Southeast Service Cooperative
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) by the Minnesota Service Cooperatives
Educator Observation and Evaluation Software Professional Development Components
Attachment #1 Signature Page
SIGNATURE PAGE
This form must be returned, properly executed.
Please use this page as a cover sheet for your proposal.
In compliance with your request for proposals, the undersigned proposes to furnish and deliver
all labor, services, merchandise or materials in accordance with the accompanying descriptions,
proposal form, and instructions to vendors.
This proposal is made without any previous understanding, agreement or connection with any
other person, firm or corporation making a proposal for the same purchase, and is in all respects fair and
without collusion or fraud. No member of the Board of Directors of Southeast Service Cooperative, nor
any officer, employee or person whose salary is payable in whole or in part from the treasury of said
Board of Directors is directly or indirectly interested in this proposal or in the supplies, materials, work
or services to which it relates, or in any portion of the profits thereof. All prices herein are net and
exclusive of any applicable federal, state and municipal sales and excise taxes. The undersigned
proposer clearly understands that the Minnesota Service Cooperatives will be the sole judge in
determining the quality of merchandise as being equal to or in compliance with the descriptions.
Company: Performance Matters, LLC
Name: Woody Dillaha
Signature of above
Title: Co-Founder & CEO
Address: 1600 Lee Road
_Winter Park, FL 32789____________________________
Telephone: (407) 645-1800
Fax Number: (800) 373-8578
Date: 12-28-12
Are you a small business?
yes _X____
no ____
Are you a minority business?
yes _____
no __X__
If yes, list minority:
12/27/2012
Southeast Service Cooperative
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) by the Minnesota Service Cooperatives
Educator Observation and Evaluation Software Professional Development Components
Attachment #2 Proposal Responses
EDUCATOR OBSERVATION AND EVALUATION SOFTWARE
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMPONENTS
PROPOSAL RESPONSES
Please complete this form in the provided MS Word file in entering your responses regarding product
features, requirements, and financing. The boxes will expand as you enter your response. In addition to
entering each response on the form, you may provide attachments for additional detail and reference
the attachments in your responses.
Vendor: Performance Matters
Contact: Matt Muller
Address: 1600 Lee Road
Phone Number: (407) 645-1800
Winter Park, FL 32789
Vendor website:
www.performancematters.com
Fax Number: (800) 373-8578
Email: [email protected]
SSC will conduct a demonstration session on Thursday, February 14 at the Southeast Service
Cooperative, 210 Wood Lake Drive SE, Rochester, MN 55904. Selected vendors will be invited
to provide a 30-minute demonstration of the product/service, including time for questions and
answers. Vendors may choose to present in person or via videoconferencing or live webinar.
Internet and equipment will be available to project the demonstration on a large screen.
Attendees will include administrators, teachers, board members, and other interested parties.
__ AM _x_ PM
Please indicate your preference for a time to present during the
demonstration on Thursday, February 14 at SSC if you are invited. SSC
does not guarantee the time but will make every effort to accommodate
participating Vendors.
Indicate your preference for method of presentation
___ In Person at Southeast Service Cooperative
___ Videoconference
_x_ Live Webinar
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
System Capacity for the Software Products and Services
RESPONSE
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
RESPONSE
The Formative Action System for Teacher Effectiveness
(FASTe) is a complete program that streamlines the
evaluation process, aligns professional development
resources and ensures accurate summative calculations that
blend teacher practice and student growth. The observation
tool, called FASTe Observer, is the most flexible on the
market. Any form can be loaded for completion by an
observee (self-evaluation), peer or observer. The
observation tool is so flexible that districts not only use it for
teacher and principal observations, but even other job
categories like custodian, guidance counselor and school
nurse.
1.
Describe the observation tool.
The web-based observation tool uses rights and permissions
(which can be linked to Active Directory) to determine which
functions to display for the user. To conduct an observation,
the observer selects a form, schedules the observation and
then while observing, completes the form by filling out
rubrics and adding notes. Not only can the observer choose
multiple views while competing the form, but the observer
can even download forms for offline completion and then
sync those forms once an internet connection is
reestablished.
The form can be edited before submission. Once submitted,
reports are available immediately. The reports will be
described in requirement 18 below. The entire observation
process is intuitive and offers districts a high degree of
flexibility.
Districts use FASTe for multi-measure effectiveness
calculations in many states, including several Race to the Top
states that have implemented teacher tenure laws that use
the evaluations for high-stakes personnel decisions. As such,
the FASTe calculations must be accurate.
2.
Describe the evaluation tool.
Evaluations are highly customizable in FASTe. The district can
not only weight teacher practice (observation data) and
student growth (MCA or local measures), but even subcategories. Thus, a fine arts teacher may be evaluated with a
combination of observation data and a rubric-based measure
whereas a third grade teacher may be evaluated using
observational data, MCA math growth, MCA language arts
growth and a school score. The types of measures and
weighting options are virtually limitless.
The FASTe evaluation tool has two primary functions:
compliance and formative support. For compliance, the
platform offers charts that show how the summative
evaluation was calculated. These reports are shared with the
observee and become part of the permanent record.
However, formative support that links teacher practice to
targeted professional development opportunities is also
provided. The professional development content can be
anything the district chooses – videos, on-site resources,
internal district PD. Performance Matters can link the
resources to specific domains and indicators of the
framework used by the district.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
3.
Describe how the observation and evaluation
tools interface with one another.
4.
Describe how the tool addresses the
differences in the process for teachers versus
administrators.
RESPONSE
Districts have two options when using the FASTe platform.
Should the district use FASTe Observer for observations, the
data collected is automatically available for evaluations, as
the observational data is stored in the FASTe database.
However, a district can also import data from another
observation system, provided that the observation system
can export data electronically. In that case, a nightly batch
process is created to load data into the FASTe application for
the evaluation calculations.
The role of the person accessing the system determines what
they can view/edit. Therefore, while teachers could perform
a self or peer observation, they would not be able to access
observational data for other teachers. An official observer
(principal, assistant principal, district administrator) would be
able to select among more types of observational forms,
schedule the observations and make edits after the
observation takes place.
Throughout the observation and evaluation process, reports
are available for teachers and administrators. Again, these
reports populate with data that is appropriate to the user
type. So while a teacher would see their own observations, a
principal could see observations for all of the teachers in the
school, all of the teachers in a particular grade level, etc.
Because the district can load any rubric, there may or may
not be alignment. For example, some FASTe clients will use a
teacher rubric from one author and a principal rubric from
another. If the district so chooses, Kim Marshall offers a free,
open-source framework for teachers and administrators that
has received positive reviews and has a strong research base.
http://www.marshallmemo.com
5.
Rubrics/Frameworks. Describe the alignment
between the teacher and administrator
evaluation rubrics.
6.
On which evaluation framework or set of
rubrics is the software designed? If the
software can support multiple frameworks,
skip to the next question.
The tool supports multiple frameworks.
7.
Which frameworks or set of rubrics does the
software support - e.g. Charlotte Danielson,
Marzano, others. Describe how this is
accommodated.
The tool supports any framework. The district loads
whatever framework it has licensed. For the frugal district,
Kim Marshall offers free teacher and principal rubrics that
have a strong research base and have been approved by
several Race to the Top states (NY, NJ) as research-based
observations. Districts also can also use district-developed
rubrics, rubrics the districts already own and state provided
rubrics.
8.
Can the customer modify the rubrics that are
provided?
Yes.
9.
Does this tool/service offer samples and
options for rubrics (explain)?
Yes. Performance Matters will share rubrics that are opensource (Kim Marshall) or district-developed (where the firm
has permission from the district to share the rubric).
10. Can the customer develop its own rubrics to
import into the software?
Yes.
11. Describe how titles, field labels, and
weighting might be accommodated.
SSC would communicate with the assigned customer
relationship manager (CRM) to create forms, titles, field
labels and weighting. Although Performance Matters does
not guarantee that we can accommodate every request, we
will do our best to customize the program to meet your
needs.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
12. Multi-Raters: How does the tool/service
accommodate multi-rater requirements?
13. Student Data: How does the software
accommodate inclusion of student growth
data and student achievement data (teacher
evaluation)?
14. Student Data: How does the software
accommodate inclusion of student growth
data per building (principal evaluation)?
15. Student Data: For a district with multiple
buildings, is the software for principal
evaluation able to disaggregate the data?
16. Survey Tools. How does the software/tool
support surveys by internal and external
respondents (teachers, other administrators,
students, parents, etc.)
