Prairie State Wire

Illinois State Board of Education, Teacher Performance Assessment Task Force met May 6.

Here are the minutes provided by the task force:

I. Call to Order/Roll Call:

Dr. Jason Helfer called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. and asked meeting facilitator Delaney Workman to conduct a roll call. A quorum was present.

Members Present:

Senator Tom Bennett

Dr. Kathryn Chval

Elizabeth Dampf

Dr. Vito Dipinto

Dr. Marie Donovan

Shauna Ejeh

Dr. Andrea Evans

Shannon Fehrholz

Lori Grant

Jessica Handy

Katrina Hankison

Gloria Helin

Dr. Lori James-Gross

Dr. Christie McIntyre

Erika Mendez

Jessica Nunez

Claire Siejka

Jennifer Smith

Dr. Michelle Stacy

Robin Steans

Representative Katie Stuart

Kesa Thurman-Stovall

Dr. Diana Zaleski

Ex-officio member appointed by the state superintendent of education: Dr. Jason Helfer

Members Absent:

Dr. John Burkey

Elizabeth Dampf

Representative Amy Elik

Dr. Terry Husband

Bob Langman

Senator Laura Murphy

Dr. Abir Othman

Dr. Mary Ticknor

Others Present:

Meeting facilitator: Delaney Workman

Kellie Crawford

Leslie Ellis

Emily Fox

Sara Kaufman

Jen Kirmes

Jim O’Connor

Julie Peters

Omar Salem

II. Approval of Minutes

Dr. Helfer called for discussion on the minutes. Hearing no discussion, he called for a motion to approve the minutes. The motion was made by Dr. Dipinto and seconded by Dr. Evans. Dr. Helfer then called for a roll call vote. Ms. Workman took the roll call vote on the motion.

Senator Tom Bennett – Yes

Dr. Kathryn Chval – Yes

Elizabeth Dampf – Yes

Dr. Vito Dipinto – Yes

Shauna Ejeh – Yes

Dr. Andrea Evans – Yes

Shannon Fehrholz – Yes

Lori Grant – Yes

Jessica Handy – Yes

Katrina Hankison – Yes

Gloria Helin – Yes

Dr. Lori James-Gross – Yes

Erika Mendez – Yes

Senator Laura Murphy – Yes

Jessica Nunez – Yes

Claire Siejka – Yes

Dr. Michelle Stacy – Yes

Robin Steans – Yes

Kesa Thurman-Stovall – Yes

Dr. Diana Zaleski – Yes

The motion was passed.

III. Public Comment

Dr. Helfer called for any public comment. Julie Peters of the University of Illinois Chicago asked to speak. She thanked the task force members for their continued dedication and commitment to this work.

III. New Business

Dr. Helfer moved on to new business and provided members with a high-level overview of the discussion from the previous meeting. He explained that at the end of that meeting, the task force had agreed on four main models and additional categories to contemplate. With this, he created an additional survey that was sent to members to complete. The survey was structured in a way that allowed members to respond to items for each of the four models -- a member shared in the last meeting that their answers would change based on which model was being discussed.

Dr. Helfer reminded the group to keep two things in mind.

1. A recommendation needs to be made by this task force by July 29, 2024. With this deadline quickly approaching, the task force may consider extending that deadline.

2. Statute currently states that the ISBE-approved teacher performance assessment (TPA) will be reinstated as consequential on Sept. 1, 2025.

He explained to the group that it is important to be thoughtful in this work and make decisions that will allow individuals involved in teacher licensure to do their jobs better. He then called for committee members to share their thoughts.

Senator Bennett asked for clarification on the dates Dr. Helfer shared. Once confirmed, he then asked if the task force members feel they can make a recommendation in that timeframe.

Dr. Helfer responded by stating that the timeliness of the recommendation depends entirely on the decision made by the committee members. He explained the various things that could take time, based on the four models. With each of the potential recommendations to be made, he shared that it is likely that there are items within the process that will require the date for the TPA to become consequential to be pushed further into the future. He said that this could be done by writing a recommendation that explains what the overall process looks like.

Ms. Steans stepped in and said that she feels that this decision feels like it is being made too early.

Dr. Helfer said that he agrees and appreciates the comment, but that timing is a concern as the General Assembly will be ending its session soon.

Senator Bennett shared that the current session ends May 24, potentially May 31. It will not start up again until veto session, which typically starts in November. He asked if it would make sense to review the survey results to see if there is a general direction that the task force is heading.

Dr. Donovan spoke up and apologized for her late entry and asked for an update as she was confused about what the current proposal was.

