Kentucky Definitions for Teacher Student Data Links:
A Teacher of Record in a Kentucky public school is a certified teacher who has been assigned the lead responsibility for the student's learning in a subject/course aligned to Kentucky Core Academic Standards or Career and Technical Skill Standards Documents.
A Contributing Professional in a Kentucky public school is an individual who has been assigned the responsibility to provide additional services that support and increase a student's learning.
The Teacher-Student Data Link (TSDL) Project brings several states and school districts together to determine a common approach to one of the most critical components of their educational data systems — the link between student outcomes and teacher influence.
Across the nation, states are looking to use accountability data to increase student learning. Leveraging the collective experiences, knowledge, and resources of the
participating states, the TSDL project is developing a common, best practice framework for a
teacher of record definition, as well as business processes for collecting and validating linked teacher and student data. The
Center for Educational Leadership and Technology (CELT) is conducting the project, with funding from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and guidance and dissemination support from the
Data Quality Campaign (DQC). Kentucky is one of the states the TSDL project is supporting.
Purpose of Connecting Teacher and Student Data Links:
- Allow the identification of the primary teacher(s) for a subject/course/program and track their contributions to student achievement.
- Identify contributing professionals who contributed to a student's learning and track their contribution to student achievement.
- Plan professional development tailored to student outcomes and specific academic standards, objectives and pedagogy.
- Assess the effectiveness of professional development using student outcome data.
- Examine teacher prep programs across colleges, universities and other program providers using student outcome data.
- Better identify instructional practices and programs and determine their effectiveness in increasing student achievement.
- Support accountability growth models based on longitudinal data that can link contributions to student outcomes to multiple teachers, programs and schools over time.
- Identifiy highly effective teachers to be used as mentors and coaches for collaborative support of others.
Characteristics of TOR definition:
- Be flexible to cover all students in grade levels, pre-K through 12.
- Accommodate teacher assignment changes and turnover during the course of the semester of year.
- Be supportable by current or future systems and data collection methods.
- Be clear and understandable for all stakeholders.
- Be applicable to all educators and cover all courses and subjects.
- Accommodate multiple (contributing) educators for a given subject/course.
- Be clear enough for teachers to validate class rosters.