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Hudson City School District

 STLE | Program Summary Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and local unions collaborated to develop programs that focus on various elements of a strategically planned Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) Continuum, including preparation, recruitment and placement, induction and mentoring, evaluation, ongoing professional development/professional growth, performance management and career ladder pathways. | Focus & ImpactEach Local Education Agency (LEA) has identified measurable goals and outcomes aligned with their grant programs. Quantitative and qualitative data is meant to communicate the value and impact of this work by highlighting the reach of teacher and principal leaders, cost and time savings, as well as indicate the progress made towards the specific student achievement and talent management needs identified by each LEA. Program evaluation is ongoing; LEAs will continue to monitor impact through and beyond the grant period to better understand correlations between various district and building initiatives, the work of teacher and principal leaders, and the impact on student access and achievement.> | Career Ladder PathwaysEach LEA participating in STLE 2 or 3 was required to develop and implement or enhance career ladder pathways rooted in sound implementation of their evaluation systems. Career ladder pathways were based on a minimum of three “rungs” including: novice, professional, and leader levels that were associated with specific roles, responsibilities, and optional district-defined compensation incentives. | Sharing the WorkThe Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant has resulted in the development and sharing of a wide variety of tools, tips, and resources. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have been highlighted for their work through various media outlets and NYSED videos, and have also created tools and resources that are available to the field.

STLE Cohort

STLE 1 (October 31, 2012 – June 30, 2014)
STLE 3 (March 3, 2014 – June 30, 2015)

Total STLE Award

$467,229

STLE Profile

PDF icon Profile for Hudson City SD

District Links

Student and Staff Snaphot
State-Approved APPR Plan
District Website
Contact for More Information

STLE Program Summary   Local Education Agencies(LEAs) and local unions collaborated to develop programs that focus on various elements of a strategically planned Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) Continuum, including preparation, recruitment and placement, induction and mentoring, evaluation, ongoing professional development/professional growth, performance management and career ladder pathways.

Continuum Graphic

This graphic represents the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (TLE) continuum recommended by the New York State Education Department.

Program Summary

A primary goal of school reform in the Hudson City School District is to foster a district-wide culture of high expectations and high performance.  Creating this culture has been a central focus in the development of the district mission, vision, and goals, as well as specific targets for reaching those goals.  The mantra “Destination Graduation – Get on Board” is being used to focus all stakeholders on the importance of graduation as a goal for all students.  

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The role of the Lead Evaluator for Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) has been well accepted by diverse stakeholders in the district. This position supports differentiated professional development and the continued implementation of lessons, units, and instructional practices in the classroom, aligned to college and career ready standards.  The Lead Evaluator works with the Coordinator for School Improvement, Director of Student Services, and principals to observe teachers and provide follow-up coaching to ensure that professional development has an impact in the classroom. 

Teacher Leader Coaches began serving in their roles during the 2013-14 school year.  They have unique roles in the district, serving as math, English as a Second Language, technology, and data specialists. Their work involves peer coaching and mentoring other teachers, as well as offering professional development sessions to diverse groups of teachers. The STLE 3 grant allows Teacher Leader Coaches to continue to grow in their role through professional support provided throughout the school year.  Teachers and leaders are prepared and further developed for their career ladder pathway positions through coaching provided by district leaders, as well as professional development provided by The Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) and the Questar III Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

The principal career ladder pathways are new to the district.  Hudson believes that it must develop the leadership of all principals in order to successfully achieve its performance goals.  It is important that Highly Effective and Effective principals contribute to curriculum development, assessment design, and education policy.  Equally as important, Developing and Ineffective principals should receive mentoring and other supports from principal leaders to support their development.  Due to the small size of the district, leadership activities match the specific skillset of principals, since each demonstrates leadership in different areas. Hudson’s principal career ladder pathways were created to provide principals the opportunity to take on a district-wide initiative, allowing them to think about the K-12 system holistically instead of focusing solely on the work within their own building.  Principals who meet the requirements for selection and choose to serve in a career ladder pathway position have the opportunity to cultivate their leadership through district-wide initiatives and mentoring experiences.

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Promising Practice

  • Developed a strategic plan that measures the effectiveness of academic programs and operational systems as well as define opportunities for improvement on an annual basis.
  • Involved a multitude of stakeholders to ensure that the strategic direction is aligned with community and district values.
  • Partnered with educational partners and local higher education institutions dedicated to building teacher leaders.
  • Ensured that school-based professional learning is guided by teacher-directed professional development.

Sustainability

The Hudson City School District has used Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grants to fund the development and implementation of career ladder pathways. The district intends to maintain the Teacher Leader Coach positions beyond the life of the grant.  Associated costs for these positions are manageable because the district plans to keep the number of Teacher Leader Coaches at five. The district will use information from program evaluation and internal discussions to determine how the principal career ladder pathways might evolve in the future.  