Dr. Helfer informed Dr. Donovan of the current discussion of the task force. He restated the options the task force has and explained the anticipated timelines of each model. He also shared that it is important to keep in mind the time needed for institutions to pilot a TPA.

Representative Stuart asked for clarification on the piloting period. She wanted to know if all institutions would pilot a new TPA, or if some would go back to the edTPA while others pilot the TPA recommended by the task force.

Dr. Helfer answered by saying that all institutions would pilot a new TPA.

Representative Stuart commented on the date that the TPA will become consequential. She shared that many individuals would have already begun their student teaching experience and that if the date were moved back to the end of December, it would allow student teaching to begin at the start of the spring semester.

Senator Bennett asked if the edTPA was on hold until September 2025.

Dr. Helfer responded that yes, it is on hold until then.

Representative Stuart reiterated her point that by pushing out the deadline to December, there would not be any students caught in the middle.

Dr. Helfer summarized Representative Stuart’s thoughts to check his understanding.

Ms. Steans shared her concern that piloting something new is typically done when there is overlap. She said that more discussion needs to be done so that members can make an informed decision. She expressed her discomfort with the situation.

Dr. Helfer responded by saying that it is possible to extend the work of the committee while also not extending the date the edTPA becomes consequential again. He explained that by extending both deadlines, the task force is creating a safety net to allow for thoughtful consideration and planning.

Ms. Siejka reiterated Ms. Steans’ point by explaining that this is an urgent matter. Districts are seeing new teachers with skills that are missing or that vary from what has been demonstrated in previous years.

Senator Bennett asked for clarification.

Ms. Siejka further clarified by saying that candidates who are coming into districts are lacking skills necessary for success in the classroom. She said that there is a noticeable difference between candidates who were and were not required to complete the edTPA.

Dr. McIntyre wondered if that difference in candidates is because of the edTPA or the pandemic.

Representative Stuart reminded the group that there have been testimonies from both sides and that making a generalization is not accurate overall. She also reminded members that the teachers entering classrooms now have attended high school and college during a pandemic. She then added that she is certain that the educator preparation programs have not lowered their standards and that students are still receiving the same experience without the edTPA.

Dr. Donovan shared her experience in working with former students who are now working at schools and are feeling overwhelmed with the workload and expectations of being a teacher of record.

Ms. Siejka responded by thanking the members for their counterpoints and reminding the group that this is an urgent matter that needs to be done in a thoughtful way.

Dr. Helfer then reminded the task force that the decision made must be thoughtful and completed before the Aug. 1 deadline. He asked the committee to determine if the amount of time left in this work is enough to make a thoughtful and well-rounded decision. He explained to the group members that as they work through this, they are finding more issues that require action. He said that he does not want this task force to be pushed into deciding that an additional task force be convened to complete the task.

Senator Bennett said that with the upcoming panels and discussions scheduled, more time would be needed to decide. Ms. Handy asked for clarification on what the extension would be.

Dr. Helfer said that currently, the only deadline that would be extended is the report submission date (which is Aug. 1, 2024). Ms. Handy followed up by asking if there are any potential repercussions that the task force needs to be aware of.

Dr. Helfer informed the group of the potential issues that may happen if the report submission deadline gets pushed back. In particular, the procurement or creation process, whichever the task force decides, would then be pushed even closer to the date in which the edTPA becomes consequential again.

Representative Stuart reminded the group of the General Assembly dates and explained that it was important that a decision be made about the report submission date so that the legislators on the task force can begin working on language, if needed. With this, she also called on the representatives from preparation programs to inquire if they felt that moving the consequential date to December would be beneficial.

Dr. McIntyre told the group about the preparation required for candidates to complete a TPA. She said that, at a minimum, a semester of preparation would be necessary.

Dr. Donovan asked the task force, specifically the representatives from preparation programs, if it even makes sense to extend it until December. She mentioned the idea of, instead, extending the date to the following September. The amount of preparation required to take a TPA is one thing to consider, but you also need to allow time for the programs to adjust their curricula to include TPA preparation.

Senator Bennett requested clarification on if the report date was changing to August 2025 and the consequential date to September 2026.

Dr. Donovan clarified that she was only referring to the consequential date.

Dr. Helfer tried to summarize the task force's shared thoughts that, at a minimum, the report submission date should be extended. He went on to clarify that the work would not stop, but that a decision needs to be made soon due to the date the General Assembly ends. He explained that this recommendation is being made to allow for thoughtful consideration and to prevent decisions from being made too quickly.

Ms. Steans expressed that extending the report submission deadline is one thing but extending the consequential date is another decision that feels rushed. She said that she wishes to keep the two decisions separate.

