strategic plan report: premier workforce€¦ · actions narrative highlights individual activities...
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STRATEGIC PLAN REPORT:
PREMIER WORKFORCE
We commit to invest in our
employees, encourage innovation,
and celebrate success
April 2019
1
FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Scott Brabrand, Ed.D. Division Superintendent
Marty K. Smith
Chief Operating Officer
GOAL CHAMPION Helen Nixon, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENT Ludmila Z. Hruda, Director
2
Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3
Report Organization ............................................................................................................... 3
Performance Color Codes ...................................................................................................... 4
Return on Investment ............................................................................................................. 4
Exceptional Employees ........................................................................................................... 6
Overview ................................................................................................................................ 6
Detail...................................................................................................................................... 7
Recruitment ......................................................................................................................... 7
SY 2017-18 Outcomes. ................................................................................................... 7
SY 2017-18 Actions......................................................................................................... 9
Return on Investment .....................................................................................................12
Data Analysis and Concusions .......................................................................................13
Hiring .................................................................................................................................15
SY 2017-18 Outcomes ...................................................................................................15
SY 2017-18 Actions .......................................................................................................16
Return on Investment .....................................................................................................16
Data Analysis and Conclusions ......................................................................................16
Retention ...........................................................................................................................16
SY 2017-18 Outcomes ...................................................................................................17
SY 2017-18 Actions .......................................................................................................17
Return on Investment .....................................................................................................18
Data Analysis and Conclusions ......................................................................................18
Future Considerations ...........................................................................................................18
Market Competitive Compensation .......................................................................................18
Overview ...............................................................................................................................19
Detail.....................................................................................................................................20
SY 2017-18 Outcomes ...................................................................................................20
SY 2017-18 Actions .......................................................................................................20
Return on Investment .....................................................................................................23
Data Analysis and Conclusions ......................................................................................23
Future Considerations ...........................................................................................................23
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Introduction This Strategic Plan report is the first to be completed since the School Board’s adoption
of the Strategic Plan SY 2018-20 Focus on March 7, 2019. Those enhancements include
streamlined outcomes the division is focusing on for school years (SYs) 2018-20 along
with enhanced metrics and streamlined targets to demonstrate progress on those
outcomes. This Premier Workforce report describes actions and outcomes from SY 2017-
18, which occurred prior to the recent approval of the enhanced Strategic Plan. While
these actions were not intentionally aligned to the current metrics approved in March
2019, they did further the majority of these new metrics. Future reports will describe
intentionally-aligned actions implemented to help the division reach its desired outcomes.
Report Organization
Reporting on each outcome comprises six sections:
Overview of SY 17-18 performance and progress toward the 2018-20 Targets for
each of the plan’s Aspirations.
Outcomes Narrative details the performance on each metric and highlights progress
toward the 2018-20 Target.
Actions Narrative highlights individual activities falling under the overarching
strategic action (“How”) that staff implemented. In this first year, since it is a look back
at 2017-18, when these structures were not in place, these activities describe what
FCPS undertook during the reporting year. In future years, the activities listed in this
section will describe programs, services, projects, and initiatives that are part of the
Division’s Strategic Action Plans developed specifically to achieve each outcome.
Return on Investment (ROI) Analysis provides evidence of the relation between
funds expended on activities and strategic benefits. ROI can also support decisions
made on whether to continue, modify, or end activities within the Strategic Action Plan.
In this first year of reporting on the new metrics, ROI analysis should not be used for
this latter purpose as 2017-18 activities were not specifically intended to support the
new metrics.
Data Analysis and Conclusions provides an analysis of the effectiveness of the
activities taken to make progress toward the goal and what adjustments, if any, are
recommended for FCPS to make continued progress or extend efforts to new
initiatives.
Future Considerations contains implications for policy, funding, and/or strategic
concerns.
4
Performance Color Codes
For this report, each metric has a color-coded assessment of overall progress toward the
2020 targets. The assessments of progress in this report are interim assessments toward
the 2020 target and, therefore, any improvement since baseline was judged as having
progressed toward the target.
Dark teal indicates that FY18 performance met or exceeded the SYs 18-20
target. For metrics reporting on subgroups, for performance to be color-coded
dark teal, all subgroups had to have made progress toward the SYs 18-20
target.
Light teal indicates that FY18 performance progressed toward the SYs 18-20
target. For metrics reporting on subgroups, for performance to be color-coded
light teal, all but one of the subgroups had to have made progress toward the
SYs 18-20 target.
