2016

November

In support of MDE’s November 7th Mississippi Equity Institute, SECC worked with MDEto develop an interactive Gallery Walk plenary session focusing on teacher retention.Gallery Walk topics were identified, as was the process to be followed. Additionally,SECC conducted a session on Teaching Conditions with the priority schools of theMississippi Delta region at the Mississippi Equity Institute. SECC also workedintensively (via virtual meetings, conference calls, and emails) with MDE to prepare forthe upcoming December 1-2 national meeting, Talent for Turnaround LeadershipAcademy (T4TLA). Mississippi’s state team was identified, as were the two participatingdistrict teams. Members of the T4TLA Mississippi team attended the November 1stT4TLA kick-off webinar to receive updates and foundational information about thenational meeting, pre-meeting resources and expectations, and related modes ofcommunication. A virtual November 11th T4TLA Mississippi Team Orientation Meetingprovided an overview of the upcoming talent for turnaround national meeting,anticipated outcomes, and related pre-meeting expectations. SECC and MDE staffagain met virtually on November 21st to discuss the content of the data templatessubmitted by the state and one of the school districts. During the meeting a strategy forMDE support of the districts in acquiring additional data needed for the meeting wasdiscussed. A follow-up virtual November 29th T4TLA Mississippi Team Planning Meetingwas conducted to discuss the status of pre-meeting requirements and to finalize keylogistical information regarding the posting of pre-meeting data templates, strategicplans, and equity plans.October 2016

October

On October 5, SECC participated in a virtual meeting with MDE and the Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL) Center at AIR regarding an equity institute MDE is planning for administrators in the Mississippi Delta region at Mississippi Valley State University. The session will focus on research on eight conditions leaders can influence to foster the cultivation of strong leaders who will strive to achieve equity as well as related easy-to-use tools and resources. Draft session ideas will be shared with MDE for review and feedback prior to finalization. Subsequent to the October 5 meeting, GTL Center staff identified the session presenter, and MDE selected November 7 as the date for the equity institute. MDE staff and the presenter communicated regarding logistics. A follow-up conference call between SECC staff and the presenter occurred October 28. Additionally, Mississippi was selected to participate in the Talent for Turnaround Leadership Academy, which will allow the state to collaborate to design and implement innovative talent management strategies to attract, support, and retain excellent educators in the highest need, lowest performing schools. SECC notified MDE of the SECC staff member who will be supporting the state in the T4TLA work. Furthermore, SECC shared with MDE the new GTL Center resource, Defining Ineffective Teacher Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): A Discussion Guide.

August

During August, SECC staff continued to finalize the Year Five work plan, which includes prospective projects and outcomes for the 2016–2017 SECC calendar year. At the request of the Office of the Teacher Center at MDE, SECC staff served on the MDE’s Blue Ribbon Panel Review for the Milken Educator Awards. The Milken Educator Awards celebrate and empower outstanding educators and is considered by many to be the premiere teacher recognition program. 

July

On July 18, SECC staff presented at the Mississippi Equity Conference. Staff facilitated two Cultural Competency concurrent sessions and a closing plenary session, Putting It All Together: Equity Strategies for Your District. SECC staff also assisted with the facilitation of the Data-Driven Analyses: Using Data for Decision Making concurrent sessions. Additionally, SECC staff assisted MDE in the planning of the opening plenary panel, ESSA and Educator Equity: National, Community, and District Perspectives, by participating in conference calls and a planning webinar as well as with the development of panel questions. On July 29, MDE key leadership and SECC staff held a Year Five Work Plan meeting to discuss the prospective projects and outcomes for the 2016–2017 SECC calendar year.