Dr. Helfer agreed that it is important that the decisions be kept separate. He also suggested that extending the consequential date feels premature. At this point, many individuals in the chat expressed that they would be in support of extending the report deadline, but not the consequential deadline.

Dr. Donovan clarified her point by sharing that there are many moving parts in teacher preparation and that it is important to allow the programs ample time.

Dr. Chval responded by saying that no matter what assessment the task force decides, it will take time for the programs to adequately prepare. However, she supported keeping the two decisions separate because the timeline will not be determined until a decision is made.

Representative Stuart asked the task force for further clarification on how long the work should be extended. Senator Bennett asked about December.

Representative Stuart reminded the task force that the longer the report is extended, the closer we are to the consequential deadline.

Dr. Helfer said that if the task force were to move back to what is currently suspended, there would need to be procurement. He suggested the recommendation to extend the report submission date to align with the veto session.

Representative Stuart agreed that the end of October would be a good idea.

Dr. Donovan asked if late October would be too late for the session.

Representative Stuart reminded the group of the presidential election at the beginning of November and anticipated that session would not start until after that.

Ms. Handy shared that she believes that the end of September would be enough time.

Representative Stuart asked the task force members for their thoughts on whether it should be extended until the end of September or the end of October.

Dr. Helfer reminded the committee that the work will continue as planned, even though the deadline may be extended. Representative Stuart said Oct. 31 is a Thursday, and a report could be submitted then if that is the committee's will.

Senator Bennett said that the three additional months would provide the group with six more meetings, if the cadence remains the same.

Dr. Helfer said that he is already considering the calendar and schedule if the task force does extend. Representative Stuart asked if a vote was needed to move forward with the legislative process.

Dr. Helfer asked the committee members what they would be most comfortable with.

Dr. Donovan shared that she would be willing to make a motion to extend the work to Oct. 31 if a vote were needed. Ms. Handy asked for clarification to see if the Open Meetings Act allowed for a vote to take place, since it was not on the agenda. Dr. Helfer confirmed that the task force could not vote at this meeting.

Representative Stuart asked for the date of the next meeting and requested that a vote be placed on the agenda for that meeting. Dr. Helfer shared the date of the next meeting, which is May 20, 2024.

Representative Stuart stated that the General Assembly session would still be going on, so she and Senator Bennett can coordinate to begin drafting language.

Dr. Helfer called for any other commentary on this. He also apologized to the group and said it was not his intention to keep this from the committee but that after reviewing the survey, he felt it necessary to remind the group of the overall timeline. He also emphasized that this is being done to value the knowledge and skills the members of this task force share and to honor their time.

Senator Bennett thanked the committee as well and emphasized that this was being discussed from a place of good intentions.

Dr. Helfer then asked the committee members if they would prefer to move forward with reviewing the survey data or if they would prefer to adjourn early as the meeting took a different route than intended. If the meeting were to adjourn early, he asked the task force to complete the survey as it touches on important decisions to be made.

Dr. Evans asked for clarification on Senator Bennett’s earlier statement and wanted to know if there were only six meetings after today.

Dr. Helfer assured her that no, there would be approximately six additional meetings, if the cadence of the meetings remained the same, after the original end date of the task force.

Senator Bennett apologized for the confusion and further clarified.

Dr. Evans asked if the schedule of the remaining meetings can be created so that members can see how their time will be spent. She agrees that additional time is needed and would like to plan the time.

Ms. Helin asked how many individuals completed the survey.

Dr. Helfer responded that roughly 25% of members completed the survey.

Ms. Helin recommended that the survey remain open so that more members can complete it.

Ms. Steans brought up a point about the survey saying that it was structured around the various models, but not the various elements. She said she would have liked to focus more on the elements of the models.

Ms. Smith agreed with Ms. Steans and shared that she, too, had a difficult time completing the survey.

Dr. Helfer shared that he takes responsibility for the survey and that it was created by the notes taken during the task force meetings.

Ms. Steans said that as long as what is important comes out, it does not matter how the survey was structured. She said she hopes that more members will complete the survey with the additional time.

Dr. Helfer called for additional commentary on the discussion. He also asked the task force members to please complete the survey if they are able. He encouraged members that all answers are welcome, even if there is no opinion on the topic.

Dr. Donovan asked if the task force can invite representatives from other states to speak at a meeting. Dr. Helfer responded that the task force is in contact with them and trying to get them to attend.

IV. Adjournment

Dr. Helfer asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Steans motioned for adjournment. Dr. Evans seconded. All members present unanimously agreed to adjourn.

The motion was passed.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:41 p.m.

https://www.isbe.net/Documents_TPA/050624-Minutes.pdf