RESPONSE
FASTe logs the events recorded by the raters of teacher
practice based upon their unique ID. This provides
unmatched ability for individual and comparative analysis of
multiple raters. As a result, our customers are able to ensure
that raters are working from consistent and common rubrics
that result in consistent and supportable rating outcomes.
FASTe is built on a relational database and can accept data
from virtually any electronic source. Client districts upload
data from data warehouses (TIES, Performance Matters’
ADMS, etc.), student information systems (Skyward, Infinite
Campus, TIES, etc.), local assessment platforms (DIBELS, Read
180, etc.) or state-provided files (MCA results, for example).
For the purposes of teacher evaluation, most states provide
the growth measure for state tests and allow the districts to
set the growth measure for courses in which there is no state
assessment. Many districts use Student Learning Objectives
(SLO), which are supported in the Performance Matters
Assessment and Data Management System (ADMS) data
warehouse. SSC member district would calculate the growth
using their data warehouse program, whether that is ADMS,
TIES or something else. FASTe accepts the growth score,
weights it and uses it for the final evaluation calculation. One
of the best things about FASTe is that it integrates with the
student information system and HR system. Thus, the
teacher is connected to the appropriate students in the
appropriate courses for evaluation purposes.
Student growth data can be accepted from the state or
calculated using district-defined methodology. For example,
the New Jersey Department of Education calculates student
growth on the high stakes test (called NJ ASK) using a
technique called the Colorado method. The state then sends
a file to the school districts that use this student growth as
50% of the overall evaluation for teachers (the other 50%
comes from teacher practice measures like observations).
Performance Matters accepts the electronic file the state
sends and uses that in our multi-measure evaluation
calculations. However, only 18% of all teachers are in
courses that have a high stakes measure. Therefore, for the
other 82% of teachers our client districts will use pretest/post-test measurements, student learning objectives,
rubric-based measures and other local assessments to
determine student growth. Again, Performance Matters
supports all of these measurements. How student growth
impacts the principal effectiveness calculations is determined
by the district. The software can support many different
kinds of approaches. Although not specifically called for in
this requirement, the observation software easily supports
principal/administrator evaluation forms as well.
Yes. Whether the student growth data comes from the state
or a local assessment, the assessment results files contain
information that allows Performance Matters to assign that
students growth to the appropriate teacher and principal.
rd
Performance Matters FASTe can load the results of 3 party
surveys for reporting and analytics purposes. We are also in
conversations with survey experts such as Tripod for native
integration with the PM FASTe platform.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
17. Does this tool/service offer samples and
options for surveys?
RESPONSE
The FASTe program is an aggregator of many different kinds
of measures, including surveys, but FASTe does not provide
surveys for the educator. FASTe can accept data generated
from surveys that are in electronic format.
The strength of the FASTe program is the reports. There are
three categories of reports, all of which use consistent colorcoding and graphs for easy interpretation:
1.
18. Report Generation: Reports must include
both detail and summarized data including
summary reports using graphs. Please
provide an outline of included reports and
attach sample reports.
2.
3.
19. Customization. If other features of the
software are customizable at a consortium
level and/or at the district level, please
describe. What customization must be done
by the Vendor, and what can be done at the
consortium and/or district levels?
Baseline – Reports that connect teacher
characteristics and actions to student growth. These
unique reports can answer questions such as
whether a particular quality of a teacher (i.e, year of
experience, participation is a specific PD program,
certification in subject being taught) impacts the
rate of student growth. Baseline reports seek to
answer the following questions while applying
numerous teacher and student variables: Are
student achievement levels improving? Are
students across the school system making learning
gains? What are the professional characteristics of
our staff? What is our staff distribution by
Professional Characteristic? What is the distribution
of professional development amongst our staff?
Formative Instructional Cycles – Reports that relate
specifically to educator practice, as measured
through observations. The reports present
individual and group information about educator
performance, both for a single observation as well
as over a range of time. The reports can embed
Professional Development resources at the domain
and indicator levels to allow a teacher and/or
principal to see links to any PD the district chooses.
Formative Instructional Cycle reports answer the
following questions: What are the results for
classroom observation? What is the distribution of
classroom observation results among our teachers?
How are the observation results changing over time?
What are the gridded results for classroom
observations?
Summative – Reports that aggregate and weight the
appropriate measures for educators and display the
results in a clear and graphical format. Summative
reports answer the following: What is my
summative rating? Which Students contribute to
my ratings? Which locations contribute to my
ratings? Which Districts contribute to my ratings?
Sample reports are provided in Appendix A: Sample Reports.
The customizations involved in setting up multiple measures
and applying the appropriate weighting and formulas are
part of the standard implementation for FASTe. The assigned
customer relationship manager for Performance Matters
works with the appropriate person or people at the
consortium or district-level to define the rules. The
customizations related to multi-measure reporting are
performed by Performance Matters for no additional charge.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
RESPONSE
20. Software/Tool Training. Describe training
available for the tool, how it will be delivered
(in person, webinar, on-line course), and what
training is available for sustainability.
Performance Matters offers very flexible training options
including in person, webinar and on-line courses. Ongoing
training is available through webinars, state-level user groups
and the national users group.
Performance Matters assigns a customer relationship
manager (CRM) to lead the implementation project from
both a technical and training perspective. The CRM leads a
team of technical and training resources, and depending on
the expertise of the CRM, may serve in other roles on the
project (like training local system administrators, district
leadership and local staff). Train-the-train is supported, but
not strongly recommended in year one, as the multi-measure
requirements can be complex and Performance Matters
trainers have already delivered multi-measure educator
evaluation training in multiple states. New staff are typically
trained via onsite or online courses.
21. Who provides training in using the
observation and evaluation software for:
 Local system administrator?
 District leadership
 Local staff?
 If a train-the-trainer approach is
applicable, describe how MSC employees
would be trained and supported during
implementation.
 How are new staff trained subsequent to
initial training?
Professional Development to Support Educator Growth
23. Describe professional development
components.
Performance Matters offers a robust software package that
can link professional development resources to the domains
and indicators of many different kinds of frameworks.
Performance Matters is not a professional development
provider. Rather, the firm partners with private firms
(Student Improvement Network), universities (Johns Hopkins)
and consortia (Heartland Educational Consortium in Florida)
to provide professional development access through the
FASTe platform.
The professional development components are not offered
by Performance Matters.
24. Describe professional development formats,
e.g. webinar, on-line courses, in person.
Districts that use FASTe have linked all of these types of
resources to domains and indicators in FASTe.
25. Describe how this service addresses the
differences in professional development for
teachers versus principals or administrators
and other employees, if applicable.
26. Describe how on-line professional
development ensures learning mastery
aligned with the program objectives and
rubrics.
Forms in FASTe can link to different PD resources. So a
teacher form will link to resources related to teaching
practice while a principal’s evaluation will link to resources
for school administration practice.
22. Describe how professional development
related to various frameworks is delivered e.g. Charlotte Danielson, Marzano.
Performance Matters links to PD resources, but tracking
completion of the course and content mastery is provided by
the PD provider.
Support
27. Describe the availability of technical
assistance between the hours of 8 a.m. – 8
p.m. (Central time) and support options
available to troubleshoot any minor/major
issues that may arise during or after business
hours
28. Describe your response to troubleshooting
issues that may occur with the system.
Include your ability to meet 2-4 hour initial
response and 24-48 hour resolution
requirements and prioritization of issues.
Performance Matters offers a toll-free support line from 8 am
until 4 pm M-F. After hours, a client may submit a ticket
online that will be received the next morning. Performance
Matters has an escalation system that goes right up to the
CTO for major issues.
The Performance Matters helpdesk can meet the 2-4 hour
initial response during normal business hours and within
twelve hours for after hour requests. Prioritization responses
are always provided within 24-48 hours.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
29. Describe the helpdesk and/or project
software that will be used to handle the
implementation of new districts, and
troubleshooting issues within the system. If
applicable, describe how MSC employees
would access to helpdesk software to
facilitate communication with MSC clients.
30. Describe the process and timeframe for
notifying clients during outages of the system.
Describe the redundancies that are in place to
ensure the system will be operational at all
times unless otherwise scheduled as a
maintenance window.
31. Describe the backup system.
RESPONSE
Project management is handled through internal documents,
the most important of which is the FASTe critical path
document. This document lays out prerequisites,
dependencies, due dates, role and assignments.
Performance Matters uses Zendesk for troubleshooting
issues. MSC employees will be given logins for Zendesk and
can submit tickets, follow-up on bugs and feature requests
progress and view closed tickets.
The customer relationship manager will notify the primary
technical point of contact for the client two weeks prior to
any outages. Outages are scheduled for nights, weekend and
holidays to minimize inconvenience for customers.
