Guidance on Creating Operating Guidelines for Student Growth Models in Teacher Evaluation Systems - February 2013

Oct 10, 2026

Illinois State Board of Education guidance (February 2013) explains how districts should create operating guidelines for student growth models used in teacher evaluation systems. It summarizes legal requirements and state rules under PERA and Illinois Administrative Code, emphasizing student growth as a significant factor, accounting for student characteristics that affect growth, and using results for as many students as possible. The document outlines how to measure student growth fairly, identifies assessment categories (Type I/II/III), and lists foundational decisions and recommended steps before implementing Type I or Type II models.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Recommendations for implementing student growth models

Legal requirements and state guidance

Assessments that measure student growth

Assessment types (Type I, Type II, Type III)

Core decisions before using Type I or Type II

Illinois State Board of Education February 2013 Guidance Document 13-10 Guidance on Creating Operating Guidelines for Student Growth Models in Teacher Evaluation Systems document is intended to provide non-regulatory guidance on the subject matter listed above. For specific questions, please contact the person(s) identified in the document Guidance on Creating Operating Guidelines for Student Growth Models in Teacher Evaluation Systems Subject Recommendations for implementing student growth models for teacher performance evaluations based on a set of basic guidelines for a growth model Type of Guidance This guidance document supports districts in understanding how to create operating guidelines for student growth models and providing a foundation for making decisions about the district’s evaluation system. Explanation The Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) states: By no later than September 1, 2012, each school district shall establish a teacher evaluation plan…. The plan shall include a description of each teacher’s duties and responsibilities and of the standards to which that teacher is expected to conform, and shall include at least the following components:…(c) by no later than the applicable implementation date, consideration of student growth as a significant factor in the rating of the teacher's performance. (PERA Sec. 24A-5) The Illinois Administrative Code states: The Joint Committee shall consider how certain student characteristics (e.g., special education placement, English language learners, low-income populations) shall be used for each measurement model chosen to ensure that they best measure the impact that a teacher, school and school district have on students' academic achievement.”(23 Ill. Adm. Code 50.110[c]) The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Non-Regulatory Guidance states: The student growth component of a teacher’s evaluation may or may not “cover all students that the teacher instructs during his or her evaluation cycle.…School districts should strive to incorporate as many students that the teacher instructs as possible when incorporating data and indicators of student growth into a teacher’s evaluation. (A-34, p. 26) PERA, the Administrative Code, and the Non-Regulatory Guidance specify that: • Student growth should contribute significantly to teacher evaluations. • The characteristics of students that may affect the teacher’s impact on their growth should be taken into account. • Teachers should be evaluated based on their impact on as many students as possible. Assessments That Measure Student Growth Notably, measuring student growth differs somewhat from traditional ways to measure student performance or attainment. Further, for a teacher to be evaluated fairly, the appropriate students must be identified so their growth will contribute to the teacher’s evaluation. In addition, student growth scores should contribute to teachers’ evaluation scores in a way that reflects the impact of each teacher on each student’s learning growth. Consequently, a Joint Committee will need to do the following: (1) identify existing or new assessments that allow for the measurement of student growth in all subjects and grades where the state is not yet prescribing an assessment,(2) leverage existing data and data collection systems to correctly link students to teachers, and (3) design schemes that describe the extent to which each a teacher contributes to the learning growth of each student in each subject. In addition, assessments are categorized into three types: Type I, Type II, and Type III (see Table 1). Each teacher will need to be covered by a Type I or Type II assessment as well as a Type III assessment. The state will provide guidance separately on the implementation of Type I, Type II, and Type III assessments. Table 1. Illinois Assessment Types 1 | Assessment Type | Description | | --- | --- | | Type I | An assessment that measures a

FAQs

What legal requirements does the guidance reference for teacher evaluation and student growth?

It cites PERA and the Illinois Administrative Code, requiring that student growth be considered a significant factor and that student characteristics be used appropriately within measurement models.

Why does the document distinguish measuring student growth from traditional performance measurement?

It explains that fair evaluation depends on identifying the appropriate students whose growth will contribute to teacher ratings, and on ensuring growth scores reflect each teacher’s impact on each student’s learning growth.

What are Type I, Type II, and Type III assessments?

Type I is administered widely beyond Illinois and scored by a non-district entity; Type II is developed or adopted by the district and used district-wide; Type III is rigorous and aligned to the course, with measures determined by evaluators and teachers.

Oct 10, 2026

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