Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness

Since the summer of 2012, the $83 million in funds under the Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant have helped Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) take a comprehensive systems approach to prepare, recruit, develop, retain and provide equitable access to the most effective teachers and principals as part of their implementation of the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) system. 

Follow these links to read the STLE Request for Proposal(s):

• STLE 1 (October 31, 2012 – June 30, 2014)
• STLE 2 (October 1, 2013 – June 30, 2015)
• STLE 3 (March 3, 2014 – June 30, 2015)
• STLE D (November 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015) 

The $83 million Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant program has met with great success.  Throughout the four grant cohorts (STLE 1, STLE 2, STLE 3, and STLE Dissemination Grant: Principal Leadership), Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), representing approximately one-third of all districts and BOCES in the State, focused on strategically increasing teacher and leader effectiveness.

STLE grants, across the state, impacted approximately:

• 221 LEAs (including districts, BOCES, consortium component districts, and a public charter school)
• .5 million students
• 42,000 teachers
• 1,000 principals

Each lead recipient of the Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant submitted a program abstract, summarizing the initiatives that grant funds would support.  Details include what student and talent management needs were to be addressed through grant funded activities, specifically describing how high needs students and shortage areas would be affected.  Grantees describe the goals and measurable objectives of their unique program, as well as describe how the initiatives fit into a cohesive and comprehensive Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) system. 

Follow these links to read the grant abstracts and learn more about individual STLE programs:

• STLE 1 (October 31, 2012 – June 30, 2014)
• STLE 2 (October 1, 2013 – June 30, 2015)
• STLE 3 (March 3, 2014 – June 30, 2015)
• STLE D (November 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015)

• To learn more about the Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE)  grant program and to access additional resources for career ladder pathways visit: EngageNY: Improving Practice Landing Page

Videos:

• To hear educators from across New York describe how the STLE grants are driving professional development and student achievement, watch: Video: Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness
• Teacher Leaders model, mentor, coach, observe, exchange information, and support their colleagues. To learn about the diverse roles and responsibilities of teacher leaders across New York State, watch: Video: Perspectives from STLE Grantees: What Is a Teacher Leader?
• To hear how school leaders and educators from the Greece Central School District and Huntington Union Free School District reflect on the ways in which they are using comprehensive talent management systems and career ladder pathways to help ensure all students have equitable access to the most effective educators, watch:  Video: Studio Reflections on How to Ensure Equitable Access to the Most Effective Educators
• Watch how Freeport Union Free School District and Ballston Spa School District are using Teacher Leaders, funded through the Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant, to expand Science, Engineering, Math and Technology (STEM) education across their districts:  Video: STLE Grants Helping to Expand STEM Education across Districts
• In this video collection, school leaders and educators from the Greece Central School District share the specific objectives they set out to reach with career ladder pathways, supported by the STLE grant. To hear how they outlined their team approach, design thinking and future of innovation as well as how they describe the journey of challenges, messaging, turning points, watch:  Video: The Development of Career Pathways in Greece Central School District
• Watch how "Focus Walks" are successfully helping the Huntington Union Free School District collect data, analyze educator needs, and drive professional development offerings, supported by a STLE grant:  Video: "Focus Walks" Foster Professional Growth in Huntington
• Watch how South Huntington Union Free School District is successfully using Teacher and Principal Leaders to engage families as partners in education through the STLE grant:  Video: Family Engagement in South Huntington 
• To see how Fort Ann Central School District is successfully developing and supporting effective teachers and school leaders through the STLE grant, watch:  Video: Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Grant Program

Toolkits:

• To access a compilation of information, tools, and tips shared by national experts and districts engaged in this work at the July 2014 Convening, “Engage-Envision-Elevate: From Initiatives to Systems”, visit: July 2014 Convening, “Engage-Envision-Elevate: From Initiatives to Systems” Toolkit
• The New York State Career Ladder Pathways Toolkit, a new, interactive, web-based toolkit that includes profiles of adaptable career ladder pathways models, resources, and best practices to help address the five common talent management challenges that contribute significantly to equitable access , resources that will help LEAs implement the Department’s recommended framework and steps to design and implement robust career ladder pathways.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs):

• The Using Evaluation for Improvement: Assessing and Building Capacity webinar is a part of the series of sessions scheduled over the course of the year to support those participating in the STLE-Dissemination Grant: Principal Leadership (STLE-D) program as they work to enhance the implementation of their APPR system. Tools, resources, and concrete examples were provided to help districts move past the traditional post-professional development perception surveys and move to a deep analysis of the impact of professional development efforts on teaching and learning.
• This Making SLOs Matter: Supporting Meaningful, Rigorous Goal-Setting webinar is a part of the series of sessions scheduled over the course of the year to support those participating in the STLE-Dissemination Grant: Principal Leadership (STLE-D) program as they work to enhance the implementation of their APPR system. Trends and patterns identified through the thorough review of participants’ SLO samples are highlighted, leading to a discussion of misperceptions and common challenges in the development of high quality SLOs. 
• The Sustaining the Reach of Our Most Effective Educators webinar includes information from two local grantees as they share their experiences in working towards sustainability of initiatives post-grant period while also highlighting models, experiences, and reflections from those involved in extending the reach of effective educators across the nation.
• The Enhancing Family Engagement webinar allowed for the close examination of resources and examples of how districts across New York State, including STLE grantees, are engaging families. This webinar provides districts time to reflect upon current family engagement efforts, identify areas of strength and areas that could be enhanced, and strategically plan possible next steps for strengthening the home-school connection at the district, building, and/or classroom level. 

The Office of Teacher/Principal Quality & Professional Development invites you to submit tools and resources to STLE@nysed.gov that will further help the field, including but not limited to: gap analysis templates, career ladder pathway design principles, communication plans, description of sample roles and responsibilities, tools that help gauge the return on investment and strategies for program evaluation.  We also encourage you to continue to contribute to the on-going conversation on Twitter by sharing your work using #STLE.