Automatic failover and load balancing ensure that the system
will be operational except for scheduled maintenance.
As a SaaS product, FASTe runs at a tier 4 data center.
Backups are performed by the data hosting center.
System Management and Database Integration
32. Describe how updates and enhancements are
implemented, including Minnesota mandated
requirements.
The Performance Matters customer relationship manager
monitors all pending and current legislation and submits
product feature requests to the FASTe product manager. The
Manager works with clients in that state to develop
functionality to address the new laws.
33. Software must be web delivered. Describe
any restrictions.
FASTe is completely web delivered.
34. Describe the Web environment, including
communication speeds, backup and recovery
procedures, and disaster recovery
procedures.
35. Software must operate on multiple platforms
including OS and Windows operating systems,
iPads, iPhones, and Androids. Please describe
the platform environments on which the
product will run.
The web environment, which includes all collocated servers,
is a tier IV hosting facility with automatic backups, failover
and recovery. As a lightweight program, FASTe can be run on
dial-up networks, although broadband is preferred.
PC Requirements: Windows XP or above, 128+ MB RAM,
1+GHz Processor
Web Browser: IE* 7+, FireFox 9+, Google Chrome, Safari 4+
Mac Requirements: OS X (10.3.4+), 128+ MB RAM, 450+ MHz
G4 Processor
Web Browser: FireFox 9+, Google Chrome, Safari 4+
FASTe runs on iPads and iPhones with Safari or Puffin and on
Androids with Firefox.
36. Describe the process for testing new
versions/upgrades prior to them being rolled
out.
37. Describe the process of involving MSC
employee(s) in the testing, training and
implementation of new versions/upgrades
prior to them being rolled out.
Performance Matters uses the Agile software development
methodology to develop the functionality. Internal
regression testing ensures that the software is free of errors
and will not impact other area of the application when
implemented. The upgrade process takes place during a
down period, usually late at night during a time when school
is out of session. Ample notice is given before outage.
The most important role MSC employees can play is in
creating product specifications based on the new
requirements. MSC knows the needs of the districts as well
as MN state law. Therefore, as the needs and laws change,
MSC can be a valuable liaison to Performance Matters. Then,
when the functionality is created, MSC should play a
significant role in training the end-users on the new
functionality.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
38. Describe the process of implementing a new
MSC client into the system (e.g. approximate
timelines, customer service that will be
provided during implementation, how long
the setup time will be until the customer will
be fully operational).
39. Describe the ability to manage user
permissions, especially the ability to set up
accounts for district administrators to
configure, monitor, and administer the
system for the entire district from one login
ID. Also describe the ability for creating,
editing, and deleting unlimited number of
user accounts and user security profiles.
40. Describe how users, passwords, and roles are
managed within the system. If applicable,
describe the system support for the use of
LDAP or Active Directory for authentication.
41. List those Student Information Systems (SIS)
(e.g. PowerSchool, Skyward, TIES Student
Information System, etc.) with which the
Vendor has integration experience. Describe
the level of integration available.
42. List other databases/systems with which the
Vendor has integration experience (e.g.
Payroll/HR).
RESPONSE
Performance Matters has a fast-track implementation
whereby the client is up and running in 90 days, which
includes all technical services and training. However, most
districts have their technical environment ready to run in 90
days, but want the training closer to the start of school.
Therefore, the implementation times varies based on when
in the year the client signs the contract. The actual timeline
will be created during the project kickoff meeting, when the
Performance Matters CRM meets with SSC to look at the
project goals and factor in dates like already-scheduled PD
days.
During implementation, MSC would have weekly calls with
the customer relationship manager. MSC would also have
access to the ticketing system to monitor bug tracking and
feature requests. And MSC would have full access to the
support line.
Super users have access to any district site. District
administrators can access any data within their district.
Depending on the level of access MSC chooses, configuration
will take place at one of these two levels. FASTe is highly
scalable so an unlimited number of user accounts can be
added. An unlimited number of security profiles would make
profile management incredibly difficult and is therefore not
supported.
Users, passwords and roles are set by the district with
support from Performance Matters. The firm support
LDAP/Active Directory integration and the overwhelming
majority of customers authenticate through these
mechanisms.
PowerSchool, Skyward, Infinite Campus, Genesis, Realtime,
TERMS, Focus. Performance Matters can receive almost any
information from a student information system, but the most
important pieces of data are student demographics and
course files. The integration consists of a nightly bath
upload.
FASTe requires integration with the HR system for the
district. This ensures that the staff data is up to date and
accurate. Performance Matters integrates with many
different kinds of HR programs. Although it may be outside
the scope of this requirement, the firm also has integration
experience with many different kinds of local assessment
systems.
Financing and Marketing Options - Pricing Structure
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
43. Describe pricing structure. Describe whether
each cost is one-time, annually renewable, or
other structure. Specify charges, such as
 product costs,
 startup costs,
 training costs,
 database integration costs,
 professional development modules,
 customer support costs, etc.
44. Specify separate pricing options for various
system modules, e.g. Observation, Evaluation
and Professional Development components.
45. Include pricing for one, two, and three years
of a contract.
46. Describe the volume discount being quoted
for this regional proposal. Provide examples
of difference between independent district
retail pricing and consortium pricing.
47. Marketing Plan. Describe your marketing
strategy.
48. Marketing Arrangements. Describe options
for marketing and distribution arrangements
– that is, outline the potential roles of the
Service Cooperative and outline details about
remuneration to the contracting Service
Cooperative.
RESPONSE
FASTe software is licensed annually. The per student license
fee is based on the total number of students covered by the
contract. For a total number of student less than 3,000, the
per student charge is $8 (there is a minimum license fee of
$10,000). 3,001-10,000 students is $7 per student. 10,00125,000 students is $6 per student. 25,001-50,000 students is
$5 per student. More than 50,000 students is $4 per student.
Professional services include startup (observation set-up,
multi-measure weighting and calculations), training, database
integration and professional development linking. The
amount of professional services is determined by the total
student count of the project. The per day fee is $1,500. For a
total number of student less than 3,000, four days are
required. 3,001-10,000 students requires six days. 10,00125,000 students requires ten days. 25,001-50,000 students
requires twelve days. More than 50,000 students requires
fifteen days.
FASTe offers observation, evaluation and links to professional
development embedded within the framework for a single
fee. The firm does not separate modules.
In year one, the total price will be determined by the total
number of students covered by the contract. The consortium
would simply find the appropriate student count range in the
response to requirement 43 above and add the license fee to
the professional service fee.
The professional services are a one-time charge. Therefore,
the annual fee in years two and three would be the product
license fee only.
From the lowest student count tier to the highest, there is a
$4 per student difference. In addition, there is a $10,000
minimum for product licensing. So a district with 1,000
students would pay $10,000 since using per student pricing
produces an amount less than the minimum. For this
proposal, if enough districts joined such that the student
count was more than 50,000, that same district would pay
$4,000 rather than $10,000.
Multi-measure educator evaluation is the law in a handful of
Race to the Top states. It is no coincidence that FASTe is the
market leader in those states. FASTe is the only solution
presently available on the market that supports multimeasure educator evaluations with all of the data sourcing,
weighting and calculations required of such a complex
undertaking. Therefore, the marketing will focus on
educating users on the product, MN law and the national
trends in educator effectiveness. The firm has extensive best
practices experience and that is a valuable asset for reaching
educational leaders in the cooperative.
Performance Matters understands the vital role the Service
Cooperative plays as a liaison, educator, administrator,
project manager and trainer on the project. The firm would
seek to learn more about the specific strengths of the Service
Cooperative before proposing specific roles.
PRODUCT FEATURES and REQUIREMENTS
49. Administrative Fee. Outline the
administrative fee payable to the contracting
Service Cooperative for consortium
management, invoicing, marketing, training,
and any other roles expected of the Service
Cooperative.
RESPONSE
Performance Matters has contracted with consortiums in
other states, but is not familiar with an administrative fee.
The firm is amenable to discussing services with the Service
Cooperative.
Signature:
Date: January 15, 2013
Print Name: Woody Dillaha__________
Title: CEO
12/27/2012
Southeast Service Cooperative
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) by the Minnesota Service Cooperatives
Educator Observation and Evaluation Software Professional Development Components
Attachment #3 Vendor Statement of Qualifications
VENDOR STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
Company Name: Performance Matters
Phone Number: (407) 645-1800
Company Address:
1600 Lee Road
Fax Number:
(800) 373-8578
Winter Park, FL 32789
Contact Name:
Matt Muller
Contact Title:
Dir. Education Solutions
Company website:
www.performancematters.com
Number of years in business:
Email: [email protected]
10
Company’s financial rating: DUNS or Bank reference (or the name and address of bank where company’s
commercial account is located):
Commerce National Bank and Trust
1201 South Orlando Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789
List three (3) current or recent EDUCATIONAL clients for reference purposes.
