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Measures of Student Learning Guidance - Step by Step

Student academic growth requirements outlined in Senate Bill 10-191, the Great Teachers and Leaders Act requires that fifty percent of an educator’s evaluation in Colorado be based on educator impact on student learning determined by using multiple measures in relationship to the Colorado Academic Standards. In Colorado, the term “academic growth” is closely associated with results from the Colorado Growth Model (CGM) as reported in the School and District Performance Frameworks. The phrase “measures of student learning” or “MSL” is employed to ensure that districts understand that evaluating student learning for educator evaluations is not confined to results from the CGM, but is inclusive of results from multiple types of measures that districts may use in educator evaluation and to support instructional goals. 

Measuring Student Learning, a Step by Step Process

These steps detail a sample process of steps for identifying and determining the measures of student learning that may be included in a district’s educator evaluation system.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1:  Begin with the Colorado Academic Standards to identify what students are expected to know and be able to do.  

Step 2:  Identify available assessments being used in your district to evaluate student learning throughout the year.

Step 3:  Group available assessments according to teacher types.

Step 4: Select measures and assign weights to measures for use in educator evaluations.

Step 5:  Determine success criteria for results from included measures of student learning.

Step 6:  Combine weighted ratings from individual measures into an overall measure of student learning (MSL) rating.

As districts follow the steps outlined in this guidance, they will find that, for many subjects and grades, districts will need to work with their teachers to establish student learning objectives (SLOs).  Student learning objectives are a participatory method of setting measurable goals or objectives for a specific assignment or class in a manner aligned with the subject matter taught and in a manner that allows for the evaluation of the baseline performance of students and the measureable gain in student performance during the course of instruction (1 CCR 301-87-1.23).