Press Room

Gov. Ritter Signs Bipartisan Educator Effectiveness Bill

Thursday, May 20 2010

Gov. Bill Ritter today signed into law a landmark education reform measure that will lead to more high-quality, effective teachers and principals in every classroom in every school across Colorado. The bipartisan Senate Bill 191 was co-sponsored by Sens. Mike Johnston and Nancy Spence and Reps. Christine Scanlan and Carole Murray.

“This new law will advance Colorado’s record as a national leader in education reform,” Gov. Ritter said. “It marks another milestone and continues the significant progress we have made over the past few years, bringing us another step closer to the day when all children in Colorado have the ability to fulfill their God-given potential. Teaching is one of the noblest professions. We have all been blessed by an inspired teacher, and I look forward to continuing the partnership we have established with Colorado’s educators.”

Senate Bill 191 builds on an executive order Gov. Ritter issued in January establishing the Colorado Council on Educator Effectiveness. Ultimately, the law will lead to a new system that links educators’ performance evaluations to the performance of their students. The council must issue its first set of recommendations on the new performance evaluation system by March 2011, followed by State Board of Education adoption by September 10 and approval from the legislature in 2012.

“This is an important building block in our overall plan to ensure that all of Colorado’s children will be well-prepared to succeed in post-secondary education and the workforce,” Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien said. “I want to thank all the teachers that make a difference in the lives of our students every day. We have a common goal to raise student achievement, lower the dropout rate and graduate students that can succeed in higher education and the workforce.”

"At the heart of this bill is an idea whose time has come,” Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones said. “Connecting teacher evaluations with improved achievement places value on what matters most and that's the needs of students. Thanks go out to the leadership of Gov. Ritter, Lt. Gov. O'Brien, Sens. Mike Johnston and Nancy Spence, and Reps. Christine Scanlan and Carole Murray for their hard work on this cornerstone bill. The bipartisan support it drew, including unanimous backing from the State Board of Education, is significant. With this kind of ongoing support and the state board's leadership, the department staff is committed to making sure the plan is well-developed and implemented with care."

“We know that the two most important variables affecting the success of a child are the effectiveness of the teacher and the effectiveness of the principal,” Sen. Johnston said. “SB 191 ensures that every child in Colorado has a great teacher and a great leader, and starts a collaborative, deliberative process for defining and measuring educator effectiveness. The depth and breadth of the coalition that came together to support SB 191 is a moving testament to Colorado's deep commitment to make sure every child graduates college and is career ready.”

“This common-sense reform is about doing what’s best for Colorado’s students,” Sen. Spence said.  “Linking teacher tenure to student achievement will improve the quality of education in our schools and better prepare our students for the future.”

“Twenty-five percent of all kids in Colorado drop out of school,” Rep. Scanlan said. “For poor and minority kids, it’s 50 percent. Colorado has one of the highest education levels in the nation, yet too many kids still drop out. It’s clear that something is not working. We know that the two most important factors in improving education are quality principals and quality teachers, and this new law addresses both. We worked tirelessly with many stakeholders -- from teachers and administrators to school boards and education reform advocates – to create good policy that makes Colorado's system student-centered.”

“Senate Bill 191 will place Colorado at the forefront of education reform in America,” Rep. Murray said. “With teachers and principals working together with the focus on student growth, Colorado students will be in a better environment than ever for academic success. I have no doubt in my mind that this new model will be successful and am pleased to see this common sense reform earn the governor's approval."

Among many requirements, the adopted new evaluation system must ensure that:

·Teachers and principals are evaluated using multiple fair, transparent, timely, rigorous, and valid methods;

·At least 50 percent of a teacher's evaluation is determined by the academic growth of the teacher's students;

·At least 50 percent of a principal's evaluation is determined by a combination of the academic growth of the students and the demonstrated effectiveness of the teachers in the principal's school.

·Probationary teachers are defined as those without three consecutive years of demonstrated effectiveness or a non-probationary teacher with two consecutive years of demonstrated ineffectiveness, as defined by rule adopted by the legislature.

__________________________

Click Here to view a video of Sen. Johnston speaking about SB 191 on the Senate floor.