Minnesota school references are preferred.
Client Data
Name: Flagler County Public Schools
Address: 1769 E. Moody Blvd.
Bunnell, FL 32110
Phone Number: (386) 586-2351
Contact Name: Shawn Schmidli
Description and Date of Service
The district uses the full suite of Performance
Matters solutions, including the Formative
Action System for Teacher Effectiveness (FASTe).
FASTe has been used in the district for two years.
Name: Wayzata Public Schools
Address: 210 County Road 101 N
Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone Number: (763) 745-5000
Contact Name: Shelly Nelson
Wayzata uses one program (ADMS) within the
Performance Matters suite of products. FASTe is a
different product. However, Wayzata can attest
to the firm’s customer service. Wayzata has
partnered with the firm since October 2009.
Name: Heartland Educational Consortium
Address: 1097 US Highway 27 North
Lake Placid, FL 33852
Phone Number: 863.494.4222 x112
Contact Name: Deborah Halvorson
A consortium of six county-level districts in central
Florida that use several products within the
Performance Matters solution suite, including
FASTe. Each districts has their own SIS and HR
Integration.
Signature:
12/27/2012
Title: CEO
Date: January 15, 2013
Executive Summary
Established in 2003, Performance Matters provides a suite of solutions that empower educators to make
informed decisions and improve student achievement. Performance Matters offers a teacher evaluation
platform that is not only easy to use but exceedingly flexible. This flexibility ensures that SSC members
will not only be able to meet the educator evaluation needs of today, but be prepared to address future
challenges that are as of yet undefined.
The Formative Action System for Teacher Effectiveness (FASTe) is revolutionary program that seamlessly
connects teacher characteristics and actions to student outcomes. As teachers have the largest schoollevel effect size on student growth, this connection provides education leaders with information that
allows them to allocate resources in a way that has the greatest impact on student achievement. In
addition, as Minnesota moves towards a comprehensive multi-measure teacher effectiveness program,
the amount of data processing will expand considerably for school districts. FASTe is already used
throughout the United States to perform complex, multi-measure educator evaluations. As the
calculations impact personnel decisions, the logic and mathematics must be exact. Performance
Matters has extensive experience working with our clients to set up FASTe according to state and/or
local rules.
An excerpt from a District Administration article titled “Determining Teacher Effectiveness” (February
22, 2012) offers a real-world example of the power of FASTe:
Calvert County (MD) Public Schools is among
those districts using FASTe to determine
teacher effectiveness. By state law, says
Superintendent Jack Smith, every one of
Maryland’s 24 districts must have a pilot
teacher evaluation program in place by next
August, and student growth must constitute
50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation. It is not
tied to teacher pay just yet, he says, but that’s
coming.
Smith says that the FASTe tool has the
potential to show him what state assessments
can’t, such as if a student advanced from
having low basic skills to high basic skills.
State assessments, in part, only reveal if a
student moved from basic to proficient to
advanced.
FASTe provides the foundation for
differentiated staff development, which is
based on student data. For example, Smith
says he can review that data for a class, look
at the teacher’s characteristics and determine
Administrators and supervisors in the Calvert County (MD)
Public Schools are in the media center learning how to use
Formative Action System for Teacher Effectiveness to provide
differentiated staff development.
if there are any noteworthy changes in achievement based on if the teacher has tenure or is male or
female. Smith may ask himself in this situation if there is a significant academic difference among boys
taught by male teachers as compared to those taught by female teachers. “I can look at a school with an
all-female administrative team and see if that seems to have any effect on student achievement,” Smith
says. “Like a Rubik’s Cube, I can twist and turn it until I get a picture I want to see. It gives an indication
of what the next question or place I want to go should be.”
The district is also training teachers to use FASTe to check benchmarks and to see how each student
performed on a particular test. Administrators are evaluating staff development tools, and soon teachers
will be able to go online whenever they want to improve their teaching skills. Teachers who use these
tools, says Smith, “can teach a child about elapsed time or how to add fractions, and they don’t have to
go through an entire PD session. … This is directly related to the data that their own students have
produced over the past year.”
Smith says the end goal is to ensure that all students who graduate go as far as possible in their learning.
“We want to make sure they are not just barely making it,” he says.
Performance Matters is more than a software company.
We are an organization made up of high quality people,
who all share a passion for education and providing
unmatched customer service levels. We believe we are
uniquely positioned to serve the administrators,
teachers, parents and students of SSC member districts.
While we have answered the requirements of the RFP in
full, we hope that the consortium will take the time to
speak with our customers. Performance Matters is big
enough to serve the needs of consortia, but small
enough to offer a personal approach. Our customers
are raving fans of both the software and company, as
evidenced by the longevity and renewal rates of current
customers.
“Performance Matters has been a
great partner throughout the process,
from the training through the
implementation of the system. They
have been very willing to work with us
to customize things in a way that
meets our needs. It’s that partnership
with our district that really makes us
successful.”
Wade Phillips
Director of Technology
Wayzata Public Schools, MN
Performance Matters looks forward to the opportunity to work with SSC. Based on our experience with
multi-measure teacher effectiveness in other states, we expect a partnership with SSC to improve
student and educator proficiency and efficiently allocate resources for maximum student achievement.
Appendix A: Sample Reports
Baseline Reports
Reports that connect teacher characteristics and actions to student growth. These unique reports can
answer questions such as whether a particular quality of a teacher (i.e, year of experience, participation
is a specific PD program, certification in subject being taught) impacts the rate of student growth.
Are student achievement levels improving?
Student achievement levels are represented by bubbles. Bubbles moving downwards represent student
regression, while bubbles that move up represent progress. The bubbles can be created with any number of
variables, including student and teacher information. For example, in the example above the blue bubbles indicate
that teachers with tenure (left chart) left chart are better than non-tenured teachers (right chart) working with
level 4 students.
Performance Matters Confidential Information
Page 1
Are students across the school system making learning gains?
A bubble chart shows changes in student achievement levels from one year to the next, while stacked bar chart
further illustrates the trend in student achievement.
What are the professional characteristics of our staff?
Staff degree at four schools is displayed on the left in a tabular format, while the chart on the right presents the
same information via stacked bar chart.
Performance Matters Confidential Information
Page 2
What is our staff distribution by Professional Characteristic?
On the x axis, HS1-HS10 represent ten high schools in a district. The stacked bar chart shows years of experience
of the teachers at each location.
Performance Matters Confidential Information
Page 3
Formative Instructional Cycles Reports
Reports that relate specifically to educator practice, as measured through observations. The reports
present individual and group information about educator performance, both for a single observation as
well as over a range of time. The reports can embed Professional Development resources at the domain
and indicator levels to allow a teacher and/or principal to see links to any PD the district chooses.
What are the results for classroom observation?
Any and all observations can be viewed at a later date. Data from multiple observations can be aggregated and
disaggregated for easier interpretation.
What is the distribution of classroom observation results among our teachers?
A sortable report that shows domain and indicator ratings for a group of teachers. The district can create a link
from any domain or indicator to targeted professional development (not shown).
Performance Matters Confidential Information
Page 4
How are the observation results changing over time?
Called “RtI for teachers” the report shows teacher progress as well as peer progress over time.
Performance Matters Confidential Information
Page 5
Summative Reports
Reports that aggregate and weight the appropriate measures for educators and display the results in a
clear and graphical format
What is my summative rating?
The summary rating report weights multiple measures and displays a total rating as well as information about the
data that contributed to the total.
Performance Matters Confidential Information
Page 6
Appendix B: FASTe in the News
In 2012, FASTE articles appeared in numerous publications. A sample is provided below:
(December 13, 2012). New Jersey District Adopts Web-Based Tool for Teacher Evaluations.