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STLE Areas of Focus and Impact   Each Local Educational Agency (LEA) has identified measurable goals and outcomes aligned with their grant programs. Quantitative and qualitative data is meant to communicate the value and impact of this work by highlighting the reach of teacher and principal leaders, cost and time savings, as well as indicate the progress made towards the specific student achievement and talent management needs identified by each LEA. Program evaluation is ongoing; LEAs will continue to monitor impact through and beyond the grant period to better understand correlations between various district and building initiatives, the work of teacher and principal leaders, and the impact on student access and achievement.

This graphic represents the five common talent management challenges. LEAs may address one or more of the five common talent management challenges of preparing, recruiting, developing, retaining and providing equitable access to the most effective educators using career ladder pathways.

Reach

  • 5 Teacher Leaders directly impact 108 teachers which impact 1,861 students
  • 2 Principal Leaders directly impact 4 principals which impact 120 teachers which impact 1,861 students

Areas of Focus

The Hudson City School District set out to address the common talent management challenges of developing and retaining the most effective educators through their career ladder pathway model.    

Common Talent Management Challenges

Common Talent Management Challenge Local Educational Agency (LEA) Efforts
Development

Professional development opportunities are tailored to the specific needs of teachers and buildings based on the Lead Evaluator’s findings in collaboration with district staff. In addition, the Lead Evaluator facilitates professional development on the college and career ready standards for teachers who receive a rating of Developing or Ineffective. This position has been vital to the successful implementation of the district career ladder pathways through the support of principals and teachers. Professional development plans, grounded in evidence-based practice, are designed to target identified strengths and weaknesses in order to train teachers and ultimately improve student outcomes. Consistent with these efforts, a four day Summer Institute for all teachers focused on various workshops related to the college and career ready standards and differentiated instruction. The STLE 3 grant allowed Teacher Leader Coaches to continue to grow in their role through professional support provided throughout the school year.  Teachers and leaders are prepared and further developed for their career ladder pathway positions through coaching provided by district leaders as well as professional development provided by The Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) and the Questar III Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).
Retention

The Hudson City School District was faced with staffing challenges due to limited budgetary resources when they applied for the STLE 1 grant.  The career ladder pathway positions, created and refined through the STLE grant, were intended to provide additional opportunities for Effective and Highly Effective educators. Hudson created career ladder pathways that include formal and informal recognition to help in the retention of effective educators across the district, including providing monetary recognition for work outside of the school day (e.g., $3,000 stipend for Teacher Leader Coaches, and $3,000 stipend for Principal Leaders).

Other Areas of Focus

Other Areas of Focus Local Educational Agency (LEA) Efforts
Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR)

Hudson City School District’s Lead Evaluator for APPR position, established under STLE 1 and continuing through STLE 3, has been designed to support principals within the district in the evaluation process under APPR as well as provide professional development to the faculty at large during K-12 professional development days.  In addition, the Lead Evaluator works with the Coordinator for School Improvement, Director of Student Services and principals to observe teachers and follow-up on findings with coaching to ensure that professional development reaches into the classroom. The Lead Evaluator helps foster a common language district-wide, facilitating and promoting clear expectations for leadership and instruction that are firmly rooted in the district’s evaluation rubrics. The Lead Evaluator also facilitates calibration amongst observers and across subjects and grades, ensuring consistent implementation of their approved APPR plan. The district reports that the Lead Evaluator role has been well accepted by diverse stakeholders. 
College and Career Readiness Standards in ELA and Math

As part of their roles and responsibilities in Hudson City School District, Teacher Leader Coaches assist colleagues in implementing curriculum aligned with the college and career ready standards, using technology, and evidence-based strategies. They serve as a resource for staff across grades and subject areas by providing information and training on research-based best practices, increasing access to appropriate resources, and conducting action research as needed.
Evidence-Based Instruction

Through the work of the Lead Evaluator and the Teacher Leader Coach positions, professional development plans, grounded in evidence-based practice, are designed to target identified strengths and weaknesses in order to train teachers and ultimately improve student outcomes. The Teacher Leader Coaches also assist their peers with applying the New York State (NYS) Teaching Standards, developing curriculum aligned to the college and career ready standards, modeling instructional practices, and using evidence to improve instruction. One of the Teacher Leader Coaches specifically focuses on data, helping teachers understand Response to Intervention (RtI) and progress monitoring by facilitating after-school PD on RtI. 

Areas of Impact

The Hudson City School District has identified quantitative and qualitative impact data that it has seen and hopes to realize since implementing career ladder pathways and related STLE grant activities. 