Yellow indicates that FY18 performance did not make progress toward the SYs
18-20 target. For metrics reporting on subgroups, for performance to be color-
coded yellow, two or more subgroups had to have shown no progress.
Return on Investment
This is the first time return on investment (ROI) information is being included in FCPS’
annual Strategic Plan reporting. In this first year, the ROI calculations are based on funds
that could be directly tied to new or enhanced actions associated with the current metrics.
It is anticipated that future reports will allow for more complex ROI analyses, as we align
our programs, services, projects, and initiatives to the focused plan and its new metrics
and targets.
FCPS uses a continuum of approaches for evaluating the link between expenditures and
benefits to analyze ROI (see graphic below). As approaches increase along this
continuum, so do the time, data, and expertise required for execution. Less complex
approaches are more descriptive than evaluative, describing outcomes observed after
related funds are spent. More complex approaches become increasingly evaluative and,
in some cases, can definitively link specific expenditures to their related benefits. The five
approaches that FCPS uses to assess the return on investment are:
Cost per participant describes expenditures in relation to the number of
participants in a program or project, or the number of recipients of services
provided by a service or initiative.
Cost description is a process of identifying observed benefits or outcomes that
are associated with a specific program, service, project, or initiative that has been
funded, such as improvements to student achievement, operational efficiency, or
teacher retention.
5
Monetary ROI evaluates whether a monetary investment results in a monetary
gain larger than the initial investment amount (e.g., cost savings or cost
avoidance).
Academic ROI is used to show the non-monetary outcomes, such as student
achievement, associated with expenditures in a school division.
Social ROI evaluates a combination of monetary, academic, and community
outcomes1 to assess the full impact of funds spent.
Continuum of ROI Analyses
1 Monetary outcomes include benefits i cost savings or cost avoidance, for example, the benefit of early childhood expenditures on reducing special education costs. Academic outcomes include those non-monetary benefits to the
school division, such as increasing high school graduation rates or operational efficiencies. Community outcomes include those benefits to others outside the school division, such as a decreasing welfare dependence.
Exceptional Employees
6
Overview
What FCPS will recruit, hire, and retain exceptional employees.
How Strengthen divisionwide use of fair and consistent practices to recruit, hire, and retain a diverse
workforce.
SY 2017-18 Performance
Aspiration: Every open teaching position will have at least five highly qualified applicants
Metric:
Average number of qualified applicants per teaching position
No Progress
During this
Reporting Period
Aspiration: All teaching positions will be filled by July 1
Metric:
Percent of teaching positions filled by July 1
Met or Exceeded
Target
Aspiration: Employee retention rates will be within the National Average
Metric:
FCPS employee retention rates
Met or Exceeded
Target
Aspiration: The diversity of qualified teacher applicants will match the diversity of Fairfax County
residents.
Metric:
Diversity of qualified teacher applicants compared to the diversity of
Fairfax County residents
Progressed
Toward Target
Aspiration: The diversity of hired teachers will match the diversity of qualified teacher applicants
Metric:
Diversity of hired teachers compared to the diversity of qualified
applicants
No Progress
During this
Reporting Period
Exceptional Employees
7
Detail
Reporting on the Exceptional Employees outcome is divided into three sections: recruitment, hiring,
and retention.
Recruitment
SY 2017-18 Outcomes
During this reporting period, FCPS did not make progress toward the target for increasing the
average number of qualified applicants per teaching position.
In SY 2017-18, the average number of qualified applicants per teaching position was lower
than at baseline (3.1 in 2017-18 versus 3.4 at baseline). Therefore, FCPS did not make progress
toward the SY 2018-20 Target of 3.9 applicants per position. Importantly, lower teacher applicant
counts may be a function of the shortage of individuals graduating from teacher preparation programs
throughout the nation. Recruitment efforts for teaching positions will be examined to make progress in
subsequent years.
Aspirational Value 5.0 Overall Progress
SYs 18-20 Target 3.9 No Progress During
this Reporting Period SY 17-18 Performance 3.1
3-Year Baseline 3.4
Exceptional Employees
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2 Note: Some applicants and hires did not disclose their race/ethnicity. Baseline data for the qualified applicants showed that 4%
(n=282) did not disclose their race. For SY 2017-18, 4% (n=254) of applicants did not disclose their race.
FCPS made some progress in increasing the diversity of qualified teaching applicants.