THE Journal.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/12/13/new-jersey-district-adopts-web-based-toolfor-teacher-evaluations.aspx?m=1
(October 12, 2012). Florida Consortia Select Data Management System. District
Administration.
http://www.districtadministration.com/news/fla-consortia-selects-data-managementsystem
(September 18, 2012). 50% of Maryland School Systems Embrace Performance Matters
Assessment, Data Management and Teacher Effectiveness Solutions. Market Watch: The
Wall Street Journal.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/50-percent-of-maryland-school-systems-embraceperformance-matters-assessment-data-management-and-teacher-effectiveness-solutions2012-09-18
(July 30, 2012). Re-Thinking Teacher Evaluations. School CIO.
http://www.schoolcio.com/article/re-thinking-teacher-evaluations/52793
(May 10, 2012). New Brunswick Becomes the First New Jersey School District to Adopt the
FASTe Platform to Support Educator Effectiveness. eSchool News.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/05/09/new-brunswick-becomes-the-first-newjersey-school-district-to-adopt-the-faste-platform-to-support-educator-effectiveness/
(May 10, 2012). New Jersey Implements Platform for Year-Round Teacher Evaluations.
THE Journal. http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/05/09/new-jersey-district-implementsplatform-for-year-round-teacher-evaluations.aspx
(March 23, 2012). Technology Helps Manage Teacher Quality Initiatives. eSchool News.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/04/01/technology-helps-manage-teacher-qualityinitiatives/
(February 22, 2012). Determining Teacher Effectiveness. District Administration.
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/determining-teacher-effectiveness
(January 23, 2012). Florida District Adopts Web-Based Tool for Teacher Effectiveness
Evaluations. THE Journal. http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/01/25/florida-districtadopts-web-based-tool-for-teacher-effectiveness-evaluations.aspx
Calvert County Public Schools Improves
Performance on MSA and HSA with Performance
Matters
Calvert County Public Schools
Prince Frederick, MD Student population:
17% African-American
<1% American-Indian
2% Asian/Pacific Islander
81% Caucasian
District statistics:
Schools: 25
Students: 16,202
Grades: PreK-12
Setting: Rural/Suburban
25% Free/reduced lunch
10% Special education
Website: www.calvertnet.k12.md.us
Summary
Calvert County Public Schools began using Performance Matters’ integrated solutions
for assessment and data management in 2004. The district’s goals were to provide
quick and easy access to student data to support informed decision making systemwide. With the ability to access students’ historical performance on state tests and
current progress on district assessments, Calvert County educators have the actionable
information they need to improve teaching and learning. As a result, students have
achieved gains on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and High School
Assessments (HSA). In 2012, the district also added the FASTe online platform to
formatively support educator effectiveness by continuously connecting achievement
outcomes with educator activities.
Challenges
Rising Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)
Lack of student data to drive instruction
Centrally located in the mid-Atlantic corridor, Calvert County Public Schools is less than
a one-hour drive from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis. In 2004, the district
set out to find a system that would provide an integrated solution for assessment and
data management, and support decision making from the district level to the individual
student level.
“We were in the same boat with other Maryland counties. Because our AMOs were
rising each year, it became increasingly difficult to make Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) in every school and every subgroup,” said Matt Poteet, supervisor of the
department of instructional and informational technology. “We knew that private industry
had been using data to drive decision making for a long time, but school systems
lagged behind. We wanted to use data to drive instruction, without having to wait until
we received our state test results at the end of the year.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
After conducting extensive research, Calvert County Public Schools invited select
vendors to present their systems. “We were looking for a system that could report on
students’ progress in all subject areas and allow us to drill down into the data. We liked
that Performance Matters was intuitive and that you could view the data in many
different ways. The customizable color-coding in the reports, which made it easy to see
which thresholds students hit, impressed us as well. We also liked how fast the reports
could be generated,” said Poteet. “Performance Matters won us over, not just with their
data system and reports but with their flexibility and commitment to customer service.”
Solutions
Performance Matters Assessment and Data Management System
Performance Matters Formative Action System for Teacher Effectiveness
(FASTe)
Data Management
Calvert County Public Schools began using the web-based Performance Matters
assessment and data management system in 2004 in every school, across all grade
levels. The system is now used in half of Maryland’s school districts.
Performance Matters correlates and analyzes performance data from multiple sources,
and turns that data into actionable information to improve instruction and student
learning. With the web-based system, Calvert County Public Schools can easily
combine historical data such as MSA and HSA scores, with current data from more than
330 district benchmarks administered from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The
district also includes students’ grades, attendance, SAT scores, DIBELS scores, and
other data in the system.
Using interactive dashboards and
color-coded reports in the Performance
Matters system, educators can easily
slice and dice data to analyze student
performance. With the click of a
mouse, they can drill down and access
more detailed information related to
the data on the screen. In addition, this
data can be instantly disaggregated for
any student or group.
“Whenever a new benchmark is administered, teachers usually run a minimum of two or
three reports, and many will drill down into the data quite a bit more,” said Poteet.
According to Poteet, teachers look at students’ overall scores because many of the
benchmark assessments count toward students’ grades. In addition, teachers often
review the Ranking by Objective Report to see how students performed on each
www.PerformanceMatters.com
objective. “If teachers see that a few students missed a certain objective, they can
differentiate their instruction to provide those students with a detailed review while
giving the rest of the class an extension activity to push them further on the concept,” he
said.
Teachers also frequently review the Item Analysis Report to see which questions their
class struggled with and which distractors they chose, and then determine if they need
to re-teach that concept. “Teachers also share that data when they meet in grade-level
or department teams to discuss best practices and other ways of teaching a concept,”
said Poteet.
Poteet also noted that even if students
perform well on a test, teachers don’t
automatically move on to the next
objective. “They still dive into the data to
ensure students mastered the concepts. It
all comes down to individual objectives and
indicators — not just performance on a
test,” he said. “So, if a majority of students
received an ‘A’ on an assessment, but most
missed a particular question, teachers
know there are misconceptions they need
to address. Teachers want to make sure
students are proficient or advanced in each
skill, so if it comes around again on another
assessment or on the MSA or HSA, they’ll
know their students are prepared.”
Teachers also like to run the Student Detail report, which shows students’ scores on all
the tests they’ve taken throughout the school year. “Teachers share this with students
and with parents in conferences,” said Poteet. “It gives them a clear picture of each
student’s performance.”
Customization
As one of the first Maryland counties to implement Performance Matters, Calvert County
Public Schools also provided input on several of the system’s reports. “Performance
Matters made many customizations for us, which not only benefited us but many other
districts in the State of Maryland,” said Poteet. “Performance Matters wants to give
school districts exactly what they need, so when a teacher runs a report, it’s fast, it’s
user friendly, and it’s easy to understand.”
For example, the district worked closely with Performance Matters to develop a
Graduation Status Report, which is now used throughout Maryland. “This is the report
that’s used the most by our high schools,” said Poteet. “With the HSA and all the
graduation requirements, it seemed to get more and more complex each year to figure
out who needed what in order to graduate. Now, with just a few clicks, we can quickly
www.PerformanceMatters.com
find out who’s met the requirements and who hasn’t. And, for those students who
haven’t, we can see exactly what they need.”
Teacher Effectiveness
In addition, Maryland schools are moving toward changing the way they evaluate
teachers; placing more emphasis on student performance and test scores. Under a new
evaluation system, half of a teacher’s evaluation score will depend on student
performance and the other half on professional development.
“This new evaluation system is forcing counties to think about how to tie teacher
effectiveness with student achievement,” said Poteet. “To do this, we need to look at
student data and teacher data as well, so we can make sure teachers get the support
they need in the areas they need it.”
To meet the new teacher evaluation requirements, Calvert County Public Schools is
implementing Performance Matters’ FASTe. FASTe provides a turnkey system for
evaluating educator effectiveness, with an easy-to-implement framework that can be
customized for each school system. Accessible year-round, the FASTe online platform
enables educators to “progress monitor” their own performance against the multiple
measures that make up their annual evaluations and link to relevant, timely professional
development and instructional resources. At the end of the year, educators can then
produce summative rating reports, based on their school
system’s criteria.
“FASTe will enable us to
connect student outcomes
“We want to give all our teachers the resources they need to
to teacher actions.”
be highly effective, but we can’t do that if we don’t know what
shortcomings or issues they might have,” said Poteet. “FASTe
-Matt Poteet, Supervisor
will enable us to connect student outcomes to teacher
Department of Instructional
actions. This way, we can identify the areas in which teachers
and Informational
are effective and those in which they aren’t, so we can get
Technology
them the support they need to increase their skills.”
Results
Improved data-driven decision making
Improved MSA and HAS performance
Since implementing Performance Matters, Calvert County elementary and middle
schools have achieved steady gains on the MSA.
