Special Teachers Are Rewarded (STAR)
    Legislative Budget Item 2006-07
    Technical Assistance Document
    June 13, 2006
    General Purpose and Timelines
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    Purpose
    $147.5 million is appropriated to be distributed to school districts based on each district’s
    portion of the state total K-12 base funding for performance pay rewards to instructional
    personnel. Instructional personnel are defined for this purposes according to
    s. 1012.01(1)(a)-(d), which includes all instructional personnel, with the exception of
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    paraprofessionals, without them having to apply, and may include administrators. All
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    public schools in the district are eligible to participate in the STAR Plan.
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    Timelines
    1.
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    Beginning of 2006-07 school year – districts inform teachers of STAR and of the district’s
    intention to submit a plan under STAR guidelines.
    2.
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    December 31, 2006
    STAR Plan to the State Board for approval.
    3.
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    March 1, 2007 – Deadline for submitting a revised STAR Plan in the event the State
    Board determines a plan needs revisions.
    4.
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    March 19, 2007 – Last State Board meeting during which a district approved STAR
    plan may be approved.
    5.
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    April 1, 2007 – State Board determines allocation of STAR funds based upon
    approved plans. Recalculation of undistributed funds will be completed and those
    funds distributed as soon as possible after this date.
    6.
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    June 30, 2007 – Districts must encumber funds for bonus payments to STAR
    awardees. Payments must be made to eligible instructional personnel at the next
    regular payroll action.
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    STAR Plan Development Template
    The attached Template for STAR Plan Development is designed to provide each district
    and charter school with a checklist showing the elements of a STAR Plan that must be
    included to be considered for approval by the State Board of Education. Required
    elements and criteria are listed in the first column. In the second column, to the right of
    each requirement, are any associated notes or information that we have learned since
    the language passed through questions raised by members of the performance pay
    advisory council, districts, and Department staff. Key members of the legislature and
    legislative staff were consulted in formulating interpretations. Districts should submit a
    completed template as a coversheet with their plan for approval.
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    Review Process and Technical Assistance
    has outlined a basic plan model and sample teacher evaluation to aid Districts’
    construction of a STAR Plan, it is only a model. Program requirements may be met in a
    variety of ways and customized to meet the circumstances and reflect the diversity of
    Florida’s school districts. Plans may differ from the model, as long as a District’s final
    submitted Plan is fair, equitable, and in compliance with program requirements.
    A fair and equitable STAR Plan will reward instructional personnel based on improved
    student achievement over the course of the year and without regard to school-wide
    performance or the achievement history of students to which they are assigned, such
    that:
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    Improved student achievement is the primary evaluation factor (at least 50%)
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    The top 25% of instructional personnel are rewarded
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    Average or below average instructional personnel are
    not
    rewarded the same as
    outstanding teachers
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    High performing instructional personnel at poorly rated schools are rewarded
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    Low performing instructional personnel at highly rated schools are not rewarded
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    Teachers of historically poor-performing students are not disadvantaged
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    Teachers of historically high-performing students are not advantaged
    The Department of Education will make the value table available for district use in
    implementing STAR plans. Districts choosing an alternative method for “leveling the
    playing field” for teachers in different grades, subjects, and/or teaching students of
    different achievement levels may receive assistance from DOE in adopting workable
    models. Additional technical assistance will be available upon request. All proposals
    must be reviewed by the State Board within 45 days of receipt, although the Department
    will make every effort to respond to district plans significantly sooner than this deadline.
    Charter schools that do not participate in their district salary schedule may submit a
    proposal separate from their district. Charter schools whose districts do not submit a plan
    may submit an independent proposal. The same timelines for submission apply to charter
    schools which are submitting a separate proposal. All charter school proposals will be
    reviewed independently of their district’s plan unless otherwise requested.
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