FCPS either maintained or slightly increased the ethnic and gender diversity of FCPS qualified
applicants. Specifically, the ratio of ethnic diversity showed a slightly lowered gap compared to
baseline, whereas the ratio of gender diversity showed the same gap compared to baseline. FCPS
needs to continue recruitment efforts towards increasing the diversity of qualified teaching applicants
to meet the performance target by SY 2019-20.
Ethnic Diversity (non-white)2 Gender Diversity (Male) Overall
Performance
Aspirational
Value 44% diverse applicants
Equal to Fairfax County residents 44% male applicants
Equal to Fairfax County residents
Progressed
Toward
Target
SYs 18-20
Target
31% diverse applicants
Below Fairfax County residents by 12
points
31% male applicants
Below Fairfax County residents by 18
points
SY 17-18
Performance
26% diverse applicants
(diverse n=1,572; white n=3,917)
Below Fairfax County residents by 17
points
25% male applicants
(male n=1,599; female n=4,910)
Below Fairfax County residents by 25
points
3-Year
Baseline
25% diverse applicants
(diverse n=1,659, white n=4,323)
Below Fairfax County residents by 18
points
23% male applicants
(male n=1,402, female n=4,545)
Below Fairfax County residents by 27
points
Exceptional Employees
9
SY 2017-18 Actions
The following efforts were undertaken during SY 2017-18 to improve recruitment in general:
Expanded general recruitment efforts
FCPS has built relationships with community organizations to recruit for all types of positions
within FCPS. Additionally, FCPS continues to engage in community events and networking
efforts, such as information sessions to build and maintain relationships with individuals in the
community.
Nurtured student teacher placement programs in the Fairfax County Public Schools that pair
student teachers with highly skilled expert teachers.
Engaged in social media outreach to ensure wide-knowledge of job vacancies (Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter).
Continued to ensure FCPS is visible in the job seeker market. In addition to widening our
presence through online job boards/advertisements and in-person job fairs/community events,
we have also increased our presence on social media. Through these platforms, FCPS is able
to educate job seekers about all of our operational needs, which are sometimes overlooked by
individuals who focus on a school system’s greatest need, teachers.
Increased the number of FCPS sponsored job fairs.
o During the past recruiting cycle, FCPS increased the number of job fairs hosted here in
Fairfax County from three to four. This new event, offered in May, provided schools
with an opportunity to meet with candidates in an open format followed by individual
interviews.
Expanded recruitment efforts for hard-to-staff positions
FCPS attended more events well known for producing exceptional special education teachers
and speech-language pathologists.
o These events included: The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) convention, the
American Speech Language Association Conference, the Pennsylvania Speech-
Language-Hearing Association Conference, recruitment event at the University of
Kansas, and recruitment event at the University of Texas.
Expanded pipelines for teaching and hard-to-staff positions
FCPS, in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University/COVE, has designed an online
program to allow selected instructional assistants a pathway to complete the required
coursework to obtain a special education teaching licensing.
o Upon completion of the first course, cohort members are eligible to apply for a
provisional special education teaching license. In exchange for a four-year teaching
commitment, cohort participants are offered tuition reimbursement. Each cohort is
limited to 25 participants.
Exceptional Employees
10
o During SY 2017-18, the second cohort was selected for participation. Forty-five percent
of the individuals participating in the two cohorts are people of color.
The following efforts were undertaken during SY 2017-18 to improve diversity of recruited applicants:
Expanded pipelines of diverse individuals and organizations into FCPS employment.
Created local pipelines into the profession, such as high school career pathways (Teachers for
Tomorrow) and other “Grow Your Own” models that recruit talented individuals from our
schools to a career in teaching and support them as they prepare for the profession.
In SY 2017-18, FCPS high schools utilized a school-to-career program that engaged students
with educational career aspirations. In the subsequent years, FCPS Human Resources
Department plans to expand the program by participating in Today’s Students Tomorrow’s
Teachers (TSTT) to result in a division-wide effort implemented in all high schools. TSTT is an
organization that provides mentoring and career development to support high school students
in becoming educators, especially those of color.