“Performance Matters has played a large role in the improved performance of our
students,” said Poteet. “We know our benchmark tests are excellent predictors of MSA
and HSA success. So, our teachers know if their students are proficient on our
benchmarks — in the green zone on the Performance Matters color-coded reports —
there’s a 99 percent chance they’ll be proficient on our state tests. That’s powerful. It
shows teachers that our tests work and these reports work. Before we began using
Performance Matters, teachers didn’t have data that showed exactly which objectives
www.PerformanceMatters.com
their students were struggling with or what their misperceptions were, but it’s the
individual objectives and items that make a big difference in student performance.”
Calvert County high school students have achieved growth as well. In 2011, more than
95 percent of seniors met the HSA graduation requirement. “We haven’t had a single
student fail to graduate because they missed a state requirement. We’re confident the
Graduation Status Report has helped us meet that goal,” said Poteet.
“Overall, the ease of use, the quickness of the reporting, and the ability to customize
Performance Matters have all been important to our success. Performance Matters also
provides fantastic customer support. As state tests and requirements change, they
continue to customize the system, so we have everything we need. It’s played a huge
role in our success in terms of our improvement,” said Poteet.
“In private industry and in education, organizations that use data to improve themselves
will always perform better than those that don’t,” he continued. “With Performance
Matters, we can monitor student progress and use that data to guide instruction. Our
teachers understand what students’ strengths and weaknesses are, so they can use the
assessments in a formative way. That’s key. We still have to get to a certain point by the
end of the school year, but we’re not just going to move on. If there’s something
students didn’t get for whatever reason, we need to make sure we can identify those
areas and go back and re-teach or differentiate our instruction, so all students
understand all the concepts they’re expected to master. Using data to drive instruction
has been critical to our success. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved and
student learning has improved — and that’s the business we’re in.”
###
Learn more about Performance Matters at
www.PerformanceMatters.com
or call 407.645.1800
www.PerformanceMatters.com
Marion County Educators Gain Actionable
Information to Improve Student Performance and
Educator Effectiveness
Marion County Public Schools
Ocala, FL
District statistics:
Schools: 50
Students: 41,872
Grades: K-12
Setting: Rural/Suburban
Student population:
20% African-American
15% Hispanic
58% Caucasian
5% Multiracial
2% Asian/Pacific Islander
67% Free/reduced lunch
Website: www.marion.k12.fl.us
Summary
Marion County Public Schools began using Performance Matters’ integrated solutions for
assessment and data management in 2010. The goal was to provide easy access to data and
support informed decision making at all levels. Since launching Performance Matters, Marion
County educators have improved their use of data and sharpened their instructional focus to
better meet students’ needs. In 2011, the district added FASTe, the latest online platform from
Performance Matters. FASTe connects student outcomes to teacher actions to support educator
effectiveness.
Challenges
Complicated, difficult-to-use data systems
Shifting product lines
Marion County Public Schools is located in a mostly rural yet growing county that ranks among
the 20 most populous counties in Florida. With approximately 42,000 students across 50
schools, having easy access to data is critical to impact student performance — from the
individual level to the district level.
To manage student achievement data, the district had been using a web-based data analysis
tool and an online assessment system from a large education technology company.
“But we were facing some challenges,” said Dr. Diana Greene, deputy superintendent for
curriculum and instruction for Marion County Public Schools. “We’ve been a data-driven district
for a long time, but we were using a system that was difficult to manage. It was also about to be
end-of-lifed and the company wanted to bring in a new system. We felt it was time to search for
a system that would be user-friendly and give our end users the information they needed to
make decisions. Ease of use — particularly for our school-based administrators and teachers —
was our number one priority.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
Solutions
Performance Matters Assessment and Data Management System
Performance Matters Formative Action System for Teacher Effectiveness
(FASTe)
To address these needs, Marion County Public Schools purchased the Performance Matters
assessment and data management system in May 2010. In 2011, to meet Florida’s new
requirements for teacher evaluations, it added the Formative Action System for Teacher
Effectiveness (FASTe).
For ease of use, all Performance Matters products operate on a single, intuitive web-based
platform that supports the information needs of all stakeholders in the educational process. The
integrated product line correlates and analyzes performance data from multiple sources, and
turns that data into actionable information to improve instruction and student learning. Using
interactive dashboards and color-coded reports, educators can easily slice and dice data to
enhance performance district-wide.
Data Management
In Marion County Public Schools, the Performance Matters assessment and data management
system is used in every school, across all grade levels.
“With Performance Matters, we now have a system that’s easy to use,” said Greene. “It’s very
user-friendly, so it’s easy to get whatever information you need.”
With the web-based assessment and data management
system, educators can easily combine historical data such as
state test scores with current data such as district benchmark
assessments, Focus Calendar Assessments (FCAs), and
classroom assessments.
“Performance Matters gives our teachers timely information
about student performance on our formative assessments, and
then matches that with data from the FCAT and Florida
Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR),” said Greene.
“This helps teachers make decisions about what they should do
differently to meet the needs of different students.”
Teachers frequently use data from the FCAs in planning meetings with their colleagues and with
their principals. “Teachers like that they can compare the performance of this year’s class to last
year’s class to see how students are doing on each assessment. Principals can also look at
trends across the school to gauge student performance and growth,” said Greene. “The colorcoded system makes the data very easy to understand. You instantly know what the red, yellow
and green colors mean, so you can immediately act on the data.”
With the click of a mouse, educators can drill down and access more detailed information
related to the data on the screen. In addition, this data can be disaggregated and analyzed in a
number of ways, without leaving the report.
For example, Marion County teachers and principals use Performance Matters to identify
www.PerformanceMatters.com
students who scored in the bottom quartile on the FCAT. They then monitor their performance
on the FCAs. “Using this data, they can identify the areas where students are experiencing
problems and where they’re excelling,” said Greene. “They can also compare that with their
FAIR data to see if students are making progress and adjust their instruction accordingly.”
According to Greene, Marion County educators appreciate having a comprehensive view of all
factors relevant to student academic achievement. “We particularly like the Student Detail report
that allows you to drill down to the individual student level,” she said. “You can look at
information such as the student’s attendance and grades, and see how that matches up with
their formative and summative assessments to get a complete picture of that student’s
performance. You can also look at data by classroom teacher or by school, and use that
information to make decisions about curriculum or resources.”
District administrators also use this data to make decisions system-wide. “When our fifth grade
students took their first science FCA this year, we saw that the entire district struggled,” said
Greene. “It quickly became apparent that we put this assessment on the calendar too early in
the school year. We needed to give students more instruction and more time to fully understand
the concepts we were testing. As a result, we’ve made adjustments to our calendar for next year
and provided our schools with the support to make that change.”
In addition to evaluating student progress toward state standards and analyzing growth over
time, educators can compare students’ performance to their peers across the state.
“Performance Matters’ ability to focus at the state level is another benefit,” said Greene. “Our
previous system couldn’t do that.”
Student Assessment
The district also uses the Performance Matters system for the development, administration and
scoring of benchmark assessments.
“We administer benchmark assessments twice a year and that information is used extensively,”
said Greene. “Teachers can compare the data with our Instructional Focus Calendars to see the
areas they covered prior to first benchmark, how students performed in those areas, and how
students performed in areas they didn’t teach yet. It helps teachers see how well prepared
students are for the upcoming curriculum and the next phase of their education.”
Teacher Effectiveness
Marion County Public Schools is also working with Performance Matters to revamp its teacher
evaluation system to meet the requirements of Florida’s new teacher merit-pay law, the Student
Success Act. Like districts across the state, Marion County is transitioning to a new two-part
teacher evaluation system that includes detailed observations and test results. Under the new
law, 50 percent of teachers’ evaluations will be based on student test scores.
“We’ve always done teacher evaluations but the
state now requires us to conduct the evaluations in
a different way,” said Greene. “We needed a system
that would be able take our student data and work
with this new formula from the state.”
To meet the new requirements, Marion County
Public Schools is implementing Performance
Matters FASTe. FASTe provides a turnkey system
www.PerformanceMatters.com
for evaluating educator effectiveness, with an easy-to-implement framework that can be
customized for each school system. Accessible year-round, the FASTe online platform enables
educators to “progress monitor” their performance against the multiple measures that make up
their annual evaluations and link to relevant, timely professional development resources. At the
end of the year, educators can then produce summative rating reports, based on the school
system’s criteria.
“There’s no way we could have created a system like this ourselves,” said Greene.
Previously, the district used rubrics and paper-and-pencil forms for teacher evaluations. The
forms were submitted and filed at the school level, according to a specific timeline.
“Since the information wasn’t electronic, we didn’t have a database of information we could
access — which made it difficult to get a district perspective,” said Dr. Marilyn Underwood,
executive director of staff development for Marion County Public Schools. “We couldn’t look at
trend data unless it was collected by hand and, with 3,000 employees, that simply wasn’t
feasible. Further, our evaluation system was not formally linked to student achievement in the
way the state law requires now.”
