Creating an Effective Selection Process

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Think about the most effective teachers with whom you have worked. What characteristics did they have in common?

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Identifying characteristics of excellent teachers

In the past, what methods have you used to determine if the candidates whom you are considering have these characteristics?

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Objectives

Build an effective school-specific hiring and selection process

Explore alternate interview techniques that expand the amountof information you have to evaluate candidates

Create a hiring timeline with clear processes and turnaround times

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Agenda

Developing a School Selection Model

Selection Processes

Creating a Hiring Timeline

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A selection model is a formal rubric used to evaluate potential hires

School Selection ModelIdentified criteria are called “Competencies”. Example of one competency: Teaching Ability

Each Competency has examples of specific behaviors called “indicators.”

Examples indicators of Teaching Ability •Conveys ideas and information clearly•Provides reasonable examples of effective lesson-planning, instructional strategies, and/or student assessment•Possesses the ability to make content meaningful for students

Interview questions and selection components are aligned with one or more competencies.

Candidates are rated.

Example of a four-point rating scale: (1) exemplary, (2) somewhat strong, (3) somewhat weak and (4) poor or ineligible.

What are you looking for?

What does it look like?

How are you going to see it?

How will you evaluate it?

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One model uses seven personal characteristics that research shows good teachers demonstrate

Shows a trend of excellence in endeavors and focuses on concrete results• Strong academic record/rigorous course of study• Surpassed expectations in previous employment• Sets and meets ambitious goals• Takes on challenges Committed to teaching and raising the academic achievement of students in urban schools• Active desire to teach “where needed”• Believes that students of all backgrounds can and must learn at

high levels • Realistic expectation of challenges• History of staying with employers/organizations Demonstrates effective written and oral skills• Resume/cover letter/portfolio displays mastery of written

grammar, usage and organization • Speaks clearly and precisely• Fluent verbal and written command of English

Bases current and future endeavors on lessons drawn from previous experiences• Reflects regularly on performance to identify areas for improvement• Seeks and welcomes feedback from others• Accesses resources to support self-development• Demonstrates willingness to modify approach• Recognizes and learns from failures

Achievement

Commitment

Communication Skills

Constant Learning

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Personal characteristics (cont.)

Analyzes situations thoroughly and generates effective strategies• Discerns the presence and nature of problems accurately• Develops creative solutions• Approaches difficult situations logically• Able to suggest multiple solutions to a single problem

Assumes accountability for reaching outcomes despite obstacles

• Focuses on capacity to affect situations rather than on external barriers

• Takes initiative to solve own problems• Demonstrated record of dependability

Respectful of others and sensitive to professional norms of interaction in different situations

• Able to understand and assume the role and tone appropriate for new settings

• Listens openly to differing opinions• Aware of how one’s own background and assumptions can

influence interactions with others• Remains positive and professional throughout interview

Critical Thinking

Personal Responsibility

Professional Interaction

Is there a competency that is important to you that you don’t see here?

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Another model evaluates candidates against three basic building blocks for teacher success

• Conveys ideas and information clearly• Provides reasonable examples of effective lesson-planning,

instructional strategies, and/or student assessment• Makes content meaningful to students in the district• Sets concrete, ambitious goals for student achievement• Indicates confidence that all students should be held to

high standards• Reflects on successes and failures

Teaching Ability

• Assumes accountability for classroom management and culture

• Conveys reasonable understanding of potential challenges involved in teaching in a high-need school

• Demonstrates ability to deal effectively with negative student behavior

• Persists in offering viable and realistic strategies to deal with classroom management challenges

• Conveys willingness to try multiple strategies or something new when things change or when confronted with challenges

Classroom Management

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3 competencies (cont.)

School Fit

• Interacts with interviewer in an appropriate and professional manner

• Respects the opinion of others• Recognizes that families influence student

achievement• Demonstrates interests and skills that match the

school’s culture and needs• Interacts appropriately with supervisors, colleagues,

parents and students

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When choosing your competencies consider…• What competencies will help me choose the most effective

teachers?• Which competencies include indicators that align with my

school vision and mission?

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Selecting Competencies

Which 3-5 competencies do you feel are the most important to evaluate potential hires? Why?

Activity

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Use a scale to rate candidates on each of the competencies in your selection model

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Spend time creating your own selection model

Use the competencies you’ve identified to define your school-specific selection model

Determine which competencies you feel are most needed for any new teacher at your school

Create a list of indicators for your competencies –the ways that candidates can demonstrate their mastery of that competency

Tip: Be specific. Concrete examples like “speaks clearly” or “speaks with confidence” are better than vague indicators such as “has presence”.

Tip: Think of all the ways you might see evidence of this criteria, including the candidate’s responses, their experience, their dress and demeanor, etc.

