2015 Delaware Talent Practices Report

Preliminary Findings
April 11, 2016

Talent Practices Survey

Operation Public Education (OPE) at the
University of Pennsylvania gathered information
on talent practices across the state.
This report is based on the Talent Practices
Survey which was administered to all Delaware
school districts in December 2015.
Survey respondents were asked about the 2015
hiring season (February 2015 to October 2015).
All 19 of Delawares traditional public school
districts responded to the survey, as well as 17
charter school districts.
Data from the survey as well as data from 3 case
study districts were used in the report.
2

Talent Pipeline

Policies &
Systems

Identification
& Recruitment

Hiring &
Selection

Evaluation,
Compensation
& Retention

Talent Practices Landscape

Over 900 teachers were offered contracts to
teach in the state of Delaware in the 2015
hiring season compared with 862 teachers in
the 2014 hiring season.
The most high-quality potential applicants
were in Elementary, Social Science, and
Counselor positions.
The least high-quality potential applicants
were in Foreign Language, High School Math
and Science, Psychologists, and Speech
Therapist positions.
4

Timing of Hiring
Percentage of Total New Hires, by Month
27.6%

28.1%

20.5%
20.5%
19.7%
18.4%
13.4%
10.2%

9.4%
3.9%
1.1%

4.7% 3.8%
1.6%

5.8%
0.8%

Districts

7.3%

3.1%

Charters
5

Policies & Systems

Hiring policies
Staffing policies
Systems of communication

Staffing Policies Highlight

Only one district (District B) reported having a dedicated staff position
primarily focused on teacher recruitment. This strategic hire has provided
significant benefits in recruitment, as outlined by the districts HR director:
Two years ago we hired a district recruiter and new teacher mentor who
assists me We really wanted to do the best we could with trying to attract
the best teachers and one of my goals is to increase minority hires in the
district, so I wanted someone who could really have the time to partner with
local colleges in the region and do the recruiting efforts. Her first year she was
primarily recruiting. This year she's recruiting plus new teacher mentoring,
which we see as a nice follow through She also places students in
practicums for local colleges and universities, student teaching placements,
so we really feel like we get a good look at someone from higher ed. all the
way through an employee. (District B HR Director).

Identification & Recruitment

Strategic use of recruitment resources
Partnerships with local universities/ hiring
locally
Targeted strategies for high-need schools
and diverse candidates

Recruitment Strategies
Number of Districts

Most Effective Recruitment Strategies

14
11

7
5

Hiring & Selection

Gathering rich and varied information on
candidates
Principal autonomy
Value of team involvement

10

Principal Autonomy Highlight

District A prioritizes principal autonomy to ensure teachers are a strong fit for
the needs of local campuses. This commitment is shared at both the district
and school level.
[The principals are] the ones running the school so they own it. If we're going
to tell you who to hire then you can't own the success or failure. You have
some good budget flexibility and your biggest resource is people. These are
your people. Invest in them. Time. Energy. So forth [The principals] are the
ones who have to work with them. And if they hire great staff they get to bask
in the glory of high student achievement. (District HR Director).

11

Evaluation, Compensation & Retention

Alignment between recruitment message
and teacher experience
Identification of highly effective teachers
Differing emphasis on financial and nonfinancial incentives

12

Identification of Highly Effective

Teachers
# of districts using these sources to identify impactful teachers
Parent surveys

Student surveys

Peer recommendations

Measure A

Other student learning data

DPAS-II summative ratings

10

Teacher observation (Components I-IV)

10

Student Growth Data (Student Improvement Component

10

Principal recommendations

11

13

Alignment of Teacher Selection Criteria

with DPAS-II
6%

29%

47%

18%
Very aligned

Aligned

Somewhat aligned

Not at all aligned

14

Recommendations
Policies & Systems
Ensure policies at the state and local level
support early hiring
Set a target hiring date in June and intensify
recruitment efforts in April
Hire a dedicated recruitment staff member
Ensure ongoing communication between the
central office and school sites

15

Recommendations
Identification & Recruitment
Develop a clear recruitment message that is tailored to
the needs of the district
Invest in teacher preparation (particularly for high
needs schools) in Delaware universities
Consider developing a scholarship for Delaware high
school seniors to teach in Delaware
Employ a wide range of recruitment tactics, track their
success rate, and adjust accordingly
Build strong partnerships and specific programs (e.g.,
student teaching, ESOL) with local universities
Prioritize diversity recruitment by creating a committee
dedicated to the effort

16

Recommendations
Hiring & Selection
Develop selection criteria that clearly establishes the
districts ideal teacher
Align these selection criteria throughout all steps of the
application process
Invest in early screening processes to accelerate the
hiring timeline
Gather applied information during selection through
sample lessons and scenario-based questions
Ensure that principals have the autonomy to determine
candidates fit for the school
Involve a team of school staff in the selection process

17

Recommendations
Evaluation, Compensation, & Retention
Ensure recruitment messages provide
applicants with a realistic set of expectations
Align selection criteria with the districts
process for evaluating impactful teachers
Develop a variety of types of incentives to
retain the most impactful staff members
Use data on teacher retention to inform the
recruitment and selection processes

18