(Betsy) Elizabeth Compton

EDAD 6316: School Personnel

Summer 2015
TAPR

Texas Academic Performance Report Correlations to Staff Selection:

Colleyville Heritage High School

The Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) pull together a wide range of
information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year
(TEA). The reports are available for all public schools in Texas and show a variety of statistical
information. The cover page gives a brief overview of the schools accountability and then the
following pages provide specific percentages and raw data for testing, attendance,
completion/drop-out rates, student and staff demographics, and special programs. The purpose
of this report is to draw correlations between student achievement data and campus staff
selection at Colleyville Heritage High School and analyze the effects of such correlations
through outside sources.
Colleyville Heritage High School, located in Colleyville, Texas, is one of the two
traditional high schools in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District. The high
school contains 2,258 students in grades ninth through twelfth, 122 teachers, and a total staff
average of 143.5. In 2014, Colleyville Heritage High School (CHHS) met all accountability

standards and earned the following designated distinctions: Academic Achievement in

Reading/English Language Arts, Academic Achievement in Science, Academic Achievement in
Social Studies, and Postsecondary Readiness. Past reports show similar ratings and
achievements. Generally, CHHS is known around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as a highachieving school. In fact, Colleyville Heritage High School is ranked fifty-fifth within Texas
and 472nd in the United States by U.S. News and World Report (U.S.).
In the article, Choosing and Judging Teachers: What Heads and Student Teachers Think
Matters, Newton and Newton seek to compare and analyze the attributes and skills needed to
obtain a teaching position from the views of student teachers and experienced, mentor teachers,
and the attributes and skills needed to be considered an effective teacher by both groups. At first
glance, many of the requirements listed by student teachers and experienced teachers are the
same, however, their research shows that the attributes are viewed differently by
administrator/mentor teachers and student teachers, and even among administrators themselves.
For example, like the student[s] [teachers], the head teachers identified items to do with
activation as most important (Ability to motivate children, mean score 8.81, and Ability to
involve children, mean score 8.80). Classroom control and Discipline skills (associated with
discipline), however, appeared higher in their list and closer together (Newton 58).
This research proves that teachers with varying levels of experience have different
priorities in the classroom. The TAPR shows the average amounts of experience for groups of
teachers on page 11. Even though all test scores within the school are fairly high, it would be
interesting to view a district report showing individual test scores by teacher. Specific teacher
information like that is not available on the TAPR, but could be obtained by someone with
administrator access through a web-based program such as Eduphoria. One can assume, based

on the research by Newton and Newton, that there could be a difference in scores between new
and veteran teachers due to the different expectations and priorities they focus on in the
classroom. The statistics of CHHS show there are comparatively not many new teachers, which
may be reflected in the overall high scores of the student population.
Another article analyzing staff selection is Secondary Teachers Assessment Literacy:
Does Classroom Experience Make a Difference? Although the Newtons research references
assessment, this article views staff selection entirely through the scope of assessment. The
purposes of the research presented in the article, were to measure and describe the relative
levels of assessment literacy for both pre-service and in-service teachers at the secondary level,
and to statistically compare the relative levels of assessment literacy for these two groups
(Mertler 54). Mertlers research shows the relationship between classroom assessments and
student performance on standardized tests reveals that improving the quality of classroom
assessments can increase average scores on large-scale assessments as much as 3/4 of a SD (as
much as four grade equivalents or 15-20 percentile points), representing a huge potential
(Mertler 50). Clearly, the implications for staff selection are that administrators must choose
teachers whom understand how to build quality classroom assessments or offer training to
develop that skill in those who dont. CHHS seems to do this by hiring teachers new to the
district, but not new to teaching.
Although the TAPR does not show the individual set of skills for each teacher, one can
make assumptions based on the amount of years of experience for each. Of course, it is
understood that there may be brand new teachers with excellent skills for effective teaching and
knowledge of building meaningful classroom assessments and experienced teachers whom do
not have or do not utilize those needed skills, however, for the purposes of this report, it is

assumed gained experience equals gained skills and knowledge utilized in the classroom. Only
5% of teachers at CHHS are classified as beginning teachers. In contrast, 38.7% have 11-20
years of experience, 30.3% have 6-10 years, and 24.2% have over 20 years. It is easy to see how
the beginning teachers and the 23.9% of teachers with 1-5 years of experience could be paired
with a more experienced teacher to create a mentor/mentee relationship, fostering skills needed.
The TAPR also lists 5.4% of the staff population as Educational Aides. These professionals are
most likely utilized at CHHS to help beginning teachers in the classroom, cover classes for
teachers who need time to pull out for further instruction, and cover classes for more experienced
teachers so they can observe and help their mentees.
According to the TAPR, the average number of years of experience for teachers at CHHS
is 12, with 6 years within the district. This further proves that principals are mostly hiring
teachers with previous experience elsewhere. This previous experience gives them more time to
develop their classroom and assessment skills, which leads to more effective teaching and higher
assessment scores for the students. It also shows, along with the previously mentioned statistics
of years of experience, that the newly-hired teachers are at a more stable point in their career and
more likely to stay in the position for a long time, leading to lower numbers of turnover and less
need for recruitment.
The only possible area for concern within staff selection for CHHS is diversity. The
student population is 60.2% Caucasian, 19.4% Hispanic, 11.5% Asian, and 4.3% African
American. The staff demographics are 85.8% Caucasian, 5.9% Hispanic, 4.9% African
American, and only 0.6% Asian. While proportionally the averages are similar, the staff
diversity does not exactly match the student statistics. Hispanic students are least represented
within the faculty. While exact proportions of teachers and students of certain demographics are

not necessary, fostering role models within each culture is important. Although stereotypical, it
is true that high school teachers frequently sponsor clubs identified within their culture, due to
their own past experiences. For example, an African American teacher will frequently sponsor
the Step Team, while a Hispanic Teacher will frequently sponsor the Ballet Folklorico Troup. It
will be important for school officials to access the needs of the Hispanic population to be sure
they are achieving at the same rates of other students and have equal opportunities for extracurricular experiences.
In conclusion, The Texas Academic Performance Report shows Colleyville Heritage High
School is doing well on all state assessments. As a district, the Grapevine-Colleyville
Independent School District is also considered high-performing. The research presented in this
report aimed to show these positive results were due in part to staff selection. By hiring teachers
with previous experience, the administration has set up a school staff culture that values the
teachers ability to engage student learners and create quality class assessments. Although the
students scores and projections are relatively high across the board, there is always room for
improvement. It will be important for the administrators of CHHS to continue analyzing the data
to meet students need and focusing on quality staff selection and retention.

References:
Mertler, C. (2004). Secondary Teachers Assessment Literacy: Does Classroom Experience
Make a Difference? American Secondary Education. Fall 2004, Vol. 33, Issue 1, pages 49-64.

Newton D., & Newton, L. (2001). Choosing and Judging Teachers: What Heads and Student
Teachers Think Matters, Research in Education. November 2001, Issue 66, pages 54-65.

TEA; Texas Education Agency. (2015). Texas Academic Performance Reports. Retrieved on
June 30, 2015 from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/tapr/

U.S. News and World Report. (2015). Colleyville Heritage High School. Retrieved on June 30,
2015, from http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/texas/districts/grapevinecolleyville-independent-school-district/colleyville-heritage-high-school-19165