statements that are linked to equity gaps. Frame your problem-of-practice statements around the challenge of attracting, supporting, or retaining effective, experienced, and in-field teachers in the highest need campuses. Using the categories of and “attracting,” “supporting,” effective, experienced, and in-field teachers will allow you to frame your district’s “retaining” challenges and problems of practice through a few different lenses. This should result in uncovering a variety of root causes that the district can then prioritize when selecting strategies to address the district equity gaps. See the following example problem statements. Process note: These can be drafted in advance by the district team based on the data to save time. Example Equity Gaps Example Problem Statements campuses 37% of the teachers in our highest poverty Our highest poverty are served by a larger campuses are inexperienced, compared to 26% in percentage of inexperienced teachers than our lowest poverty campuses, is an 11% equity campuses serving students with fewer low-income gap. students. 40% of the teachers in our highest poverty Our district has trouble attracting effective teachers campuses have received a Developing performance in our high-poverty campuses and provides rating on the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support inadequate supports to improve teacher System (T-TESS), compared to 20% of teachers in performance in these campuses. the lowest poverty campuses who received the same rating. This is a 20% equity gap. Problem Statement Planning Template Equity Gaps Problem Statements Encourage participants to focus on systems challenges to frame their root causes, not symptoms. For example, the tendency of early career teachers to move from inner-city to suburban campuses after a few years is a symptom, while a lack of strong preparation and leadership in campuses is a systems challenge.
statements that are linked to equity gaps. Frame your problem-of-practice statements around the challenge of attracting, supporting, or retaining effective, experienced, and in-field teachers in the highest need campuses. Using the categories of “attracting,” “supporting,” and “retaining” effective, experienced, and in-field teachers will allow you to frame your district’s challenges and problems of practice through a few different lenses. This should result in uncovering a variety of root causes that the district can then prioritize when selecting strategies to address the district equity gaps. See the following example problem statements. Process note: These can be drafted in advance by the district team based on the data to save time. Example Equity Gaps Example Problem Statements 37% of the teachers in our highest poverty campuses are inexperienced, compared to 26% in our lowest poverty campuses, is an 11% equity gap. Our highest poverty campuses are served by a larger percentage of inexperienced teachers than campuses serving students with fewer low-income students. 40% of the teachers in our highest poverty campuses have received a Developing performance rating on the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS), compared to 20% of teachers in the lowest poverty campuses who received the same rating. This is a 20% equity gap. Our district has trouble attracting effective teachers in our high-poverty campuses and provides inadequate supports to improve teacher performance in these campuses. Problem Statement Planning Template Equity Gaps Problem Statements Encourage participants to focus on systems challenges to frame their root causes, not symptoms. For example, the tendency of early career teachers to move from inner-city to suburban campuses after a few years is a symptom, while a lack of strong preparation and leadership in campuses is a systems challenge.