Community Training and Assistance Center

More on Student Learning Objectives and TIF


June 2010

Dear Friends:
A number of districts, including Denver and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, are awarding extra compensation based on student learning objectives that teachers set and reach annually. If properly implemented, student learning objectives help teachers bring more science to their art, strengthen instructional support to the classrooms, and improve the quality of the outcome.

When a district and union decide to adopt student learning objectives, it triggers many other decisions related to the design and implementation of performance-based compensation. If the student learning objective is the fundamental building block of the compensation reform, then key decisions lie ahead for district policy makers, including what the objective will look like, what kind of instructional thinking it will engender, what elements or components it will contain, how it will be documented and supported, what reporting mechanisms will be put into place, and who will maintain the integrity of the process.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' decision to adopt student learning objectives for compensation purposes led the district to develop detailed protocols and training sequences. These help teachers and principals to define:

  • student population being served,
  • learning content of the objective,
  • instructional rationale for the objective,
  • instructional strategies to be used in the classroom,
  • interval of time when the instruction will occur,
  • assessments that will measure the outcome of the objective, and
  • goals for growth in student achievement.

The district is rooting its initiative in a strong instructional foundation by anticipating and addressing the complexities of compensation reform, and involving instructional leaders directly in the design process.

If you would like to learn more about student learning objectives, view the SLO Guide developed in Charlotte as the framework for crafting student learning objectives and read Tying Earning to Learning: The Link Between Teacher Compensation and Student Learning Objectives for an analysis of the foundation of student learning objectives.

If you would like assistance in including student learning objectives as part of your compensation reform initiative, please contact CTAC at (617) 423-1444.

Best Regards,
William J. Slotnik, Executive Director
Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC)

CTAC builds capacity and addresses root causes of poverty at local, state and national levels by providing technical assistance, conducting research and evaluation, and supporting public policy initiatives. In the area of performance-based compensation, CTAC has provided assistance to numerous school districts, states, unions, and foundations, including serving as the technical assistance provider to Denver's landmark Pay for Performance initiative and conducting the comprehensive study of the initiative. In the area of underperforming schools and districts, CTAC has built the capacity of numerous urban districts and states to improve student achievement through data-informed accountability, site and district planning and management, and increased teacher and administrator effectiveness.

www.ctacusa.com