Early hiring of Teachers for Tomorrow Students is an opportunity for current high school
seniors enrolled in a level 1 or level 2 Teachers for Tomorrow Class to apply for a recruitment
contract with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). A recruitment contract is a commitment
from FCPS to offer a full-time teaching position upon successful completion of a teacher
preparation program that leads to teacher licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Over the past 2 years, FCPS built relationships with minority-serving institutions as the first
step to increasing the diversity of the interview pool, including Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) an Asian American and Native
American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (ANAAPISIs) from the east coast, as well as
additional recruitment sites in the Midwest. Specifically,
o FCPS used university alumni to serve as minority liaisons to recruit specific groups at
recruitment events to demonstrate that FCPS has an inclusive culture, answer pertinent
questions, and discuss the benefits of being a minority employed in the division.
o FCPS held resume workshops and conducted mock interviews to help students in
minority-serving institutions apply for jobs within FCPS.
o Conducted networking and information sessions to fill administrator positions with
diverse candidates.
o Enhanced recruitment efforts for school-based administrators by improving internal
networking.
o Conducted information sessions for both internal and external applicants to learn about
the application process and about FCPS.
FCPS staff built and maintained relationships with potential applicants they met
at an event held for future school-based administrators.
Developed new marketing materials.
Exceptional Employees
11
In SY 2017-18, FCPS rebranded their marketing materials and website to represent a diverse
employee and student population. Photos used in marketing materials, at recruitment events,
and on the website show diverse staff at all job levels and a diverse student body. The
rebranding effort provides evidence that FCPS includes many unique individuals from diverse
backgrounds at all levels of the organization.
Return on Investment
FCPS devoted $45,505 in FY18 toward strategic activities that aimed to increase diversity of
employees.
The total of $45,505 represents funds expended on the following 2 activities:
o $42,356 was spent to recruit teachers at historically minority serving institutions (Historically
Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Asian American Native
American Pacific Islanders Serving Institutions).
o $3,149 was spent to conduct networking and information sessions to fill administrator positions
with diverse candidates.
As a whole these investments were related to increases in the proportion of Black and male
hires. While the funds spent toward recruitment efforts at minority serving institutions were not
associated with a more diverse pool of qualified applicants overall in the reporting year, it may in
future years as the relationships with minority serving colleges and universities grow stronger, and
graduates see FCPS as an interested employer with a diverse student body.
The current ROI is based on the information available. In the future, more robust calculations and
judgement will be made about ROI as staff begin to intentionally align Action Plans and related
activities toward the newly approved metrics.
Data Analysis and Conclusions
In SY 2017-18, FCPS recruitment efforts did not yield a greater increase in the number of applicants
per position or more diverse pool overall. Although many of the actions described in the actions
narrative are best practice according to the literature and common practice of school districts and
organizations, the division will need to engage in expanded or additional recruiting activities to meet
its targets. Recruitment efforts are especially important in the current environment where national and
local trends reflect a teacher shortage. Regardless of the root cause, it is important for FCPS to
continue to monitor and improve efforts to yield a larger and more diverse pool of qualified applicant.
Exceptional Employees
12
Moving forward into school year 2018-19 and beyond, FCPS is implementing or making plans to
implement the following improvements targeting improved recruitment:
• Continue to expand networking and pipelines to increase the breadth of the applicant pool.
For example, FCPS’ Back2Fairfax event for FCPS graduates who want to learn more about
how to navigate the hiring process, employee resources, and tips to be a successful educator
should encourage continued interest in teaching in FCPS.
• Make use of pipelines for positions besides teaching.
• Review current recruitment processes to see where to focus enhancements.
Moving forward into school year 2018-19 and beyond, FCPS is implementing or making plans to
implement the following improvements to expand the diversity of recruited applicants:
• Employ the Teachers for Tomorrow (TSTT) program as a pipeline to ensure minority FCPS
students are aware of and involved in the school-to-career pipeline. Currently, the Teachers
for Tomorrow class is offered at five FCPS high school sites (Centerville High School,
Chantilly Academy, Edison Academy, Falls Church High School, Lake Braddock Secondary
School and Mount Vernon High School) with expansion schools slated for the 2019-20 school
year. Students interested in pursuing this opportunity complete an application packet in late
winter. This year, FCPS recruitment contracts will be awarded to students at the Teachers for
Tomorrow End of Year Ceremony held on Friday, April 5, 2019, at Lake Braddock Secondary
School.
• Get to Know HR/Building Connections. Members of the Talent Acquisition & Management
leadership team are visiting with students enrolled in the level 1 and level 2 Teachers for
Tomorrow classes. During the visit, the HR team is spending time learning more about the
students, their future career desires, and the experiences they are having during their
internships at local elementary or middle schools. Time is spent giving guidance on what
students can do now and in college to prepare to be a teacher, résumé development, and
preparing for a job interview. The team also provides information about the great benefits and
perks of being an FCPS employee.
