The Online Reflector

The University of Indianapolis Center Of Excellence in Leadership of Learning is overseeing a $33 million teacher project to improve schools around the state of Indiana.

According to their Web site, CELL wants to make sure that all Indiana students get the opportunity to graduate from high school prepared for college and the outside world, regardless of financial troubles or background. CELL continually works on achieving student growth throughout Indiana. Because of funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., CELL is able to work with schools, communities and businesses in Indiana to improve education one student at a time.

“CELL has a long history of successfully implementing programs that have potential for transforming K-12 schools,” said Executive Director of CELL David Dresslar.

CELL is best known for the Indiana Education Transformation Conference held each year in December. At the conference, CELL, along with other schools, collaborates on how education can improve internationally, nationally and locally. CELL also is well known for Early College High School and New Technology High School.

Early College High School gives students the ability to earn not only a diploma but an associate degree. They also can earn up to two credits toward a bachelor’s degree. Early College High School is available to any student but mostly those who are underprivileged in some way.

The program is mostly for low-income children, first-generation college students, learners of the English language and minority students.

New Technology High School is not a typical school. It involves students working in groups on projects in different areas of learning, so they learn the material better.

CELL has been working on ways to implement change in the educational system in Indiana. CELL’s most recent project is the System for Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP). The University of Indianapolis works with 45 other Indiana schools from 11 school corporations through partnership of CELL and the Indiana Department of Education to bring TAP to Indiana schools. According to their Web site, TAP is intended to improve the quality of teachers in Indiana and the quality of education for students. The Indiana Department of Education has received nearly $48 million from the U.S. Department of Education to bring TAP to high poverty schools.

“The TAP system is another way that we hope to contribute to Indiana’s success in improving student achievement,” Dresslar said.

The four elements of success for TAP are multiple career paths, ongoing applied professional growth, instructionally focused accountability and performance-based compensation.

The leadership team for the system includes principals, assistant principals, master teachers, mentor teachers and others who are helpful in initiating TAP.

According to the Web site, TAP will most likely be successful because of the performance-based compensation. With this kind of compensation, salaries and bonuses are tied to responsibilities. This is intended to keep successful teachers in the school systems.

Another incentive for teachers is the increase in pay based on academic achievement of students.
The teacher performance is determined by approved testing to determine student achievement and by evaluations with TAP rubrics and responsibility survey.

“Across the country, we are seeing proven student achievement results in other states with TAP school,” said CELL Fellow for Strategic Initiatives Jen Oliver. “We are excited to bring such a successful system in order to retain similar results.”

A recent study, “The Effects of Performance-Based Teacher Pay on Student Achievement,” has shown the results of TAP as increasing student achievement. The article, written by Sally Hudson and published by The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, compared the achievement in TAP schools compared to non-TAP schools.

“TAP really highlights the ongoing leadership of CELL through Indianapolis to bring change to Indiana schools,” Oliver said.
For more information on CELL, visit www.cell.uindy.edu.