June

SECC staff collaborated in preparing presentations for the July 18, 2016, Mississippi Equity Conference. Staff will present two Cultural Competency concurrent sessions, and a closing plenary session, Putting It All Together: Equity Strategies for Your District. Presentations and accompanying handouts were developed and submitted to the Mississippi Department of Education for copying. SECC staff also will assist with the facilitation of the Data-Driven Analyses: Using Data for Decision Making concurrent sessions. Additionally, SECC supported the participation of three MDE staff members, who are responsible for equitable access and school turnaround initiatives, at AIR/WestEd’s June 15–17 national meeting, Talent for Turnaround: Support for Systemic Change. The meeting’s purpose was to maximize the roles of highly effective teachers and leaders to promote systemic change in low-performing schools across state and local school turnaround efforts. The Mississippi team participated in plenary and breakout sessions, as well as three team working sessions, which were facilitated by the SECC Mississippi state liaison. During Mississippi’s final team working session, five next steps were identified, including the persons responsible, the resources needed, and the timeline for completion.

May

During the May SECC Advisory Board Meeting, a SECC staff member presented highlights about the Mississippi Educator Effectiveness project. MDE reached out to SECC staff to assist with the planning of an equity conference. This conference is scheduled for July 18 and will replace the June 30 equity lab workshop. Three of MDE’s staff are planning to attend the national meeting: Talent for Turnaround: Support for Systemic Change. This meeting will take place June 15–17 and will be hosted by the American Institutes for Research and WestEd. In addition, SECC staff shared information with MDE personnel about an upcoming webinar entitled, “Voices From the Field: Early Experiences With State Equity Plan Implementation.” The webinar will be conducted by the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and the Northeast Comprehensive Center on June 22.

April

During April, SECC staff provided MDE with an article resource, How Do School Districts Mentor New Teachers, which discusses the practices and issues for new teacher mentoring programs for five SEAs. In addition, SECC staff shared information about the public review of the Educators Rising Standards. Educators Rising is a national program that works to help communities grow their own educators from their existing student populations. As one method to implement the state’s equity plan, MDE has selected to incorporate the strategies of Educators Rising. SECC will sponsor the attendance of MDE staff at a national meeting, Talent for Turnaround: Support for Systemic Change. This meeting will take place June 15–17 and be hosted by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and WestEd. SECC staff will also serve as critical friends during Mississippi’s second Equity Lab, which is scheduled for June 30.

March

On March 18, staff members from the U.S. Department of Education, MDE, and SECC participated in a webinar to prepare for an Equity Lab workshop. The webinar provided an overview of the Excellent Educators for All initiative, the Mississippi State Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators, and the goals of the Equity Lab. On March 29, SECC staff served as critical friends during the Mississippi Equity Lab. During the lab, Mississippi district personnel worked with colleagues from other districts to develop action plans to implement strategies to increase access to quality educators.

February

On February 11, staff members from MDE and SECC served as facilitators for the February Educator Effectiveness Steering Committee Meeting #4. During this meeting, stakeholders’ subcommittees discussed rubric revisions to the Mississippi Educator Evaluation Systems for principals, teachers, counselors, speech-language pathologists, librarians, and student services staff members, respectively. In addition, SECC staff members met briefly with the director of Teacher Recruitment to discuss possible next steps in the implementation of Mississippi’s equity plan strategies. 

January

On January 7, team members from MDE, the Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL) Center, and SECC held a collaborative planning conference call. The purpose of the call was to confirm the agenda for the January Educator Effectiveness Steering Committee Meeting #3. Staff from the SECC, the GTL Center, and MDE served as facilitators at the January 14 meeting, where educator stakeholders discussed recommendations for revisions to the Mississippi educator evaluation systems. The following evaluation instruments are under review: the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES), the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES), the Mississippi Counselor Appraisal Rubric (M-CAR), the Mississippi Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluation, the Mississippi Librarian Evaluation Instrument, and the Mississippi Student Services Appraisal Rubric (M-SSAR). In addition, SECC staff initiated the building of a collaborative relationship between MDE staff and the Equitable Access Support Network (EASN). On January 15, an initial conference call was held with staff from MDE, EASN, and SECC to discuss the progress and next steps of equitable access work in Mississippi. The next Educator Effectiveness Steering Committee Meeting #4 will be conducted February 11.