• Strategically engage in networking efforts based on demographic data from previous
applicant pools, focusing expansions on underrepresented groups.
• Specifically reference diversity in the Division and how FCPS supports inclusion of diverse
staff (e.g., supports for career advancement, networking groups, and mentorship).
Exceptional Employees
13
Hiring
SY 2017-18 Outcomes
FCPS was successful at hiring a large percentage of teachers by July 1.
FCPS exceeded the performance target for the aspiration that all teaching positions will be
filled by July 1. Specifically, in SY 2017-18, the percent of teaching positions filled by July 1 was
97.8%, above the SY 2018-20 Target is set at 97.5%. This means that FCPS has fulfilled the
performance target for this metric two years ahead of time. FCPS will continue efforts to reach the
Aspirational Value of 100%.
Aspirational Value 100% Overall Progress
SYs 18-20 Target 97.5% Met or Exceeded
the Target SY 17-18 Performance 97.8% n=15,493
3-Year Baseline 96.3% n=15,175
Overall, FCPS did not make progress in matching the diversity of hired teachers and qualified teacher
applicants.
In SY 2017-18, FCPS hired more qualified Male and Black applicants compared to the baseline,
and the baseline was maintained for Asian and White hired teachers. A gap appeared for the
Hispanic subgroup in this reporting period, while at baseline there was none. Continued efforts will
need to be made to meet the 2018-20 Targets for each of the ethnic and gender groups.
Exceptional Employees
14
3 Note: The total percent across the four ethnic groups will not sum to 100% because some applicants and hires either did not
disclose their race/ethnicity or provided responses that fell outside the four groups reported on here. . Baseline data for the qualified applicants showed that 4% (n=282) did not disclose their race and 4% (n=285) reported races that fell outside of the four groups reported. For SY 2017-18, the data were 4% (n=254) and 5% (n=287), respectively. Baseline data for the hired teachers showed that 4% (n=75) of the hired teachers reported races that fell outside of the four groups. For 2017-18, the data for hired teachers showed that 4% (n=74) reported races that fell outside the four groups.
Baseline Diversity 2017-18 Diversity3 Overall
Performance Asian Equally represented (100%)
7% hires (n=127) and 7% applicants (n=481)
Equally represented (100%)
7% hires (n=137) and 7% applicants (n=434)
No Progress
During this
Reporting
Period
Black Underrepresented (67%)
8% hires (n=150) and 12% applicants
(n=789)
Underrepresented (75%)
9% hires (n=161) and 12% applicants
(n=744)
Hispanic Equally represented (100%)
6% hires (n=115) and 6% applicants (n=389)
Underrepresented (86%)
6% hires (n=109) and 7% applicants (n=394)
White Overrepresented (114%)
75% hires (n=1,471) and 66% applicants
(n=4,323)
Overrepresented (114%)
74% hires (n=1,392) and 66% applicants
(n=3,917)
Male Underrepresented (63%)
15% hires (n=297) and 24% applicants
(n=1,599)
Underrepresented (74%)
17% hires (n=321) and 23% applicants
(n=1,402)
Female Overrepresented (113%)
85% hires (n=1,640) and 75% applicants
(n=4,910)
Overrepresented (109%)
83% hires (n=1,552) and 76% applicants
(n=4,545)
SY 2017-18 Actions
FCPS undertook the following actions during SY 2017-18 to improve hiring and the diversity of hired
staff.
Adjusted hiring timeline
Hiring earlier for specific school vacancies.
Hiring for the 2018-19 school year began in February 2018. Schools were able to begin hiring
candidates directly earlier than ever before, on March 14, 2018.
Exceptional Employees
15
Looking ahead, hiring for the 2019/-20 school year kicked off in February 2019. Schools were
able to begin hiring for known vacancies starting February 4, 2019.
Improved applicant pool processes
Implemented new procedures for Brass Ring, the applicant tracking system.
Added functionality to the applicant tracking system to allow principals to easily search for
qualified applicants and ensured all applicants had an equal chance of being reviewed for a
position.
Implemented new principal hiring pool system.
Created a pool of principal interview candidates for the Region Assistant Superintendents
(RAS) to interview for open positions. The process for placing an applicant into the principal
pool is highly structured and involves HR sign-off on the candidates. As such, HR has the
opportunity to review how equitable the process is and how diverse the candidates are before
they complete the final series of interviews that lead to placing a candidate in the principal
pool. Although this process allows for more HR monitoring, it still relies on recruitment efforts
to bring diverse candidates to the pool.
