Monday night the LISD held an "open hearing" on Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System data for school year 2005-06.
I call your attention to the curious implications of the comparison data presented, regarding teacher experience -- comparing recent LISD's current data to statewide averages, and to LISD prior years', data.
But, I hear you say, Pat Sadberry didn't present any teacher experience data for the whole state, or for prior years.
True. She presented student test score comparisons to the prior year (2004-05) and to state and regional results. The student data was actually presented twice. Once as a bar chart showing raw passing percentages, compared to prior years and the statewise prior-year and current data. And the second time as a percent change in percent passing rates over the 2005 results. Such comparisons, it is implied, are so useful as to require double emphasis -- for student data.
But for TEACHER data, the Team of Eight reviewed the current year data in isolation from any comparison to any other AEIS measures, near or far, past or present.
And that has curious implications.
It happens that the data is available whether the local media, or the Team of Eight, chooses to publish or not. See here.
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/index.html
Unlike the changes to data being collected between TASS years and TAKS years, the data measures on teacher experience have been consistent for over a decade. The AEIS tables report the number, and percentage, of teachers by ethnicity and sex, by highest degree held, by years of teaching experience, and by length of term of employment with their current district.
Since 2004, when Dr Lewis arrived as superintendent, the statistic of "average years teachers experience" has declined from 8.1 years to 7.1 years. Compared to the statewide average, LISD has gone from 31% below average (for the state, average experience was 11.8 years in 2004) to 38% below current average (11.5 years) While the statewide average has held steady since 1994, year after year the average experience of Texas teachers is measured at 11-point-something; the LISD level has trended downwards -- 10.2 in '94; 9.6 in '95; 8.9; 8.7; 8.3; 7.2 ... Our
teachers routinely had have about one-third less experience than the state's average; and the trend appears to be getting worse.
Again, since 2004 ,the measure of length of service, "years in this district" statistic has declined from 4.5 years to 3.0 years. Statewide, the typical teacher has been employed by the same district for 7+ years. Our "years in district" number has declined from 42% below average in 2004 to 60% below average in 2006.
In the 2005-06 school year over 11% of LISD teachers were in their first year of the profession. Statewide, the average is 7%. LISD teachers with only 1 to 5 years of experience comprised 46% of our staffing, compared to 29% statewise. The GOOD news is, and such as it is, the trend is improving. In school year ending 2003 the percent of new teachers (0, or 1 to 5 yrs exp) was 62% in LISD compared to 36%
statewide. The statewide figure is pretty constant but the district has gotten closer to typical by 5 percentage points.
At the other end of the experience spectrum LISD is hurting. We had about 12% of our teachers reporting 20 or more years of experience in 2003 and now we have only 7% with that level of experience. Statewide, typically, about 20% of teachers have 20 or more years. The decline in the fraction of most experienced teachers in LISD is a long term trend with this measure falling steadily from 15% (only 4 or 5 percentage points below average) in the early 1990's to half that fraction last
year.
The LISD measures on "highest degree held" are roughly the same as the measures statewide. We have a slightly higher percentage of doctorates, a slightly lower percentage of masters-degree teachers, and about 2 percent points higher, (year after year after year) of those with bachelors and "no degree". Ms Sadberry points out to the Team of Eight that having no degree MEASURED isn't the same as having no degree -- she says the district wouldn't hire a teacher without proper certification.
What "no degree" means is that LISD can't figure out what the degree for a particular teacher should be. (That's ANOTHER bit of data with curious implications.) Statewide there are always about 1% of all teachers who fall into the "no degree (known)" category. For LISD the past three years, that statistic has been 4%, 3.7% and 2.4%. Again, such as it is, this is an improvement. The LISD HR shop is now only half as ignorant about our teachers' certifications as they were 3 years ago.
Teacher pay is up, since 3 years ago. We were paying starting teacher $32K, roughly the state average pay rate, in 2003 but now we pay about $40K (about $5K more (or about 13% more) than the state average. Among our most-experienced teachers pay rates have slipped. The absolute rate has increased from $52K three years ago to $55K now. But comparatively, pay rates have decreased from about 1% _more_ than state average for teachers of comparable experience to only about 0.6% -- down 0.4% -- above average. Still, it's good news that the LISD is making at least some effort to keep experienced staff.
During and after Pat Sadberry's presentation, Trustee Russ Johnson forcefully asserted his opinion that teacher experience matters. It appeared he was frustrated that the amount of detailed information being presented about the district's teachers was inadequate by his standards. Kudos, Mr Johnson.
Why is easily available data NOT being presented to the board?
Dr Lewis mentioned, last night, that when he arrived the Trustees had no real idea of the financial condition of the district. Dr Lewis reported that instead of the $800K in debt the Board mistakenly believed it was carrying, the district was, in fact, over $5 Million in the red.
Obviously Dr Lewis knows that no problem can be resolved unless the whole Team of Eight is aware of the problem, and actively seeking a solution.
The data available on teacher retention indicates the Board needs to be looking for a solution on keeping good teachers.
It's a pity the "public hearing" didn't make the issue more explicit.