2015

December

The MDE Educator Effectiveness steering committee held a meeting on December 3. The committee members have been charged with examining and recommending changes for the following evaluation instruments: the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES), the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES), the Mississippi Counselor Appraisal Rubric (M-CAR), the Mississippi Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluation, the Mississippi Librarian Evaluation Instrument, and the Mississippi Student Services Appraisal Rubric (M-SSAR). During the December meeting, SECC staff provided meeting facilitation and organizational support. On December 16, SECC staff participated in a planning conference call with colleagues from MDE and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders. This call was to coordinate and plan the agenda for the next Educator Effectiveness steering committee meeting, which is scheduled for January 14, 2016. In addition to assisting with meeting planning, SECC staff also provided MDE with an e-mail of resources related to equitable access plan implementation and professional learning modules. 

November

On November 13, MDE, SECC, and staff from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL) held a conference call to plan the second meeting of the Educator Effectiveness steering committee. The second meeting is scheduled for December 3, 2015. SECC staff will provide meeting facilitation assistance during the meeting. GTL will serve as a thought partner and provide research resources and expertise, as needed. A second call was held with MDE on November 30. On this conference call, SECC and MDE staff finalized plans for the December meeting. In addition, SECC staff provided MDE with educator effectiveness research resources that will be shared with steering committee members.

October

On October 9, MDE and SECC staff held a conference call to discuss the direction and objectives of the steering committee that will be convened to examine all the Mississippi educator evaluation systems. A second call was held with MDE on October 27. On this conference call, SECC staff served as thought partners in the planning of the first meeting, which is scheduled for November 9. In addition, SECC staff will assist MDE in planning and facilitating future steering committee meetings.

September

During the month of September, MDE established the Division of Research and Development, which includes the Office of School and Educator Accountability. A new leader was placed over the division, and he has called for a new steering committee to take a closer look at all educator evaluation systems implemented in Mississippi. Given the new developments within the state, SECC staff worked to schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss the direction for Year 4 work. In addition, SECC staff continued to work to finalize the evaluation plan documents. These documents will provide a historical record of how MDE and SECC collaboratively worked together to continuously monitor and improve the implementation of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES).

August

During the month of August, MDE and SECC staff continued to conduct Educator Evaluation cross trainings around the region. Educators were trained on the following evaluation instruments: the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES), the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES), the Mississippi Counselor Appraisal Rubric (M-CAR), the Mississippi Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluation, the Mississippi Librarian Evaluation Instrument, and the Mississippi Student Services Appraisal Rubric (M-SSAR). Educator Evaluation cross trainings were held in Tupelo (August 18), and Meridian (August 26). Additional Educator Evaluation cross trainings may be held in the following months, if school personnel throughout the state make training requests. In addition, SECC staff worked to assist MDE in the design of evaluation plan documents to finalize during September.

July

On July 1, Debra Meibaum, SECC Mississippi state liaison, held an educator evaluation cross-training conference call with MDE to finalize the process and logistics of the summer training sessions for school administrators. During the July educator evaluation cross training sessions, educators were trained on the following evaluation instruments: the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES), the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES), the Mississippi Counselor Appraisal Rubric (M-CAR), the Mississippi Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluation, the Mississippi Librarian Evaluation Instrument, and the Mississippi Student Services Appraisal Rubric (M-SSAR). Educator evaluation cross-training sessions were held in Oxford (July 7), Pearl (July 10), Greenwood (July 21), and Hattiesburg (July 23). SECC staff also participated in an MDE/SECC Year 4 planning meeting with key MDE staff on July 30. Additional educator evaluation cross-training sessions will be conducted in Tupelo (August 18) and Meridian (August 26).

June

The Advisory Board for the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) was held on June 5. During the board meeting, SECC and MDE staff facilitated interactive discussions and small-group activities to help the board members define their objectives and clarify their roles as members of the MPES advisory board. A debriefing call was held on June 16 between MDE and SECC staff to reflect on the lessons learned and successes of the advisory meeting as well as discuss next steps. SECC staff held two meetings with MDE staff to plan July summer training sessions for school administrators. The July sessions will include training on the MPES, the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES), the Mississippi Counselor Appraisal Rubric (M-CAR), the Mississippi Speech-Language Pathologist Evaluation, the Mississippi Librarian Evaluation Instrument, and the Mississippi Student Services Appraisal Rubric (M-SSAR).

