Transcript Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission

Oregon Teacher Standards
and Practices Commission
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Education Subcommittee
May 8-9, 2007
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TSPC
Mission: To ensure that every student is taught
by caring, competent and ethical educators
{Commission Goals – p. 6 of Budget Notebook}
Vision: The TSPC will lead the nation in setting
and maintaining high standards for educators
History: First educator licensure board in the
nation (1965). Second board to become
autonomous (1973).
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Commission
17 Commissioners appointed by Governor
 8 teachers
 4 administrators
 2 higher education
 3 public members (1 school board member)
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Terms for 3 years (up to 2 terms)
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Primary Responsibilities
Commission
 Licensure: Issue educator licenses to public
school educators; registrations to charter
school teachers; certificates to school nurses
 Program Approval: Approve educator-
preparation programs in Oregon higher
education
 Professional Practices: Discipline based on
violation of ethical standards of practice
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Primary Responsibilities
Office Organization
Executive
Director
Licensure
Director of Licensure
Program Approval
Professional
Practices
Coordinator of
Teacher Education
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LICENSURE
 License: [≈66,600 total active licenses]
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Teachers: (≈59,900)
Administrators (≈430)
School Counselors (≈1,740)
School Psychologists (≈550)
 Registration:
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Charter School Teachers (≈150)
 Certification:
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School Nurses (≈101)
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PROGRAM APPROVAL
 20 approved institutions offering licensure
programs (public and private)
 Licensure programs
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Teachers
Administrators
School Counselors
School Psychologists
 5 colleges and universities visited and
approved in 2005-2006
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PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
(Discipline)
 214 reports received in 2006
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146 from school districts
68 from patrons
 Disposed of 195 cases
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Dismissed -- 90
Took action -- 105 = 91 orders; 11 charged; 3
reinstatements issued or denied
 Currently over 200 cases pending
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Budget Drivers
 Licensure and license issuance:
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Speed of issuance [July through October]
Speed of response to applicants [July
through January]
Quality of information to applicants [Online
Licensure Handbook]
Ease of issuance [Evaluation processes]
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Budget Drivers
 Demand for faster service:
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Limited staffing during peak periods [Temp
staff not helpful]
Ongoing development of web-based services
[Overwhelming for one person]
 Program Approval: demand for information:
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Higher Education: Requests for reports related
to licensure employment
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Budget Drivers
 Professional Practices (discipline) caseload:
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Increase in reports/complaints
Increasing complexity; litigation costs
Limited staffing
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Performance Measures
 The agency has 7 performance measures
 Three of the measures were approved July
2006 by the JLAC
 Nearly all of the agency’s measures are
related to customer service
 Data collection has only been reliable for the
past year due to agency work on improving
our data collection methods
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Performance Measures
 Targets were selected based on best
estimate for current agency performance
 Agency licensure systems have been
improved so that data collection is more
reliable
 Continuous improvement efforts should result
in adjustment of agency targets
 Budget packages are aimed at improving
customer service
 Performance Measure summary in appendix
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Prioritized Programs and Services
 Licensure services:
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New license issuance
Licensure renewal
Duplicates
Licensure inquiry responses (phone/email)
Licensure assignment advice (handbook)
Data collection partnership with ODE
Highly Qualified Teacher advice
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Prioritized Programs and Services
 Program Approval services:
 Approve new programs and program
modifications (commission)
 Review approved programs through site visit
review process (on site)
 Review annual reports
 Report federal Higher Education Act (HEA)
Title II data regarding program completion
rates for teacher programs
 Monitor licensure tests and endorsement
standards
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Prioritized Programs and Services
 Professional Practices:
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Conduct investigations into patron and school
district complaints
Recommend actions (dismiss or charge) to
commission
Deliver workshops regarding professional
practice standards to educators
Represent commission in hearings related to
discipline
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Policy Packages
 100 –(Discipline) Professional Practices
 Hire:
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1 additional Investigator 3
1 additional support staff
 Project ability to investigate 50 to 80 more
cases a year
 Project ability to significantly reduce back-log
of over 200 cases in 2 to 3 years
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Current Organization of Professional
Practices Section
Executive Director
Executive Assistant
Investigators (1.5)
Investigative Assistant
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Proposed Organization of Professional
Practices Section
Executive Director
Executive Assistant
Professional Practices Coordinator (1.0 new)
Classified as Investigator 3
Investigative Assistants (2.0) (1.0 new)
Investigators (1.5)
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Proposed Changes in Professional Practices
(Discipline) Cases
Professional Practices
Cases:
- District Report (report)
- Patron Complaint (complaint)
-Information (news)
- Executive Director Referral
Complaint Received
Case assigned to
investigator (1.5 FTE)
Review of Evidence and Proceedings
-- Negotiate settlement with educator, contingent
upon commission approval
-- evaluate recommendations **
Investigation conducted based
on urgency.