Areas of Impact

Initial Student Impact
  • Increased the 4-year graduation rate by 12% from June 2012 to June 2014, demonstrating the district is on track to meet its goal of 15% over 3 years.
  • Increased the number of students that demonstrated reading proficiency in grades K-2 by 12% from 2013 to 2014.
  • Increased the number of students that demonstrated proficiency on New York State Grades 3-8 assessments by 3% in English Language Arts (ELA) and 2% in math from 2012-13 to 2013-14.
Early Impact on Talent Management System
  • Increased the percent of Highly Effective and Effective State-Provided Growth Ratings of educators in the district by 35% from 2012-13 to 2013-14.
  • Increased participation in the district’s Summer Institute by 18% for the 2013-14 school year.
  • 100% of Teacher Leader Coaches have been retained in their leadership positions after the first year of implementation in 2013-14. Teacher Leader Coaches are providing on-going, targeted support based on evaluation data to over 100 educators.

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Career Ladder Pathways   Each LEA participating in STLE 2 or 3 was required to develop and implement or enhance career ladder pathways rooted in sound implementation of their evaluation systems.  Career ladder pathways were based on a minimum of three “rungs” including: novice, professional, and leader levels that were associated with specific roles, responsibilities, and optional district-defined compensation incentives.

Career ladder pathways are a systematic, coordinated approach to provide new and sustained leadership opportunities with additional compensation, recognition, and/or job embedded professional development for teachers and principals in order to advance excellent teaching and learning.

Teacher Career Ladder Pathway

Teacher Title Roles and Reponsibilities Compensation Number Serving in Role in 2014-15
Novice Teacher
  • Design and deliver lesson plans that align to the district's curriculum scope and sequence.
  • Meet targets and goals set by Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR).
  • Attend meetings and conferences and participate in all professional development as required.
  • Meet regularly with a Mentor Teacher.
  • Build relationships with students and develop an understanding of community and culture.
 Salary per Teacher Contract

12
Professional Teacher
  • All Novice Teacher roles and responsibilities.
  • Opportunity to mentor a Novice Teacher.
  • Opportunity to mentor a student teacher.
  • Opportunity to seek Grade Level Chair or Department Head Position(s).
 Salary per Teacher Contract

140
Teacher Leader

Teacher Leader Coach:

  • All Professional Teacher roles and responsibilities.
  • Attend monthly Teacher Leader Coach meetings.
  • Plan collaboratively with teachers and administrators.
  •  Present at in-house conferences and workshops.
  • Assist teachers with lesson development, instruction aligned to college and career ready standards, and support those on Teacher Improvement Plans.
 $3,000 annual stipend

5

Principal Career Ladder Pathway

Principal Title Roles and Reponsibilities Compensation Number Serving in Role in 2014-15
Novice Principal
  • Manage building level responsibilities.
  • Serve as instructional leaders in the building.
  • Develop community and cultural awareness as well as develop human resource skills.
  • Meet targets and goals set for building-level improvement.
  • Seek and participate in relevant professional development.
 Salary per Administrator Contract 1
Professional Principal
  • All responsibilities for Novice Principal.
  • Mentor Novice Principals.
  • Conduct professional development for teachers within each building.
 Salary per Administrator Contract 2
Principal Leader
  • All responsibilities for Professional Principal.
  • Coordinate district-wide initiatives as selected from a menu of options based on student and educator needs.
  • Mentor a Professional Principal.
  • Eligible to apply for Central Office position, if available.
 $2,000-$5,000 annual stipend 2

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Sharing the Work   The Strengthening Teacher and Leader Effectiveness (STLE) grant has resulted in the development and sharing of a wide variety of tools, tips, and resources. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have been highlighted for their work through various media outlets and NYSED videos, and have also created tools and resources that are available to the field.

Resources

  • The Hudson City School District 2013-16 Professional Development Plan, aligned to the district’s vision and designed to address key target areas and includes a method for evaluating professional development activities.  Representatives from the district-wide Professional Development Planning Committee are involved in the ongoing planning, delivery and evaluation of staff development throughout the school year. This committee includes district staff, teachers, and administrative representation as well as one representative from the local community college. The representatives act as liaisons to the building-based school improvement teams and faculty members in each building. The Professional Development Plan recognizes and targets both district-wide and building-based initiatives
  • The Summer Institute designed and implemented by Hudson City School District is a resource for LEAs seeking to implement a multiday summer professional development program for educators that aligns with the district vision and professional development plan, as well as with the needs of district educators.  This agenda provides descriptions of the workshops that were offered in 2014. 
  • 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.
  • 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

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. 

Local Media

We encourage you to continue to contribute to the on-going conversation on Twitter by sharing your work using #STLE.

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