May

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) held its Equitable Access stakeholder feedback session on May 4. Staff members from SECC and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders collaborated with MDE on the planning and during the feedback meeting. In addition, SECC staff held a phone conference on May 22 with MDE on the planning and new objectives of the Advisory Board for the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). During the call, the group discussed the purpose of the board as well as roles and responsibilities of advisory board members. Also, the group developed an agenda for the June 5 meeting.

April

SECC staff continued to work with staff members from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL) to develop the agenda and presentation materials for the upcoming Mississippi Equitable Access stakeholder feedback meeting. Conference calls were held each Monday in April to further discuss the planning and logistics of the stakeholder feedback meeting. On April 22, SECC staff participated in a webinar training with MDE, GTL and staff members from Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit to discuss the general elements of the Excellence Educators for All initiative, root-cause analysis, and the agenda of the planned stakeholder feedback meeting. The meeting is scheduled for May 4. MDE and SECC staff also initiated planning for the 2015 summer professional development opportunities for the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System.

March

SECC staff continued to work with staff members from MDE and RCU to conduct school administrator and supervisor listening sessions in which participants were able to voice their perceptions of the implementation of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) during the 2014–2015 school year. Listening sessions were held on March 6, March 24, and March 31. SECC also provided feedback on the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES) focus group protocol. In addition, MDE staff requested assistance with the facilitation of stakeholder feedback sessions, which will inform the writing of the Mississippi 2015 Equitable Access Plan. A conference call was held on March 27 with MDE, SECC, and staff members from the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders to begin the planning of the stakeholder feedback sessions.

February

Staff from MDE, RCU, and SECC collaborated closely during February to schedule listening sessions (formerly referred to as focus groups). These listening sessions will be a forum for supervisors and administrators to share their views about the implementation of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) during the 2014–2015 school year. These sessions will also allow MDE staff to address questions and concerns from participants. The protocol for conducting the listening sessions was finalized as well as the preparations for the first meeting to be conducted March 6. In addition, SECC staff updated the work plan for 2015 and shared revisions with MDE staff.

January

On January 14, team members from the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC held a collaborative planning conference call. The main purposes of the call was to reflect on the 2014 Summer and Fall activities related to the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) and to discuss the projected activities for the new year. Discussions were also held about 2015 focus group sessions, summer training, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waiver renewal, and revisions to MPES based on 2014 focus group feedback. Staff from SECC, RCU, and MDE participated in a virtual MPES Advisory Board conference call on January 23. SECC staff also started working with RCU team members to schedule focus groups for administrators that will be held during the month of March.

2014

December

Final revisions were made on the Circle Survey questionnaires based on focus group feedback as well as input from Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and SECC staff members. The Circle Survey is used as a part of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) to assess the performance of school administrators from their certified staff members, supervisors, and themselves. In addition, MDE and Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) team members reviewed results from the MPES implementation surveys. SECC staff provided recommendations for edits to the Alternative Education student tracking forms. Discussions about future steps, ESEA flexibility waiver renewal, and improvements to MPES will be held in mid-January.

November

Mississippi school administrators and supervisors completed surveys about the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) implementation process. The surveys were administered online from September 29 to October 17. SECC staff created survey result summaries and provided data reports to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) team members. On November 4, SECC and RCU staff cofacilitated a Circle Survey focus group in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with 26 school administrators. SECC, RCU, and MDE staff participated in a MPES Advisory Board conference call on November 10. Revisions based on focus group feedback were made to the Circle Survey questionnaires. SECC staff provided input on final revisions.

October

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Mississippi State’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC staff collaborated to develop the protocol for conducting focus groups about the Circle Survey with school administrators. The Circle Survey was used as a part of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) to assess the performance of school administrators from their certified staff members, supervisors, and themselves. On October 30, SECC and RCU staff cofacilitated a Circle Survey focus group in Winona, Mississippi, with 10 school administrators. A second focus group will be held in November. The administration period of the MPES implementation surveys to Mississippi principals and supervisors has ended. Survey results will be compiled and sent to MDE in early November.