Improved interview procedures
HR developed guidance that was shared with principals and assistant principals to enhance
consistency across school in the teacher hiring process. Schools are guided to interview a
minimum of three qualified applicants from the pool (with exceptions for hard to staff positions
with few applicants in the pool) and to include a minority person on the interview panel.
Return on Investment
The $165,192 spent by FCPS in FY18 to improve diversity of hired staff was not associated
with an increase in the diversity of the Division’s hires.
The total of $165,192 represents funds expended on the following activities:
o $120,775 was spent toward improving the applicant tracking system (Brass Ring) functionality
and training administrators on teacher hiring practices to increase equity in candidate selection
and hiring.
o $44,417 was spent toward implementing a new principal hiring pool system designed to
increase equity in hiring.
Data Analysis and Conclusions
In SY 2017-18, FCPS engaged in early hiring and was able to meet the SY 2018-20 performance
target for the percent of teachers hired by July 1. Additionally, the diversity of the Black teacher hires
Exceptional Employees
16
more closely matched the diversity of the qualified applicant pool. Thus, the efforts in SY 2017-18
described in the Actions narrative were fruitful. In particular, the focus on strengthening partnerships
with minority serving institutions, like Howard University, and holding resume writing workshops have
been successful. These efforts, paired with principals training on equitable hiring practices, have
resulted in hiring more minority and male applicants. In subsequent years, FCPS will continue to
focus on both general hiring efforts as well as those to expand diversity in FCPS hires.
Moving forward into school year 2018-19 and beyond, FCPS is implementing or making plans to
implement the following improvements to its overall hiring processes:
• Put structures in place to monitor implementation for the revised principal and teacher hiring
processes with the intent to engage in cycles of continuous improvement.
In school year 2018-19 and beyond, FCPS will focus on the following improvements to increase the
diversity of its hires and achieve its targets in this area:
Mandate that all school-based hiring managers complete the new training on teacher hiring.
Review the cultural proficiency professional development offered by the county to see if it
addresses bias in the hiring process. If not, either develop an additional module or a separate
training to address it.
Put structures in place to monitor the percent of diverse applicants selected for interviews and
the percent of diverse applicants hired.
Retention
SY 2017-18 Outcomes
In SY 2017-18, FCPS retained teachers, administrators, and support personnel at levels exceeding
its aspiration.
In SY 2017-18, 93% of teachers, 96% of administrators, and 95% of support personnel were
retained in FCPS, exceeding the performance target approximately two years ahead of schedule.
Retention was defined as the percentages of employees who were not terminated; therefore, this
percentage does not reflect employees who retired or transferred locations.
Exceptional Employees
17
Teachers Administrators Operational Overall
Performance
Aspirational Value At or above 85% At or above 85% At or above 85%
Met or
Exceeded
Target
SYs 18-20 Target At or above 85% At or above 85% At or above 85%
SY 17-18 Performance 93%; n= 14,210 96%; n=646 95%; n=10,963
3-Year Baseline 93%; n=13,911 95%; n=636 95%; n=10,741
SY 2017-18 Actions
FCPS engaged in the following activites in support of staff retention during SY 2017-18:
Increased support for staff
Virginia Pre-School Program-Provisionally Licensed Teacher Incentive Program (Grant)
o To support high quality instruction in VPI classrooms, the Virginia General Assembly
has dedicated funding to supporting VPI teachers to become fully licensed. Through a
competitive grant process, FCPS was awarded $24,571 “to offer financial incentives to
provisionally licensed teachers who are actively engaged in coursework with the goal of
becoming fully licensed to teach young learners.”
Continue to improve our high-quality induction and onboarding programs to assist in the
transition to the profession.
Identified areas for career advancement opportunities that provide increased compensation,
responsibility, and recognition.
Exceptional Employees
18
Future Considerations
Budget
Provide resources for greater external recruitment efforts to ensure that FCPS recruits the
best and the brightest.
Fund the partnership with the Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers in FCPS’ most diverse
schools.
Fund FCPS’ Back2Fairfax program.
Policy
No policy considerations at this time related to the Exceptional Employees outcome.
Strategic Concerns
No strategic concerns at this time related to the Exceptional Employees outcome.
Expanded continuous improvement practices
Built a system to monitor and address teacher turnover.
Collaborated with our teacher associations to problem-solve and strategize ideas for improving
working conditions and the overall employment experience.
Return on Investment (ROI)
No ROI information available is available on retention activities for this reporting period.
