Student Learning Objectives -SLOs
Student Growth Measures and OTES
Gail Martino
Consultant
Stark County Educational Service
Center
The time to do this is NOW!
(Implementation Year will be here before we
know it!)
Stark County Educational
Service Center
• Serves 21 local, city, and exempted village
districts in northeastern Ohio
• Pilot included 52 Art and 51 Music teachers
• Art Advisory Committee and Music Advisory
Committee – met before and after summer
SLO writing sessions
• Submitted more than 50 Art SLOs and 50
Music SLOs
OUR PROCESS
• Six full days for Art Teachers; six full days for
Music Teachers (July and August)
• One hour PPT introduction; an in-depth look
at Student Growth Models and Student
Learning Objective (SLO) for anyone who had
not been in a session yet
• Used online template and checklist
• Sent completed work in for feedback for first
few days
Our Process (continued)
• Teachers ALWAYS worked in teams – three of
more when possible
• “Finished” SLOs were reviewed a FINAL time
using the checklist
• Advisory Committees reviewed all SLOs one
final time before they were submitted
What is our task?
To develop Student Learning Objectives
(SLOs) for each grade and course that do
NOT have Value Added data or data from
an assessment on the ODE Approved
Vendor List – and for some of those, too!!
What is an “SLO”?
A measurable, long-term academic
goal informed by available data that a
teacher or teacher team sets at the
beginning of the year for all students
or subgroups of students.
An SLO is one of 3 types of STUDENT
GROWTH MEASURES. (handout)
Why are we doing this?
• ODE requirements related to new teacher
evaluation - OTES
• To improve and track student achievement
• To be a part of the process – to have input into
what we teach and how we know what
students have learned
“SLOs are our FRIENDS!” R.R.
How are we doing this?
• Working together in teams using the ODE’s
template and tools
• Following the ODE’s directives; using the
checklist
• Piloting; discussing; revising
What else do we know about SLOs?
• Must reflect BIG ideas; most important grade
level or course learning (Power Standards?)
• Must reflect 21st century learning
• Must be standards-based
• Must use ODE’s template and
checklist
• SLOs will be different for most
teachers – will be tailored to fit
the students and the situation
What are the specifics about the
assessments?
• May include multiple measures
Written, performance, portfolio
• Authentic assessment – objective attainment
of learning included in the SLO
• Pre/post (Growth model)
What is included in an SLO?
The template is found on the ODE website:
http://www.ode.state.oh.us
Click on “Educator Evaluation”
And then “Student Growth Measures”
The TEMPLATE and the SLO Checklist MUST BE
USED TOGETHER
SLO COMPONENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Baseline and Trend Data
Student Population
Interval of Instruction
Standards and Content
Assessment(s)
Growth Target(s)
Rationale for Growth Targets
ASSESSMENTS
• Best if teachers do not create their own
assessment, but this might have to occur in some
cases.
• Assessments can be state tests that do NOT have
Value Added data.
• Assessments should measure higher level
thinking skills.
• Assessments should be representative of total
content.
• ODE has a NEW checklist for selecting
assessments.
Are there rules or non-negotiables?
• The Ohio Department of Education suggests 2 to 4
SLOs per teacher. SLOs must be representative of
teacher’s overall teaching assignment.
• SLOs must be based on ODE’s Student Growth Model –
demonstrating objective measurement of student
achievement of the SLO.
• SLOs must be broad enough to encompass the most
essential learning for each grade and course, including
the content standards related to that learning.
• SLOs must also be specific enough to measure student
growth and provide data to demonstrate that growth.
• Districts may study the SLOs recommended by
the SCESC pilot and other pilots and then
make adjustments as needed to meet district’s
needs.
• Each district must approve SLOs for each
grade or course not covered completely by
Value-Added measures or the ODE Approved
Vendor List. SLOs must be finalized by
November, 2013.
Timeline
2012-2013
Writing Year and PILOT YEAR
(Implementation Year for RttT
Districts that fully implement OTES!)
2013-2014
Implementation Year for ALL OTHER
DISTRICTS (as part of the OTES) –
unless contract dates overlap.
What’s NEW?
• Teachers will use a “Scoring Calculator” to
report data from SLOs.
• Teachers enter SLO data into a spreadsheet.
• This Scoring Calculator is found in Appendix A
of the SLO Guidance Document on the ODE
SLO site.
• SLO data must be reported by mid-April of
reporting years for eTPES reporting by May 1.
IMPORTANT TOOLS on ODE Site
• Steps for Designing a Local Student Growth
Plan
• SLO Template
• SLO Checklist
• (MUST READ and RE-READ) Guide to Using
Student Learning Objectives
• Educator Evaluator Updates on ODE website
(Check regularly!)
Additional Resources
• Sample SLOs for MUSIC and ART in SCESC
website
• Sample SLOs from other pilot districts
• SLO shared by districts in the Stark County
region (may be posted on the SCESC website)
Teachers Need…….
• Time to develop SLOs. Every teacher should
create at least one.
• Time to work together across the district to
create and/or edit sample SLOs
• Time to pilot the SLOs – particularly if new
assessments have been created or obtained.
• Regularly scheduled time to discuss the SLOs
and the students’ progress throughout the
year.
FIRST STEPS for District Administrators
• Read/study the documents on the ODE web
site.
• Formulate a district plan – for each teacher –
which SGMs and how many.
• Create a system for building/district approval
of SLOs.
• Refer to ODE’s Educator Evaluation website
regularly for updates and Teacher Tools.
First Steps (continued)
• Strive to enable every teacher to have someone in
their area with whom to collaborate to develop/finalize
SLOs.
• Strive for consistency across the district whenever
possible.
• Remind teachers that SLOs are NOT TESTS for which
students cram or study. Pre-assessments should not be
GRADED.
• Remind teachers that we have SLOs so that teachers
will use the best possible instruction and so that
students will all learn and demonstrate growth.
eTPES – Ohio Teacher and Principal
Evaluation System
• Electronic reporting system
• Value Added data will be populated
by ODE.
• All other SGM data will be entered
by LEA.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PILOT
• Many teachers do not have baseline data or
trend data.
• Creating assessments is challenging; ODE
support in SLO Guide is helpful!
• Teachers really NEED to work together to
create SLOs.
• Teachers MUST use
the SLO checklist.
More lessons learned….
• Setting targets is a different concept for most
teachers. Difficult to do when you have not
given the assessment yet.
• Some teachers have hundreds of students and
need to consider how to assess and document
that assessment.
More lessons learned…
• Teachers need to think about creating or
implementing assessments that do NOT take
up a great deal of instructional time –
especially those who only see students once
each week.
• Districts need to address how to handle
students who come in after school starts – or
mid-year
Final Words of Advice
1. Stay calm.
2. Educate EVERYONE. Involve EVERYONE.
Encourage EVERYONE. Support EVERYONE.
3. Say the word “Rigor” as often as possible.
4. Be flexible. Be patient.
5. Check the ODE website regularly for updates
6. PRAY HARD.
7. Lead with courage and be positive.
8. Smile and laugh as often as possible.
9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. No one can do all
of this alone. 
Thanks for your kind attention!