September

Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC staff completed designing two evaluation surveys to capture the perceptions of school administrators and supervisors and superintendents on the 2013–2014 implementation process of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). On September 22, SECC staff supported MDE and RCU during the quarterly MPES Advisory Board meeting. On September 29, MDE staff sent the MPES implementation surveys to all principals and supervisors who received evaluations and/or evaluated school administrators during the 2013–2014 school year.

August

Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Mississippi State University’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC staff worked closely to develop two evaluation surveys to assess the 2013–2014 implementation process of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). During Fall 2014, the surveys will be administered to school administrators who were evaluated on the MPES and supervisors that used the MPES to evaluate their district’s school administrators. Additionally, MDE and SECC staff held planning discussions to outline the projected scope of work for the upcoming year and participated in Mississippi’s SECC Year 3 Plan of Work meeting.

July

Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Mississippi State’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC staff finalized the draft Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) process manual, business rules, goal-setting forms, and training slides. Regional MPES training sessions were conducted for principals, assistant principals, and superintendents who had not been previously trained, and updates were provided for administrators who received MPES training previously. Training sessions were held in several locations in Mississippi: Belden (July 9), Greenville (July 11), Hattiesburg (July 24), and Jackson (July 30 and July 31). In addition, training sessions were conducted at the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents and the Alliance of Educational Leaders of Mississippi summer conference in Biloxi, Mississippi, on July 14 and July 15. SECC staff also continued to develop MPES survey questions to capture the MPES implementation process during the 2013–2014 school year.

June

On June 2, the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Mississippi State’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC staff participated in a Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) work session to provide feedback regarding updating the MPES process manual, MPES Goal-Setting Forms, MPES training descriptions, and MPES business rules. Collaborative review and feedback on the MPES forms and business rules continued throughout the month. On June 5, teacher focus groups on the Mississippi Teacher Evaluation System (MTES) were conducted in Gulfport, Mississippi. In addition, regional principal focus groups on the MTES were held in Gulfport (June 6), Jackson, Mississippi (June 16), and Tupelo, Mississippi (June 18). All focus groups were cofacilitated by staff members from SECC and RCU. SECC staff also hosted the MPES Advisory Board meeting, which was held June 25. To capture the 2013–2014 perceptions of school principals and their supervisors during the first year of MPES implementation, SECC staff began developing MPES survey questions. Additionally on June 30, MDE and SECC staff participated in a work session to finalize the presentations for the seven upcoming MPES training sessions to be held regionally around the state in July 2014.

May

Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Mississippi State's Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), and SECC staff continued to work closely on updates and revisions to the 2014–2015 Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) forms and documents. Feedback was provided on the protocols for conducting MPES focus groups with alternative school principals and Mississippi Teacher Evaluation Systems (MTES) focus groups for teacher and principals. On May 14, MDE, RCU, and SECC staff participated in the REL SE MPES training for focus groups for alternative school principals. On May 21–22, SECC staff also participated in the first work session of the Alabama-Mississippi State Community of Practice, during which MDE and Alabama State Department of Education staff members shared information on key state initiatives, including the MPES and MTES. In addition, SECC and RCU staff cofacilitated four MTES teacher focus groups: two in Jackson (May 27), one in Cleveland (May 28), and one in Tupelo (May 30). Additional teacher and principal focus groups on the MTES are scheduled for June.

April

On April 7, SECC staff facilitated the MPES Advisory Board meeting. MDE, SECC, and RCU staff continued to collaborate in conducting the last four MPES focus group sessions for the Mississippi Department of Education on April 9 in Tupelo, Mississippi, and April 10 in Oxford, Mississippi. SECC staff facilitated the sessions, and an RCU staff person served as note-taker. Following the focus group sessions, RCU submitted field notes to MDE and SECC. RCU will email the final official report to MDE and SECC in May. MDE, RCU, and SECC staff also participated in a work session on April 23–25, reviewing and fine-tuning documents, forms, and processes related to MPES.

