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Does your district incorporate student voice as a growth measure for the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA)?
TIA is a Texas state-funded program aimed at providing teachers competitive compensation for high performance. The goal of the program is to attract and retain top talent in schools, especially in districts that are typically harder to staff.
TIA evaluation is complex and requires multiple data points, typically including observations, test scores, lesson artifacts, and more. Many districts use student feedback as a critical component of their program. Incorporating student voice into TIA evaluation can help district leaders get a more complete picture of how teachers are doing.
We spoke with Janay Boykin, TIA Project Manager, Alief ISD, to learn how her district uses Panorama Surveys to gather student voice data to support TIA.
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Using Student Survey Data to Improve Teaching at Alief ISD
Teachers need support to understand the purpose of student surveys, interpret the data they receive, and know how to use the data to grow their teaching practice.
Alief ISD is in its second year of partnering with Panorama to administer student surveys. They have created resources to help teachers interpret survey data with the aim of teachers being empowered to use the data to improve teaching.
“I wanted to make sure when we got our data, our teachers were having an opportunity to internalize it, not just for TIA purposes,” said Janay Boykin, TIA Project Manager, Alief ISD. “So the same way that we do a data dive for our teacher observation data results, we are now doing the same thing for our student feedback surveys. We've created some resources that help the teachers reflect on their student survey data when they receive it.”
Among the tactics supporting communication with teachers in Alief are:
- Thoughtfully framing the value of student surveys
- Newsletter for teachers
- Communicating plans with principals in monthly meetings
- Teacher steering committee where teachers can give feedback
- Empowering teachers to discuss survey data with students
“I look forward to continuing to lean into this work and continuing our partnership with Panorama,” said Boykin.
Best Practices for Using Student Surveys to Support TIA
Successful classroom survey programs like the ones used for TIA require building trust and buy-in. Transparency in planning, designing, and communicating can ensure all community members are on board.
Through our work with our Texas district partners, we've gleaned best practices for administering surveys to support TIA. These include:
- Be transparent with communication
- Build the case for student voice for teacher evaluation
- Choose trustworthy survey technology
- Support survey administrators with informational resources
- Offer opportunities for administrators to get their questions answered
School climate and student-teacher relationships directly impact student learning. When districts systematically gather student voice data as part of TIA evaluation, they can use that information to improve teaching and learning.
TIA in Your District
Panorama student surveys are a proven way to incorporate student voice data into your TIA evaluation. We provide comprehensive survey tools and analytics to collect feedback that informs instructional practices.
Your district can use Panorama’s research-backed, customizable surveys to better understand Classroom Climate, Pedagogical Effectiveness, Teacher-Student Relationships, and more. You get data your teachers and appraisers can trust and that’s easy to interpret. Our targeted professional development can help your teachers use feedback results to improve their practice.
By incorporating student voice into TIA evaluation, districts can retain effective teachers, improve learning conditions for students, and provide formative feedback for educator growth—so everybody benefits.
Learn How the Panorama Student Surveys Can Support Teaching in Your District