Average Years Teaching Experience
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 6.1 11.5
1994-95 10 11.5
1995-96 10.2 11.7
1996-97 9.6 11.7
1997-98 8.9 11.8
1998-99 8.7 11.8
1999-00 8.3 11.9
2000-01 7.2 11.9
2001-02 7.6 11.9
2002-03 7.3 11.8
2003-04 8.1 11.8
2004-05 6.3 11.5
2005-06 7.1 11.5
Average Years in Same District
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 4.1 7.8
1994-95 5.8 7.8
1995-96 6 8
1996-97 5.3 8
1997-98 4.7 8
1998-99 4.7 8
1999-00 4.6 8
2000-01 4.3 7.9
2001-02 3.8 7.9
2002-03 4.4 7.7
2003-04 4.5 7.8
2004-05 2.8 7.5
2005-06 3 7.6
Percent of Teachers
with Zero Experience
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 47.10% 6.40%
1994-95 11.30% 6.70%
1995-96 11.30% 6.30%
1996-97 19.80% 6.60%
1997-98 15.30% 7.00%
1998-99 21.40% 7.70%
1999-00 15.00% 7.60%
2000-01 28.20% 7.80%
2001-02 23.40% 7.80%
2002-03 21.50% 7.80%
2003-04 15.90% 6.50%
2004-05 29.90% 7.70%
2005-06 11.20% 7.50%
Percent of Teachers
with 1- 5 Years Experience
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 15.40% 25.60%
1994-95 29.90% 26.20%
1995-96 31.50% 27.00%
1996-97 26.40% 26.80%
1997-98 33.50% 26.60%
1998-99 31.10% 26.70%
1999-00 41.30% 27.00%
2000-01 33.50% 27.40%
2001-02 35.30% 27.40%
2002-03 40.50% 28.20%
2003-04 42.10% 29.00%
2004-05 33.00% 28.70%
2005-06 46.10% 29.00%
Percent of Teachers
with 6-10 Years Experience
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 11.40% 19.20%
1994-95 21.00% 18.80%
1995-96 16.70% 18.00%
1996-97 13.90% 17.40%
1997-98 14.80% 17.50%
1998-99 11.70% 17.70%
1999-00 10.90% 17.90%
2000-01 8.40% 18.10%
2001-02 11.30% 18.10%
2002-03 11.40% 18.30%
2003-04 12.90% 18.90%
2004-05 13.90% 19.40%
2005-06 19.70% 19.40%
Percent of Teachers
with 11-20 Years Experience
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 16.20% 31.80%
1994-95 23.70% 30.50%
1995-96 25.50% 30.00%
1996-97 24.60% 29.60%
1997-98 21.90% 28.70%
1998-99 20.50% 27.50%
1999-00 19.90% 26.20%
2000-01 20.00% 25.30%
2001-02 17.90% 25.30%
2002-03 16.00% 24.40%
2003-04 16.70% 24.80%
2004-05 16.90% 24.50%
2005-06 15.90% 24.20%
Percent of Teachers with
20 or more Years Experience
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 9.90% 17.00%
1994-95 14.00% 17.80%
1995-96 15.00% 18.80%
1996-97 15.30% 19.50%
1997-98 14.50% 20.10%
1998-99 15.20% 20.50%
1999-00 12.90% 21.20%
2000-01 9.80% 21.40%
2001-02 12.00% 21.40%
2002-03 10.50% 21.30%
2003-04 12.30% 20.90%
2004-05 6.30% 19.70%
2005-06 7.00% 19.90%
Percent of Teachers with
No Degree (specified)
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 3.30% 0.70%
1994-95 6.40% 1.00%
1995-96 3.80% 1.00%
1996-97 5.40% 0.90%
1997-98 0.00% 1.00%
1998-99 4.90% 1.30%
1999-00 1.80% 1.20%
2000-01 1.40% 1.30%
2001-02 3.50% 1.40%
2002-03 3.30% 1.30%
2003-04 4.00% 1.10%
2004-05 3.70% 1.10%
2005-06 2.40% 1.00%
Percent of Teachers
with Bachelors Degree
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 65.10% 70.50%
1994-95 64.50% 71.10%
1995-96 68.90% 71.60%
1996-97 71.00% 72.10%
1997-98 81.10% 73.00%
1998-99 76.70% 73.60%
1999-00 80.40% 74.10%
2000-01 80.00% 74.70%
2001-02 79.20% 75.30%
2002-03 80.60% 76.00%
2003-04 78.00% 76.40%
2004-05 81.60% 77.10%
2005-06 79.70% 77.30%
Percent of Teachers
with Masters Degree
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 31.20% 28.40%
1994-95 28.70% 27.50%
1995-96 26.90% 26.90%
1996-97 23.20% 26.60%
1997-98 18.20% 25.60%
1998-99 17.70% 24.70%
1999-00 17.50% 24.30%
2000-01 18.20% 23.40%
2001-02 16.30% 22.80%
2002-03 15.10% 22.20%
2003-04 16.60% 22.00%
2004-05 13.80% 21.30%
2005-06 17.40% 21.20%
Percent of Teachers
with Doctorate Degree
AEIS Yr LISD Texas
1993-94 0.40% 0.40%
1994-95 0.40% 0.40%
1995-96 0.40% 0.40%
1996-97 0.40% 0.40%
1997-98 0.70% 0.40%
1998-99 0.70% 0.40%
1999-00 0.40% 0.50%
2000-01 0.40% 0.50%
2001-02 1.00% 0.50%
2002-03 1.00% 0.50%
2003-04 1.30% 0.50%
2004-05 0.90% 0.50%
2005-06 0.50% 0.50%