Data Analysis and Conclusions
The actions taken in SY 2017-18 yielded retention of FCPS employees, beyond the national average
of 85 percent. Thus, FCPS plans to continue the actions laid out in the actions narrative to retain
employees generally but will add the following actions to ensure retention of our diverse employees.
In school year 2018-19 and beyond, FCPS will focus on the following improvements to ensure it
retains a diverse staff:
Provide the Superintendent with annual reviews of practices and supports for inclusion and
diversity across the Division using an assessment such as the one described in this report.
Include data on the diversity in recruitment and hiring in the Division’s upcoming equity
scorecard.
Market-Competitive Compensation
19
Overview
What FCPS will offer market-competitive compensation packages.
How Increase competitiveness of salaries for all employees.
SY 2017-18 Performance
Aspiration: FCPS will maintain all pay scales within 95 to 105 percent of market pay.
Metric:
Percent of pay scales within 95 to 105 percent of market pay
Progressed
Toward Target
Market-Competitive Compensation
20
Detail
SY 2017-18 Outcomes
In school year (SY) 2017-18, 29 percent of the pay scales (2 of 7) in the initial compensation
study were within 95 to 105 percent of the market pay. This means that FCPS is making progress
toward its desired outcome to offer market-competitive compensation packages. FCPS has already
adopted FY 2019 salary enhancements that bring more of the scales in alignment with the market.
With the adoption of FY2020 enhancements in the proposed budget, FCPS should have all scales
fully aligned to the market.
Overall Performance
Aspirational Value 100%
Progressed Toward
Target
SYs 18-20 Target 100%
SY 17-18 Performance 29% (2 out of 7)
3-Year Baseline N/A
SY 2017-18 Actions
History
Beginning in 2015, FCPS initiated a compensation study with the goal of developing salary scales to
provide market competitive salaries and help attract and retain employees. This work was a key
piece to achieving a premier workforce.
29%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
FY 2020 Proposedbudget
SY 2017-18performance
Market-Competitive Compensation
21
In the first phase of the compensation study, a marketplace compensation comparison was
completed. A comprehensive survey was created and distributed to benchmark the total
compensation of teachers, instructional assistants, and a sampling of Unified Scale positions against
local school districts, local governments, the federal government, and private sector. The
benchmarked positions within the survey were selected to represent all levels of responsibility and
included positions that could be matched in both school and non-school environments. Findings
related to teacher compensation were presented to the School Board in December 2015, with market
findings for Instructional Assistants, School-based Administrators, and Unified Scale staff presented
in February 2016.
In the second phase of the project, various compensation approaches were explored, evaluated, and
vetted for strategic compensation model design. In early spring 2016, employees were surveyed to
gather opinions and preferences regarding compensation program options. The employee survey
was followed by focus groups with representatives from various employee groups and other relevant
stakeholders to discuss the employee survey findings and gather additional information regarding the
priorities of employees. A report summarizing employee feedback from the survey and focus groups
was presented to the Board in March of 2016. The report recommended that to stay market
competitive the Division must make adjustments to its salary scales, especially at the beginning steps
where salaries were most notably below market among many employee groups.
In July 2016, Teacher and School-based Administrator Pay Scale recommendations were presented
to the School Board and summarized in the 2016 – 2017 Goal 3 report. In December 2016,
recommendations were made for a new Classroom Instructional Support scale to provide pay lanes
for Public Health Attendants, Public Health Training Assistants and Instructional Assistants. In April
2017, proposed modifications to the Unified Scale were introduced. The proposed changes included
deconstructing the single unified scale into four separate schedules to better align compensation to
the market, providing employees more appropriate salary structures.
Investments into the teacher scale began in FY 2017, with a $40 million infusion into the 2017 scale.
In FY 2018, following the adoption of the new teacher scale structure, the Board approved a $26.6
million investment to implement that structure. Along with the new teacher scale, the FY 2018
Approved Budget included $2.0 million to implement the new Classroom Instructional Support pay
scale for instructional assistants, public health attendants and public health training assistants and a
new Schedule H for food service workers and bus drivers and attendants. With this expenditure, both
of these scales were brought into the range of being within 95 to 105 percent of market.
Implementation of the remaining scales, which included the Unified Scale – Schedules A, B and C,
as well as the School Based Administrator scale was scheduled for FY 2019. Recommendations for
the structure of those scales was shared with the Board in April 2018.