- Evidence collected
--Interview with educator;
--Interviews with witnesses;
--Interviews with school; district
personnel;
Investigation report generated
Investigation
Strategy
**
Factors Affecting Time to Close an Investigation:
-workload
- Availability of educator and educator's attorney (responsiveness):
- Availability and cooperation of witnesses;
- Travel to districts statewide to collect evidence;
- Negotiations with defense attorneys regarding possible settlement
agreement (stipulated orders);
- "Age" of events (years/months/weeks)
- Actions pending in other forums: Fair Dismissal Board; Criminal
Court, other
Shaded boxes represent
where AAG provides
assistance to agency.
Executive Director considers investigation report -- makes
recommendations to the Commission at the next Executive
Session
Commission Meeting in Executive Session
Evidence sufficient to
recommend charging to
Commission
Charge educator with
violating professional
practices
Evidence insufficient to
recommend charging to
Commission
Dismiss complaint/report
and take no further action
Settlement Agreements
(Stipulated Orders)
Accept stipulated
settlement agreement
imposing disciplinary
sanction
Shaded boxes where proposed
TSPC staff would provide
greater assistance to AAG
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office. ** indicates formerly
handled by investigator
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What happens following a commission vote to charge
an educator with violation of professional practices?
Legal Notice of right to a
hearing sent to educator
-- signed and dated
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Educator has 21 days
from date on Notice to
request a hearing
Educator
requests a
hearing
Case settled
through
negotiations
before hearing
TSPC staff plays greater role in preparing cases for
hearing (information for AAG to try case). Also acts
as agency representative instead of investigator. **
ALJ hears case; finds
facts; makes
recommendations to
Commission. Drafts
proposed order.
Commission considers proposed
order; Accepts or Modifies
Final Order drafted by AAG
Commission Adopts Final Order
No response from
educator
Default Order take to
next commission
meeting.
Case referred to
Office of
Administrative
Hearings by DOJ
Order Becomes
Final and Public
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Shaded boxes represent
where AAG provides
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assistance to agency.
Policy Packages
 101 – System Support
 History/Need: The position replaces a contracted IT
specialist who has worked on the agency’s systems for
several years;
 IT issues/demands:
 Finish developing online application process
 Refine revenue data collection
 Finish development of automated licensure issuance
 Continue assistance with converting microfilm into
electronic files
 Includes funding to replace obsolete computers (10
computers)
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Policy Packages
 101 – System Support (cont)
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IT issues/demands: (cont)
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Automate phone services (next stage – not yet
developed)
Research capacity related to licensure,
employment, assignment, commission orders
Maintain system upgrades and Web information
Develop system for discipline probation follow-up
Continue development of college and university
connections to allow real time population of “file
cabinet” for licensure candidates
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Policy Packages
 102 – Office Support
 History/Need: The agency has had a .5
limited duration FTE Office Specialist I since
2005-2007
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Supports daily mail intake
Conducts scanning of all documents;
Repairs microfilm records
Converts microfilm to electronic records
Backs up file room (where microfilm stored)
Works overtime during summer months due to
workload
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