Marion County educators look forward to accessing the FASTe platform to support teachers and
leaders on a continuous basis with actionable information. “Anytime you can electronically
access data to look at trends specific to teachers, students, grade levels or schools, you can
better tailor and individualize programs to meet the needs of that learning community,” said
Underwood. “Like the Performance Matters assessment and data management system, FASTe
will allow us to pull together sophisticated performance data to help us measure the impact
we’re having on student learning. It will allow us to connect student outcomes to teacher
activities, which we haven’t been able to do in the past. We’re excited to implement FASTe.”
Results
Improved use of data at all levels
Improved data-driven decision making
Since implementing Performance Matters in 2010, Marion County Public Schools has seen
positive changes system-wide.
“I don’t think many teachers used our old data system,” said Greene. “But, since launching
Performance Matters, we now see teachers frequently accessing the system to analyze
information about their students and to gather information for parent-teacher conferences. If a
system is easy to use, teachers will use it. If it’s difficult, they won’t.”
Thanks to Performance Matters’ ease of use, teachers have become more skilled at using data
to inform their instruction and enhance student learning. “We’ve definitely seen an improvement
in teachers’ knowledge about student data and how to use that data,” said Greene.
“Performance Matters is a conduit that links teachers to critical information about their students,
so they can make decisions about what to do differently to improve student learning. It gives
teachers the information they need to ask questions about their practice in the classroom, and
to collaborate with their colleagues about how to make any needed adjustments.”
Having easy access to data brings benefits to district-level decision makers as well. “Another
feature we love is the Proficiency Predictor,” said Greene. “We’re a very data-driven district so
www.PerformanceMatters.com
it’s something we rely on. The information makes it much easier to work with schools to improve
their performance.”
“For us, everything leads back to ease of use. It’s all about the availability of information and
how quickly we can get the information we need to make decisions,” she added. “Performance
Matters is very easy to use and the company has incredible customer service. They have been
very helpful in working with us throughout our entire implementation.”
###
Learn more about Performance Matters at
www.PerformanceMatters.com
or call 407.645.1800
www.PerformanceMatters.com
New Brunswick Public Schools Improves Student
Performance and Teacher Effectiveness with
Performance Matters
New Brunswick Public Schools
New Brunswick, N.J.
District statistics:
Student population:
Schools: 11
28% African-American
Students: 9,000
70% Hispanic
Grades: PreK-12
2% Other
Setting: Urban
95% Free/reduced lunch
Website: www.nbps.k12.nj.us
13% Special education
Summary
In 2006, New Brunswick Public Schools became the first district in New Jersey to
implement Performance Matters’ integrated solutions for assessment and data
management. Thanks to its focus on data-driven decision making, the district has
improved student performance on district benchmarks and state tests, and enhanced
teachers’ daily practice through targeted professional development. In 2012, New
Brunswick also became the first in New Jersey to purchase the FASTe online platform.
FASTe formatively supports educator effectiveness by continuously connecting
achievement outcomes with educator activities.
Challenges
Difficult-to-use student information system
Lack of student data to drive instruction
New Brunswick Public Schools serves approximately 9,000 students in two high
schools, a middle school, and eight elementary neighborhood schools, which include
four K-5 schools and four K-8 schools. To manage student data, the urban Title I district
had been using a student information system from a large education technology
company. However, educators found it difficult to access the data they needed to
improve student achievement.
“When I arrived in 2004, I quickly became frustrated with the district’s student
management system. I’d ask for different types of data only to be told, ‘Our system can’t
do that.’ I wanted a seamless system that could provide real-time data,” said Richard M.
Kaplan, superintendent of New Brunswick Public Schools. “Another challenge was that,
other than our state assessment, there was no way to quantify how students were
doing. Our state testing program provided raw scores and scale scores but there was
no item analysis, so we had no understanding of what specific topics our students had
mastered.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
Solutions
Performance Matters Assessment and Data Management System
Performance Matters Formative Action System for Teacher Effectiveness
(FASTe)
Data Management
To address these needs, in 2006, New
Brunswick Public Schools became the first
district in New Jersey to purchase the webbased Performance Matters assessment and
data management system.
“I visited another district, Calvert County Public
Schools in Maryland, to see how they
implemented Performance Matters. We’ve
been using the system ever since,” said
Kaplan. “A key benefit of Performance Matters
is that it provides the opportunity for item
analysis — school by school, grade by grade,
class by class, and student by student. It
allows us to easily see what students have or
haven’t mastered. This gives us the data we
need to start conversations about how to
enhance student achievement.”
Today, New Brunswick Public Schools uses Performance Matters in kindergarten
through eighth grade. Performance Matters correlates and analyzes performance data
from multiple sources, and turns that data into actionable information to improve
instruction and student learning. It offers a unique capability to combine historical data
such as state test scores with current data such as benchmark assessments.
“Performance Matters makes it easy to access student data daily. This makes the
conversations in staff meetings between teachers and principals more meaningful and
productive,” said Kaplan.
Using interactive dashboards and color-coded reports in the Performance Matters
system, educators can easily slice and dice data to analyze student performance. With
the click of a mouse, they can drill down and access more detailed information related
to the data on the screen. In addition, this data can be instantly disaggregated for any
student or group.
“When you see the red, yellow or green on the reports, it makes it easy to group
students and differentiate instruction to address their needs,” said Kaplan. “As a result,
we’ve seen student performance improve on our benchmark tests.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
The district also uses the data to differentiate professional development for teachers.
“Nobody wants to have a weakness, but everybody has at least one area they’d like to
improve. We use the Performance Matters data to turn weaknesses into strengths by
grouping teachers into grade level clusters to provide peer modeling. We also use the
data to provide targeted professional development to address areas of need in specific
content areas,” said Kaplan. “Teachers know they’re not alone in the classroom
anymore.”
In addition, during the 2011-12 school year, the district began using Performance
Matters to more effectively schedule student rosters. “We looked at students’ strengths
and weaknesses, and at teachers’ strengths. Then, when we developed our class lists,
we matched teachers’ strengths with students’ needs to bring students up in those
areas.”
Student Assessment
The district also uses the Performance Matters system for the development,
administration and scoring of benchmark assessments.
“At first, we used Performance Matters to develop our own benchmark testing aligned
with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards,” said Kaplan. “This year, we
started using benchmarks that Performance Matters developed. So, instead of spending
$40 an hour to develop our own tests, we now have a cost-effective way to get a bigger
library of benchmarks tied to our state standards and national standards. We even
compared the Performance Matters benchmarks to those from a large educational
testing company and found that they had much
more depth and were more relevant to our needs.”
Data-driven Decision Making
After each benchmark, educators across the district
use Performance Matters to analyze the data,
evaluate student progress toward state standards,
and identify issues needing attention.
“The beauty of the system
is that it’s so visual. It
makes the data easy to
understand and act upon.”
Richard Kaplan,
Superintendent
“With Performance Matters, you push the button and
boom, boom, boom — the data is there. The beauty
of the system is that it’s so visual. It makes the data easy to understand and act upon,”
said Kaplan. “The data has a direct impact on how teachers plan their lessons. Across
the district, it helps us identify gaps, so we can fill those gaps as early as possible.”
“For example, based on the data we saw in Performance Matters, we did a little finetuning of our science instruction and were able to raise our state test scores 5 to 15
points. The great thing about the data is that it’s led us to new instructional approaches
and programs that have really turned our kids on to learning.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
The district also uses Performance Matters data to improve its programs and services.
“Thanks to the data, we were able to see that a greater number of students were
meeting the requirements for the talented and gifted program, so we expanded our
program,” said Kaplan. “The data helps us think about what we can do to enhance
instruction for our students. It also helps us determine which programs are making a
difference so we can maximize our resources. I've even used the data to make a case
for my budget with our state department of education.”
Teacher Effectiveness
In addition, as New Jersey considers moving toward a merit-pay program for teachers
— which would tie teacher evaluations to student achievement — New Brunswick
Public Schools is already ahead of the curve. In 2012, New Brunswick became the first
New Jersey district to purchase Performance Matters’ FASTe system.
FASTe provides a turnkey system for evaluating
educator effectiveness, with an easy-to-implement
framework that can be customized for each school
system. Accessible year-round, the FASTe online
platform enables educators to “progress monitor” their
own performance against the multiple measures that
make up their annual evaluations and link to relevant,
timely professional development and instructional
resources. At the end of the year, educators can then
produce summative rating reports, based on their
school system’s criteria.