SY 2017-18 Activities
Below is a list of the high-level actions and related activities conducted by staff during SY 2017-18 to
make progress toward the Market Competitive Compensation outcome. All actions focused around
enhancing FCPS’ compensation packages to maintain market competitiveness.
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Provided market scale adjustments and salary enhancements to the following staff:
o Teacher Scale – The FY 2018 Approved Budget included $26.6 million as part of the
multi-year investment to implement the recommended future teacher scale.
o Classroom Instructional Support Scale – The FY 2018 Approved Budget included $2.0
million to implement the new Classroom Instructional Support pay scale for instructional
assistants, public health attendants and public health training assistants and a new
Schedule H for food service workers and bus drivers and attendants.
o Unified Scale - Schedule H - The FY 2018 Approved Budget included $2.0 million to
implement the new Classroom Instructional Support pay scale for instructional
assistants, public health attendants and public health training assistants and a new
Schedule H for food service workers and bus drivers and attendants.
o FY 2018 Budget included $44.0 million for an average step increase of 2.5 percent for
all eligible employees.
Undertook a study of the Superintendent’s Leadership Team to summarize, analyze, and
propose opportunites for change in FY20.
Convened BA Lanes Workgroup
o The 2016 redesign of teacher salary scales resulted in lost earning potential for
teachers on the top of the Bachelor’s lanes. The BA Lanes workgroup, comprising
teacher association representatives and central office staff, worked collaboratively to
review the market, scale structure, and impact over time, and to propose adjustments
that were fiscally appropriate and accurately reflected market conditions. Throughout
SY2017-18 and continuing in the fall of 2018, the BA Lanes Workgroup took the
following actions to ensure an equitable solution.
Established assumptions for future market scale adjustments and market
conditions;
Extrapolated past FY17 scale and current scale to examine examples of step
progression and salary growth for employees;
Identified options and cost;
Presented cost for options and recommendation to Cabinet, Leadership Team,
and School Board Work Session (Summer 2018);
Engaged in follow-up discussions and revised scales per recommendations from
School Board (Summer 2018).
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Return on Investment (ROI)
FCPS devoted $29 million in total for salary enhancements in FY18 to achieve pay scales comparable to the local market for two of FCPS’ seven pay scales in the initial compensation study.
The total of $29 million represents the following initiatives:
Teacher salary enhancements: average cost per employee of $1,930 (13,781 employees).
Classroom Instructional Support (CIS) and Schedule H employees: average cost per
employee of $567 (3,530 employees).
The infusion of enhancements into the CIS and Schedule H employee scales resulted in two of seven
pay scales in the initial compensation study being comparable to the local market. The infusion of
enhancements into the teacher scale represented the first phase of planned infusions to bring that
scale fully into line with the market. This demonstrates that FCPS had made incremental progress by
the end of FY18 toward meeting market pay for all employees. The remaining five pay scales
(teachers, school-based administrators, and Schedules A, B, and C) were largely brought in line with
market during FY19, with the final infusion in the FY20 budget. Moving forward, to develop a fuller
understanding of the effects of paying staff at or above market, future ROI analyses may consider
whether the investment required to keep salaries at market contribute to FCPS meeting its other
Premier Workforce outcomes of recruiting more and more diverse applicants, as well as hiring and
retaining quality employees.
Data Analysis and Conclusions
The actions laid out in the actions narrative in SY 2017-18 led to market competitive compensation
for two of seven pay scales, allowing FCPS to make progress toward meeting its goal. FCPS is on
target to meet its goal with the implementation of the salary enhancements for the remaining scales
(Unified Scale – Schedules A, B and C, and the School Based Administrators) during FY19 and
completion of the teacher scale enhancements for FY20. The move from cost of living adjustments
to market scale adjustments that was undertaken starting in SY 2017-18 should allow FCPS to
maintain its competitiveness in a tightening recruitment and hiring environment.
Future Considerations
Budget
The School Board will need to continue to allocate sufficient resources in future years to
ensure all pay scales remain market competitive, including those that are part of the FY20
budget.
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Strategic Concerns
The School Board should consider a review of FCPS’ definition of market competitiveness as
95 to 105 percent of the market.
Should the School Board maintain the current approach that defines market competitiveness
at 95 to 105 percent of market, consider removing the Market Competitive Compensation
outcome as a strategic outcome since it will have been achieved. The current metric used for
Market Competitive Compensation could then be included in the Exceptional Employees
outcome so that FCPS can continue to monitor maintenance of market competitive pay scales.