of
the evaluation is based on the leadership
abilities of the principal, as measured by
observations of the principal and other
relevant data evaluated against a rigorous
rubric that defines multiple performance
categories in alignment with the State's
professional standards for principals.
``(v) Content of observation ratings.--The
observations described in clause (iv) provide
observation ratings that--
``(I) meaningfully differentiate
among principals' performance; and
``(II) bear a strong relationship
to evidence of student academic growth
with respect to the State's academic
standards.
``(vi) Meaningful differentiation.--The
evaluation provides performance ratings that
meaningfully differentiate among principal
performance using the performance ratings and
levels described in subparagraph (A)(i).
``(vii) Comparability of results.--The
evaluation provides results that are comparable
across all principals within the local
educational agency in which the principal is
employed.''.
(b) Additional State Plan Requirements.--Section 1111(b)(8)(C) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311(b)(8)(C)) is amended by inserting ``or teachers who received a
performance rating under the evaluation system described in paragraph
(11) that is in the bottom 2 performance levels'' after ``teachers''.
SEC. 4. PUBLIC REPORTING.
Section 1111(h) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(C)--
(A) in clause (vii), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(B) in clause (viii), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(ix) for each performance rating
established under clause (i), the number and
percentage of teachers, and the number and
percentage of principals, who received such
performance rating, for--
``(I) the State overall;
``(II) the highest poverty and
lowest poverty local educational
agencies; and
``(III) the highest minority and
lowest minority local educational
agencies.'';
(2) in paragraph (2)(B)--
(A) in clause (i)--
(i) in subclause (I), by striking ``and''
after the semicolon; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(III) for each performance rating
established under clause (i), the
number and percentage of teachers, and
the number and percentage of
principals, who received such
performance rating, for--
``(aa) the local
educational agency overall;
``(bb) the highest poverty
and lowest poverty schools; and
``(cc) the highest minority
and lowest minority schools;
and''; and
(B) in clause (ii)--
(i) in subclause (I), by striking ``and''
after the semicolon;
(ii) in subclause (II), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(III) for each performance rating
established under clause (i), the
number and percentage of teachers at
the school that received such
performance rating.'';
(3) in paragraph (4)--
(A) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' after
the semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (G), by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(H) the information required to be reported under
paragraphs (1)(C)(ix) and (2)(B)(i)(III); and
``(I) the overall student attendance rates,
including truancy, graduation, and dropout rates,
disaggregated by each school and each individual
teacher and individual principal at each school under
the jurisdiction of--
``(i) the State educational agency;
``(ii) the highest poverty and lowest
poverty local educational agencies;
``(iii) the highest minority and lowest
minority local educational agencies; and
``(iv) each local education agency,
including the highest and lowest poverty
schools and the highest minority and lowest
minority schools under the jurisdiction of the
agency.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection:
``(A) Highest minority.--The term `highest
minority' when used in relation to a school or local
educational agency means a school or local educational
agency that is in the highest quartile of schools or
local educational agencies statewide in terms of the
percentage of minority students served.
``(B) Highest poverty.--The term `highest poverty'
when used in relation to a school or local educational
agency means a school or local educational agency that
is in the highest quartile of schools or local
educational agencies statewide in terms of the
percentage of students who are certified as eligible
for free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et
seq.).
``(C) Lowest minority.--The term `lowest minority'
when used in relation to a school or local educational
agency means a school or local educational agency that
is in the lowest quartile of schools or local
educational agencies statewide in terms of the
percentage of minority students served.
``(D) Lowest poverty.--The term `lowest poverty'
when used in relation to a school or local educational
agency means a school or local educational agency that
is in the lowest quartile of schools or local
educational agencies statewide in terms of the
percentage of students who are certified as eligible
for free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et
seq.).
``(E) Student academic growth.--The term `student
academic growth' means the change in a student's
achievement between 2 or more points in time, as
measured through an approach that is statistically
rigorous and appropriate for the knowledge and skills
being measured.''.
SEC. 5. RECOGNITION OF LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.
The Secretary of Education shall, based on the information received
from each local educational agency report card under section
1111(h)(2)(B)(i)(III) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(h)(2)(B)(i)(III))--
(1) recognize and provide commendations to each local
educational agency that implements or has implemented
innovative, high-quality, and effective teacher or principal
evaluation programs that lead to professional development and
improved student performance; and
(2) establish a clearinghouse in the Department of
Education to share the best practices of such programs with
educators.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line