March

On March 4, staff from SECC and Mississippi State’s Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) participated in a MPES planning conference call. MDE staff requested that SECC and RCU staff collaborate in conducting MPES focus group sessions for the Mississippi Department of Education. RCU and SECC staff codeveloped questions for the principal and superintendent/supervisor focus group sessions. There will be a total of eight focus group sessions, four principal and four superintendents/supervisors sessions, in four regional locations. The first four focus group sessions were conducted March 6 in Gulfport, Mississippi, and March 27 in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Following each MPES focus group session, RCU submitted field notes to MDE and SECC. RCU will email the official report to MDE and SECC after the final two MPES focus group sessions, to be conducted April 9–10, 2014.

February

MDE, RCU, and SECC staff continued to collaborate closely on the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). The protocol for conducting the principal and superintendents/supervisors focus group meetings was finalized as were the preparations for the first meeting to be conducted March 6, 2014. The MPES Special Schools meeting, originally scheduled for February 21, 2014, was postponed by MDE. A new date will be determined by MDE.

January

Staff members from the MDE, RCU, and SECC collaborated closely and frequently during January on the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). Conference calls were conducted January 7, 13, and 31. Face-to-face meetings were held January 1,3 and 28. Staff from the SECC participated in the MDE/RCU January 14 Circle Survey webinar. The SECC staff also facilitated the January 15 MPES Advisory Board meeting and complied information for the MPES Goal Setting Survey Data Summary, which will be submitted to the MDE in February 2014. Additionally, MDE, RCU, and SECC staff continued collaboration on preparations for MDE's Spring 2014 MPES focus group meetings.

2013

December

The SECC staff worked with MDE staff and their partners at the Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) at Mississippi State University to plan for several stakeholder meetings on the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) scheduled for January. The team also began work on building an archive of MPES materials and documents developed by this team in 2012 and 2013.

November

Staff from SECC worked with MDE staff and their partners from the Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) of Mississippi State University to plan for a convening of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES) advisory board. The SECC project team staff also co-developed and oversaw the administration of a survey assessing stakeholder perceptions of the MPES goal-setting survey process.

October

The SECC continued assistance for MDE staff, focusing on the 2013–2014 statewide roll out of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). Specific activities included working with the state and its partners during regional trainings for principals. The SECC staff also worked with MDE staff and their partners on the development of surveys, which will assess stakeholders’ perceptions about aspects of the MPES.

September

SECC continued assistance for MDE staff, focusing on the 2013–2014 statewide roll out of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). Specific activities included working with the stateto plan stakeholder engagement and educator training sessions during the year and the codevelopment of a plan to evaluate MPES implementation this year. The SECC also worked with the MDE and their partners at the Research & Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University to host a virtual meeting of MPES advisory board members.

August

SECC continued assistance for MDE staff, focusing on the 2013–2014 statewide rollout of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). Specific activities included working with the state to plan stakeholder engagement and educator training sessions during the year and the codevelopment of a plan to evaluate MPES implementation this year. The SECC also worked with the MDE to identify current teacher evaluation practices employed in other states.

July

SECC continued providing assistance for MDE staff in preparing for the statewide pilot of the Mississippi Principal Evaluation System (MPES). Following June trainings for central office staff and principals in six regional training sessions, SECC staff worked with the state to refine and finalize the training manual and materials fort he 2013–2014 pilot. SECC staff also continued working with MDE staff and their partners at the Research & Curriculum Unit (RCU) at Mississippi State University to finalize scoring processes and materials, including a calculator tool and a spreadsheet tool that provides principals with guidance on setting data-driven, SMART goals during the statewide evaluation pilot.

June

SECC assisted MDE staff with training sessions for central office staff and principals in six regional training sessions. SECC staff also continued working with MDE staff and their partners from the Research & Curriculum Unit (RCU) at Mississippi State University to finalize scoring rubrics and materials as well as a training manual and materials.

May

SECC assisted MDE staff with the train-the-trainer sessions state’s principal evaluation pilot for regional education service agency (RESA) representatives. SECC staff also worked with MDE staff and their partners from the Research & Curriculum Unit (RCU) at Mississippi State University to finalize scoring rubrics and materials, establish a training manual, and draft business rules for the principal evaluation system. SECC staff also advised MDE staff on considerations for developing business rules for the teacher evaluation system.

