W.A.R., Part 2, Building a Stats List

In developing WAST (Wins Above Substitute Teacher), it is important to remember that WAR (baseball’s Wins Above Replacement) is a composite statistic. This means that it isn’t a simple matter of measuring one area of performance and calling that the whole picture. Imagine the uproar we could cause in the baseball community if we established that the only viable statistic to judge a player is the number of triples he hit. You’d have an awful lot of slow power hitters chasing you. But, at least you’ve pissed off the slow ones and have a shot at escaping…

Anyways! In order to develop an accurate WAST we need to take the same composite approach. To do this, however, we first have to develop a set of statistics that can be used to show some aspect of teacher performance.

I have begun a list of statistics below, but need help. Please suggest whatever statistics you would use to measure a teacher in the comments field. Keep in mind, though, a good statistic must be measurable and replicable. Weighting of various stats will be debated once the list is created.

The list below is a list of ideas, not my personal feelings on what are appropriate statistics or not, that discussion can come later.

Experience
Years Teaching (YT) – Number of years the teacher has spent actually teaching in the classroom.
Years in Related Field (YR) – Number of years the teacher has spent involved in their field outside of direct teaching (research, professional experience, etc.).
Courses Taught (CT) – Number of actual courses taught, not just length of time teaching them.
Years in Courses Taught (YCT) – CT/YT – Designed to show the amount of career time dedicated to each subject.

Classroom Engagement
Course Drops (CD) – Percentage of students in class that drop the course after the first day.
Disciplinary Referrals (DR) – Percentage of class that receives disciplinary referrals (detention, principal’s office, etc.) due to disruptive behavior in the classroom.
Time as Teacher (TT) – Percentage of class days that are spent watching movies, documentaries, or other multimedia that allows the teacher to disengage.

Academic Success
Standardized Test Results (STR) – The average scores of the teacher’s classes on related standardized testing.
Matriculation Rate (MR) – The average success rate at moving students on to the next grade level at the completion of the year.
Preparation Rate (PR) – Percentage of students who fail the subsequent course.
College Enrollment Rate (CER) – Percentage of students who go on to enroll in post-secondary education.
College Graduation Rate (CGR) – Percentage of students who obtain a post-secondary degree.

Continuing Education
Bachelor’s Degree (BD) – Recognition for holding a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Master’s Degree (MD) – Recognition for holding a Master’s degree in a related field.
Doctoral Degree (DD) – Recognition for holding a Doctoral degree in a related field.
Professional Degree (PD) – Recognition for holding a Professional degree in a related field.
Continuing Courses Taken (CCT) – Number of related courses taken, outside of degree requirements.

That is my list so far, I’m sure there’s a lot more to add. Please send me your suggestions and comments!

Fashion Dilemma

Well, no surprise here, but I've already hit my first quandary. I have been invited to Area High School* for an interview/chance to meet the department this coming Tuesday. They are considering allowing me to serve in their school for the next year as a student-teacher. I'm thrilled that I have interest from such an extraordinary school, not to mention one that is technically within walking distance of my home, but the number one thing running through my head is, what do I wear?!

Now I should probably state that I am not, and never will be, all that concerned about my clothing. Sure, I appreciate dressing sharply, and I fully understand that people will judge you by how you present yourself. But, this primarily translates for me into simple rules like don't wear pajamas to work, and make sure your clothing is clean. I have never in my life spent more than a minute trying to decide if two colors will go together or which tie says what about me.

This question bouncing around my head seems predicated on the previous line "people will judge you..." I simply don't know what is appropriate to wear for this type of occasion. As it is something of an interview, my instinct is to wear a suit. However, I know that schools are traditionally less formal in their attire and I run the risk of looking like a fool walking around in a suit when nobody else is even sporting a tie. So, then, do I run the risk of dressing down a bit and potentially looking less like an aspiring professional? Even though teaching in public schools is often less formally attired, I still want to give the impression that I take the profession seriously. Can I do that in slacks, dress shirt and tie?

I'm all for trying new things, but this worrying about clothing just seems silly.

*Not the real school name.