“After doing teacher evaluations the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, I firmly
believe that incorporating technology into the process will help us work smarter and
faster,” said Kaplan.
“It all comes back to what
the (FASTe) system is
about, which is enhancing
educator effectiveness...”
-Richard Kaplan,
Superintendent
In New Brunswick Public Schools, Kaplan requires
that 80 percent of a principal’s day is spent inside
classrooms. “Principals don’t have to spend all this
time doing formal evaluations, but an important part of
their job is to be in the classroom observing
instruction. FASTe will help streamline that process
and help us become even more accountable for what
goes on in the classroom,” he said.
“A key benefit of FASTe is that it will raise the bar in terms of the level of data we can
collect to improve teacher effectiveness. It will provide us with a practical way to make a
greater impact in each of our curricular areas, particularly as we move toward the
Common Core State Standards,” said Kaplan. “It all comes back to what the system is
about, which is enhancing educator effectiveness. With FASTe, we can better connect
student outcomes to teacher actions, and connect teachers with the resources they
need to improve their practice.
www.PerformanceMatters.com
Results
Improved data-driven decision making
Improved state test scores
Increased parental involvement
Since implementing Performance Matters in 2006, New Brunswick Public Schools has
realized several benefits.
“Without a doubt, our test scores have gone up because we know exactly what
students’ strengths and weaknesses are. Our teachers are proud of their work, they’re
proud of their students, and they’re more energized. We’ve increased parental
involvement because we can show parents, in real-time, how their kids are doing on our
benchmarks. Performance Matters has also enhanced the relationship between the
district and each of our schools because we now all speak a common language,” said
Kaplan.
“We’re continually working to raise the bar in our schools,” he continued. “We like to be
ahead of the curve in education, so we’ve always got an eye toward the future.
Performance Matters is at the cutting edge in what they do. We’ve had several districts
visit to see how Performance Matters works and what we’re doing with the system.
Performance Matters and FASTe are the wave of New Jersey’s future.”
###
Learn more about Performance Matters at
www.PerformanceMatters.com
or call 407.645.1800
www.PerformanceMatters.com
Wayzata Public Schools Supports Continuous
Improvement with Performance Matters
Wayzata Public Schools
Wayzata, MN
District statistics:
Schools: 11
Students: 10,200
Grades: PreK-12
Setting: Suburban
Website: www.wayzata.k12.mn.us
Student population:
8% African-American
12% Asian/Pacific Islander
77% Caucasian
3% Hispanic
15% Free/reduced lunch
8% Special education
Summary:
Wayzata Public Schools began using Performance Matters’ integrated solutions for
assessment and data management in 2010. The district’s goals were to make it easy for
educators to access and analyze student data, and to use this data to inform their
instruction. With the ability to access students’ historical performance on state tests and
current progress on local assessments, Wayzata educators have the actionable
information they need to improve teaching and learning from the individual student level
to the district level.
Challenges
Complicated, difficult-to-use data warehouse
Data in disparate locations
Wayzata Public Schools serves the cities of Corcoran, Maple Grove, Medicine Lake,
Medina, Minnetonka, Orono, Plymouth, and Wayzata in Minnesota. The suburban
district includes seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and one high school.
To manage student achievement data, the district had been using a data warehouse but
faced many challenges with the system.
“One of the challenges with our previous data warehouse was the ease of use,” said
Shelly Nelson, director of curriculum and instruction.
“It was clunky,” added Jill Johnson, executive director of teaching and learning. “It was
not user friendly. It did not disaggregate data in a way that was helpful. The frustration
level was very high, so people didn’t use it.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
The district set out to find a system that would
provide an integrated solution for assessment and
data management, and support the information
needs of teachers and administrators district-wide.
“Our goal was to get our data all in one place to
make it easy to view, understand and act upon,”
said Nelson.
“We also wanted to make it easy for teachers to
look at different types of student data — from
national and state assessments to district
benchmarks and formative assessments — and
see how they tie together, and then use this data
to inform their instruction,” said Johnson.
“We wanted to make it easy for
teachers to look at different types of
student data — from national and
state assessments to district
benchmarks and formative
assessments — and see how they
tie together, and then use this data
to inform their instruction.”
- Jill Johnson, executive director of
teaching and learning
Solution
Performance Matters Assessment and Data Management System
To address these needs, Wayzata Public Schools purchased the web-based
Performance Matters assessment and data management system in 2010.
“When considering any new system or resource, we take a look at it from many
perspectives, including a cost-benefit perspective,” said Wade Phillips, director of
technology. “Performance Matters was an easy choice.”
Wayzata Public Schools uses Performance Matters in every school, across all grade
levels. Performance Matters correlates and analyzes performance data from multiple
sources, and turns that data into actionable information to improve instruction and
student learning. On one screen, educators can easily compare “lagging indicators,”
which include historical data such as state test scores, to “leading indicators,” which
include current data such as local assessments. With this information, educators can
evaluate student progress toward state standards and analyze student growth over
time.
“We have a whole continuum of information in the Performance Matters system, from
our locally developed common assessments to the Northwest Evaluation Association
(NWEA)
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments to our state assessments to
national assessments like the ACT and SAT,” said Johnson. “With Performance
Matters, we can look at how students’ performance on our common assessments and
benchmarks correlates with their performance on our state tests. We can then use this
data to make sure we’re providing intervention to those students who need it, so they
are better prepared to take our state tests and to graduate on time.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
“You don’t have to be a statistician
or even be great with numbers to
use the system. The color-coding
makes it easy for anyone to
understand the data,” said Nelson.
“Plus, having the ability to look at
several data points in one place
makes it easier to make decisions
about interventions and extensions
to help each student excel.”
Using interactive dashboards and color-coded
reports in the Performance Matters system,
educators can easily slice and dice data to analyze
student performance. With the click of a mouse,
they can drill down and access more detailed
information related to the data on the screen. In
addition, this data can be instantly disaggregated
for any student or group.
“Performance Matters is user-friendly,” said
Phillips. “We slice and dice the data in every way
possible. The color coding makes it easy to
determine where you need to take action to improve student learning.”
- Shelly Nelson, director of
curriculum and instruction
“That was an important point for us when we first looked into Performance Matters. You
don’t have to be a statistician or even be great with numbers to use the system. The
color-coding makes it easy for anyone to understand the data,” said Nelson. “Plus,
having the ability to look at several data points in one place makes it easier to make
decisions about interventions and extensions to help each student excel.”
Results
Increased use of data at all levels
Improved data-driven decision making
Improved assessment and instruction
Since implementing Performance Matters in 2010, Wayzata Public Schools has realized
several benefits.
“Performance Matters helps us immediately with our common assessments. For
instance, if we see students struggled with a particular question, we can tell pretty
quickly whether it was a good challenging question or a bad question that needs to be
rewritten. Performance Matters informs all our work,” said Nelson.
For example, during the 2010-11 school year, Johnson visited a middle school and sat
in on a few classes where the teachers were teaching students about inferences. “The
teachers did a great job,” she said. “Based on the lagging data they had on their
students, the teachers were pretty confident that, after the first lesson, probably 80 or 90
percent of students would understand the concept. Then they assessed students with
student response systems and saw that only about a third of students got it. The
teachers regrouped and tackled the concept again the next day. They tested students
again and the proficiency level jumped to around 90 percent. That experience was really
powerful. It demonstrated that you can look at lagging data to get a sense of how your
class will perform, but you also have to look at current data to help drive your
instruction.”
www.PerformanceMatters.com
“This is true at the school building level as well,”
continued Johnson. “Even schools that are highperforming use Performance Matters to look at data
for the entire building to identify which areas they
need to focus on and which strands they can
improve.”
“Performance Matters is not a
standalone system; it’s something
we integrate into our daily practice.”
- Wade Phillips, director of
technology
“Performance Matters is an important part of our continuous improvement model,” said
Phillips. “It’s about making sure people have the information they need to make
informed decisions and that this becomes part of their process. Performance Matters is
not a standalone system; it’s something we integrate into our daily practice. It is part of
our Professional Learning Communities. It allows groups to get together and talk about
where students are and how to move them forward. And, having the ability to compare
lagging and leading indicators, makes it easier to analyze the data and see what
patterns emerge.”
“Performance Matters has been a great partner throughout the process, from the
training through the implementation of the system,” he added. “They have been very
willing to work with us to customize things in a way that meets our needs. It’s that
partnership with our district that really makes us successful.”
###
Learn more about Performance Matters at
www.PerformanceMatters.com
or call 407.645.1800
www.PerformanceMatters.com