Fill in your evaluation form with your competencies and indicators

Determine your rating system

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Agenda

Indicators and Competencies

Selection Processes

Creating a Hiring Timeline

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Creating a comprehensive selection process

• Allow you to gather all of the evidence you need to evaluate a candidate and determine if you will offer the candidate a position

• Provide adequate opportunities for a candidate to demonstrate his/her skills and evidence of each competency

• Allow you to view a candidate though multiple lenses and determine their areas of strength and development

• Offer the candidate an opportunity to learn about your expectations regarding student achievement, their potential colleagues, and the student population

• Utilize other members of your staff

• Be efficient

An effective selection process should:

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Introduction to Selection Activities

Personal Interview

Writing Sample

Demo Teaching Lesson

Have you ever used any of these activities as part of your selection process? How did you implement it? What did you learn from it?

Lesson Plan Submission

Classroom Observation

Discussion

Open House

Student Data Exercise

Potential selection activities that you may consider using include:

Main ActivitiesSupplemental

Activities

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Personal Interview: Allows you to gather evidence of your competencies through questioning

• Use when the candidate is unable to visit the school in person or as an initial screen

• The interview should last 25-30 minutes• Utilize your full selection model• Schedule time before and after the call to review a candidate’s resume and your

notes• Incorporate information about the school into the questions• Allow time at the end for candidates to ask questions about the school and

community• Consider connecting out-of-state candidates with a teacher to talk with them

about life outside of school

• Follow resume screening guidelines • Ensure everyone who is working

with you has a copy of your selection model

• Interviews may serve as an initial screen to select candidates for follow-up interviews

• With only have 10-15 minutes – identify 3 questions to ask all candidates

Phone Interview

Job Fair

• Allows candidates the opportunity to see the school site and meet teachers who may be in the building

• Establish a timeline to follow up with the candidates to ensure that you hear a response in a timely manner

School Site

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Writing Samples: Simple to prepare

• Create a set writing prompt (see example on the right), and define what the key characteristics of a good response are

• Inform the candidate about the requirement in advance

Advanced Preparation

• Have candidate respond to a brief scenario in writing

• Give candidates 20-30 minutes to respond

• Evaluate both the content and grammar of the candidate’s response.

Logistics

• Give the candidate a quiet place to complete the writing sample

• Give the candidate a “5 minutes left” reminder.

• Evaluate both their response to the question and their basic writing skills

• Ask the candidate to expand upon their response during the interview

Day of Interview

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Writing Sample: A writing sample will allow you to see additional evidence of a candidate’s verbal ability and problem solving skills

• Conveys ideas and information clearly

• Addresses all issues raised in prompt

• Focuses on student achievement/success in suggested strategies

• Writes in complete sentences

• Employs correct syntax, spelling, and grammar

• Conveys willingness to try multiple strategies or something new

• Recognizes an individual teacher’s capacity to ensure student success

• Describes students and parents respectfully and non-judgmentally

Possible Indicators

Questions that ask candidates for multiple strategies to a problem make good writing samples.

Example: Your first month in the classroom has proven to be extremely challenging. Your initial efforts at establishing a classroom behavior management system have failed. Many students arrive to class several minutes after the bell and verbal arguments break out daily in your classroom.  Your assistant principal has stopped by several times to help you regain control of your class. 

Share your goals for the coming weeks. Be sure to provide clear, concrete strategies for each

Sample Prompts

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Evaluating Writing Samples

Competencies Possible Indicators

Communication SkillsDemonstrates written proficiency in English

• Few, or no errors in language usage and mechanics• Ideas understandable to reader/listener

Critical ThinkingAnalyzes information accurately and generates effective solutions to problems

• Identifies important issues in scenario• Identifies relevant actions to impact desired

outcome(s)• Breaks down problem(s) and/or solution(s) into parts• Logically structures response• Provides effective solutions• Presents ideas in a coherent manner• Follows directions in prompt

AchievementSets and meets ambitious, measurable goals

• Discusses goals or goal-setting• Sets ambitious goals• Strategies are concrete and/or measurable• Defines success as meeting goals with students• Discusses tracking progress toward goals

Personal ResponsibilityAssumes accountability for reaching outcomes, despite obstacles

• Focuses on factors within teacher’s control• Willing to increase effort/go beyond duties to help

students• Conveys responsibility for student achievement• Willing to persevere with students despite challenges

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Evaluating Writing Samples (cont.)