April

To better provide support for states implementing or considering implementing student learning objectives (SLOs) as a student growth metric in educator evaluation systems, SECC worked with AIR on continued planning for a comprehensive training workshop on SLOs for SECC and TXCC staff. Training support will be provided by AIR and the Great Teachers and Leaders Content Center. The event will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, in May. SECC continued its support for Mississippi’s educator evaluation efforts. With regard to the state’s principal evaluation pilot, SECC met with MDE staff at the beginning of April to finalize scoring rubrics and processes and began planning for several training sessions to be held throughout the state in May and June. With regard to the teacher evaluation pilot, SECC staff continued advising on the state’s scoring system for producing composite evaluation scores. On April 23, SECC staff also participated in a meeting on SLOs, commissioned by MDE and led by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). 

March

SECC continued its support for Mississippi’s educator evaluation efforts. With regard to the state’s principal evaluation pilot, SECC collaborated with MDE staff to host a stakeholder focus group designed to gather principal and central office representative feedback on the pilot (March 27). SECC staff also worked with MDE personnel to refine scoring rubrics and processes for the principal evaluation pilot. With regard to the teacher evaluation pilot, SECC staff provided technical assistance for MDE on a scoring system for producing composite evaluation scores. Beginning in April, SECC staff will also support MDE in working with vendors contracting with the state to develop and implement teacher evaluation metrics (e.g., student learning objectives, SLOs).

February

SECC is providing support for Mississippi's teacher and principal evaluation pilots by continuing to work with MDE and its vendors who are helping to develop evaluation metrics (e.g., Westat for professional growth goals [PGGs] and AIR for student learning objectives [SLOs]). The first of the activities on which SECC will provide support is scheduled tentatively for April 23, pending MDE's contract with AIR to develop and implement SLOs.Planning has begun to support MDE's stakeholder training via a planning workshop between SECC project team members and MDE staff. The planning workshop is tentatively scheduled for early April. SECC staff also assisted MDE by administering a survey to gather broad feedback from pilot participants on February 13. A summary of findings from the survey will be provided by March 1. SECC will facilitate regional focus groups to gather more in-depth feedback from pilot participants on March 27.

January

SECC is providing support for Mississippi's teacher and principal evaluation pilots. For both, MDE has requested assistance around developing a tracking system for collecting data and disseminating results from the evaluation systems. The majority of this work will be conducted in Year 2, but initial conversations around this request are ongoing. Additional work specific to the teacher and principal evaluation systems, respectively will include the following: SECC will continue assisting MDE with the development of its teacher evaluation pilot. SECC will support MDE's work with vendors who are helping the state develop metrics (e.g., Westat for Professional Growth Goals [PGGs] and AIR for Student Learning Objectives [SLOs]). MDE's work with these vendors is in early stages, but as it moves forward over the next several months, SECC will join them as a thought partner in order to support MDE's ability to sustain implementation of the metrics after the contracts with external vendors come to an end. In January, SECC worked on an early deliverable, a summary of the research and practice literature on Professional Growth Goals as evaluation metrics. After an internal review by the project team and SECC communication support, the literature review was delivered to MDE on February 6. SECC will assist MDE in developing a scope of work for an external validation study of M-Star (MDE's teacher observation protocol). SECC will continue to assist MDE with the principal evaluation pilot by learning about VAL-ED and attending Vanderbilt University's 360 feedback system trainings in order to support MDE's ability to sustain VAL-ED implementation after the contract with Vanderbilt comes to an end. MDE has also developed a goal-setting process, which serves as part of the overall principal evaluation system. SECC is supporting MDE in trainings on this process.SECC is helping MDE develop a plan to obtain participant feedback (34 districts/214 principals) on the pilot. On January 31, SECC discussed assisting MDE in the following evaluation-related activities in the spring by administering a survey to gather broad feedback from pilot participants and facilitating regional focus groups to gather more in-depth feedback from pilot participants. SECC is also providing MDE with feedback on its pilot evaluation forms, rubrics, and training materials.