| History and Overview |
In May of 1984, the Arizona State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1095, A Career Ladder Plan for Teachers, in an attempt to reform education by making the teaching profession more attractive and teachers more effective. The Amphitheater School District also recognized the need for education reform and was one of seven school districts to receive funds from the Arizona State Legislature to develop a Career Ladder plan. For five years the Legislature continued the program as a “pilot,” assessing its impact on student achievement.
Then in 1990, based on program evaluation results, which illustrated significant gains in student academic achievement, the Legislature voted to continue the program on a permanent basis.
Amphitheater’s Career Ladder program began with an emphasis on teachers’ instructional skills and student learning as defined in the Amphitheater Teacher Performance Evaluation System. In 1989-90, a small group of teachers began experimentation with a student outcomes-only component. The years 1990-91 and 1991-92 reflected the development and expansion of that concept. In 1992-93 and 1993-94, the program retained its emphasis on student outcomes, but added a component of teacher self-identification of instructional skills and professional development necessary to support student outcomes.
Beginning in the 2001-2002 school year, a fast track option was made available for teachers in the Instructional Skills and Student Outcomes Levels. Teachers at the Entry to Instructional Skills Module who receive ratings of at least two 3's and no 1's or 0's for their spring ratings, in the first four areas of the district evaluation instrument, may choose to skip the Instructional Skills Module the next year and begin Entry to Student Outcomes.
In 1994-95, the Career Ladder program continued its evolution by emphasizing the critical ability of teachers to become more reflective about their practice and to examine their repertoire of instructional skills and body of knowledge about teaching and learning in order to positively impact students. Additionally, collecting and analyzing student achievement data in order to continuously improve results for students were emphasized.
From 1994-95 through the present, emphasis is placed on using the continuous improvement process for setting academic outcomes while collecting and analyzing the data relative to those outcomes. After analyzing the data, teachers reflected on the implications of their instructional methodology.
The 1994 Arizona Senate Bill 1186 required that there be provisions requiring all teachers new to the district to be evaluated for the Career Ladder program. The Residency Module implements that requirement by providing
classroom observations, and staff development workshops.
After extensive study and research, the 1998-99 Career Ladder program was modified to include a Collaborative Action Research Level for teachers who successfully completed the Student Outcomes Module. This level also includes four other options for teachers who are successful at Collaborative Action Research Module for at least two years. The options are Full Review, Staff Development, Semester Research and Mentoring.
Amphitheater’s Career Ladder program has continuously evolved through the years to better meet its mission, “to bring out the best in students by bringing out the best in teachers.”
CAREER LADDER PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Career Ladder Program is organized into eight modules: each one lasting one school year. A fast-track component is available for teachers who meet the standard(s) through a portfolio review by Career Ladder staff.
Year 1-Residency Module: All teachers are required to participate in a district teacher-training program. This program focuses on learning new skills and applying those skills in the classroom.
Year 2-Entry to Instructional Skills Module: Teachers focus on the use of learned instructional knowledge and the demonstration of effective
instructional skills.
Year 3-Instructional Skills Module: Teachers focus on expansion of the instructional knowledge and the use of effective instructional skills.
Year 4-Entry to Student Outcomes Module: Teachers focus on targeting significant student learning goals as well as the knowledge and application of effective assessment practices.
Year 5-Student Outcomes Year Two Module: Teachers focus on expanding their skills in targeting student learning goals and the application of effective assessment practices to validate student learning.
Year 6-Student Outcomes Year Three Module: The standards and expectations of Student Outcomes Year Two are expanded and include higher teacher and student performance expectations.
Year 7-Entry to Collaborative Action Research Module: Teachers are encouraged to work in collaborative groups to direct and expand their own learning by reading professional literature and applying validated research strategies both teacher and student learning.
Year 8-Collaborative Action Research Module: Teachers are encouraged to raise their instructional standards by applying validated research and to set higher student performance expectations based on collaborative discussions.
Teachers new to Amphitheater and new to the profession are automatically placed in the Residency Module. Teachers who are new to the district and who have one year of district-recognized teaching experience may qualify for the Entry Level to Instructional Skills Module. All district teachers new to the Career Ladder Program will also be placed at the Entry to Instructional Skills Module. All teachers progress to each successive module pending satisfactory completion of the program requirements.
Beginning in the 2001-2002 school year, a fast track option was made available for teachers in the Instructional Skills and Student Outcomes Levels. Teachers at the Entry to Instructional Skills Module who receive ratings of at least two 3's and two 2's in Pre Instruction, Presentation, Learning Environment Student Learning, with Professionalism rated at least a 1, have the opportunity to move directly to Entry to Student Outcomes (fast track).
Teachers at the Student Outcomes Level Year Two and Three are evaluated on the Teacher Evaluation Rubric for Student Outcomes Mastery that determines the placement for the following year. When the evaluation is at the Mastery Level on the rubric for all dialogue sessions of Student Outcomes Level Year Two, the teacher may begin Entry to Collaborative Action Research the following year (fast track). When the evaluation is at the Practitioner Level on the rubric by the end of Student Outcomes Level Year Three, the teacher may begin Entry to Collaborative Action Research the following year.
In 2002-2003, successful CAR Module teachers have four options available in conjunction with a required Modified Student Outcomes Plan. The options are: a full review of instructional skills; mentoring of other teachers; delivery of staff development; or a semester of study followed by a semester of
implementation when changing focus question or content area.
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