Competencies Possible Indicators

Professional InteractionRespects others, and interacts positively and effectively in all situations

• Uses appropriate and respectful tone• Strategies/behaviors appropriate for educational

environment/teacher role• Describes students, parents, community and others in a

respectful and non-judgmental manner• Acknowledges the positive contributions of students and

parents• Welcomes contributions of others (parents, community)

CommitmentMaintains high expectations for all students and is committed to raising academic achievement in high-need schools

• Conveys belief that all students have the potential to succeed academically, despite challenges

• Goals/strategies focus on raising student achievement (i.e. goals address student achievement explicitly, or barriers affecting student achievement)

• Identifies potential factors affecting student behavior and academic performance issues

• Maintains high expectations for students, despite challenges

Constant LearningReflects regularly on performance and accesses resources to improve effectiveness

• Acknowledges areas for improving teaching• Accesses additional resources to improve effectiveness or solve

problem• Seeks feedback from students or parents• Seeks feedback from teachers, administrators or others• Draws lesson from previous experience to apply to new

situation

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Create your own sample prompts

Sample Prompt #1

Sample Prompt #2

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Writing Sample: If you choose to use a writing sample, be sure to incorporate it into your final evaluation form

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Sample Lesson: Allows you to evaluate candidates’ teaching ability, and ability to identify areas for improvement

• Create a set of guidelines for the candidate and define the characteristics of a good lesson (see lesson review sheet in appendix)

• E-mail the candidate with the guidelines (asking them to confirm receipt) at least 3 days before the interview

• If the candidate is presenting to students, prepare the class’ teacher for the sample lesson

• If school is out for the summer, have the teacher present to you or your staff

• Consider having one of your staff members (a content expert, grade level chair, AP) observe and evaluate the interview

• Choose an “average” class for the candidate to teach

• Evaluate their preparation for the lesson, the content, delivery and management of the lesson

• Ask candidate to discuss how they think they did and what they would change if they could

Advanced Preparation

Day of Interview

When to use

• If you have concerns about a candidate’s teaching ability

• If you are concerned about a candidate’s interaction with students

• If a candidate is teaching a particularly high-stakes subject area

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Evaluating Sample Lessons

The demo lesson gives you an opportunity to assess candidates’ potential to lead student learning. You should see:

Evidence of preparation Clear communication Accurate information Good time management Positive tone Attentiveness to class/listening skills Ability to adjust on the spot Creativity

Evaluating a Sample Lesson

• Did the candidate reach the stated objective?• Was the candidate able to identify what worked and what didn’t and offer

suggestions for improvement?• How did the candidate interact with students? Were they in command,

respectful and engaging?• Did the candidate show evidence of good questioning techniques?• Did the candidate attempt to incorporate different learning strategies or

meet the needs of varied learners?

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Sample Lesson Evaluation

Competencies Possible Indicators

Teaching AbilityDemonstrates appropriate knowledge of content and pedagogy

• Presents learning objective/goal• Organizes lesson around beginning, middle, and end• Breaks down concept/ideas into parts• Content is accurate• Demonstrates advanced preparation• Monitors time• Uses effective or relevant strategies• Presents ideas in a coherent manner

Personal ResponsibilityAssumes accountability for reaching outcomes, despite obstacles

• Maintains momentum toward lesson objective• Demonstrates flexibility (dealing with unexpected/adjusting

lesson)• Checks for student understanding

Communication SkillsDemonstrates written and verbal proficiency in English

• Few, or no errors in language usage and mechanics• Ideas understandable to reader/listener• Speaks audibly and distinctly

Professional InteractionRespects others, and interacts positively and effectively in all situations

• Interacts in a positive, respectful and appropriate manner with other candidates

• Uses appropriate tone• Subject matter/materials suitable for professional setting• Listens openly to student questions and responds

appropriately

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Sample Lesson: If you choose to use a sample lesson, be sure to incorporate it into your final evaluation form

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Timeline: You may choose to use these additional components only at particular times of year

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Sample Lesson Sample Lesson

Writing Sample

Site Visit

Open House

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Determining your selection process

What selection activities will you utilize this year and in what order will they be conducted?

• The selection process should have 3-5 steps• Choose processes that allow you to see different sides of the

candidate or different competencies• Choose processes that you can have other staff assist with

Keep in mind

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Agenda

Indicators and Competencies

Selection Processes

Creating a Hiring Timeline

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Sample Hiring Process – Efficiency and teamwork are critical

Activity How Long

What Day Who?

Candidate referred 1 HR Staff/Resume Received

Referral reviewed 10 min 2 AP

Resume review 15 min 2 AP

Candidate contacted for phone interview

2 Admin Asst.

Phone interview conducted 30 min 4 AP

Phone interview evaluated 20 min 4 AP

Candidate contacted for school site interview or is rejected

4 Admin Asst.

Candidate completes writing sample

25 min 7

Writing sample evaluated 10 min 7 Inst. Facilitator

Candidate takes school tour 30 min 7 Inst. Facilitator

School-site interview is conducted 45 min 7 Principal, Dept. Chair, Inst. Facilitator

Interview is evaluated 20 min 7 Principal, Dept. Chair, Inst. Facilitator

Candidate is rejected or offered position

8 Principal

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Create Your Own Hiring Process

ActivityHow Long

Day Who is responsible?

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Next Steps

Determine which components and activities you will use for your school’s selection model.

Decide which competencies you will evaluate during each stage of your selection process.

Finalize an aggressive hiring timeline that allows you to compete for the strongest candidates.

Test your selection model (if possible) and reflect on its effectiveness.