getting the most out of teacher evaluation€¦ · michael fullan’s wisdom ... sawyer educational...

Getting the Most Out of Teacher Evaluation:

Lynn Sawyer [email protected]

Essential Elements for Fostering Self-Directed, Highly Performing,

Professionally Satisfied Teachers

Today’s Outcomes !   Examine essential steps and components in high-

quality evaluation systems !   Awareness of organization’s place in the process

toward a transformational, scalable, and sustainable system, transcending time and leadership changes

!   Understand how the evaluation process has system-wide influence on selection/hiring practices, guiding professional development planning, providing better feedback promoting growth, or identifying poorly performing teachers for intensive assistance or career change counseling

!   Explore the “moral imperative” for simple, transparent, authentic evaluation

Sawyer Educational Consulting 2014

Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson

Purposes of Teacher Evaluation

•  Quality Assurance •  Professional Learning


Essentials for High-quality Evaluation Systems

!   Clearly articulated and well understood standards with associated performance scales, research based and validated;

!   High levels of supervisor observation and analysis skills to support the framing of consistent evidence-based judgments; and

!   Both formative and summative learning-focused conferences aimed at teacher development, not remediation.


More Essentials for High-quality Evaluation Systems

!   High agreement among stakeholders !   Transparency of all aspects—everyone

knows what everyone knows about the processes, documents, procedures

!   “Systemic infiltration,” all voices heard,

fingerprints invited and valued



Issues or “tensions” !   Need to retain teachers vs. confront mediocre

teaching !   High turnover, teachers are not lining up to fill

tough teaching assignments !   Evaluation systems that are unwieldy and

complicated, but do not deliver on their promise

!   Both novice and experienced teachers struggle with increase in high-stakes issues related to their professional practice

Unpromising Practices !   Transferring problems !   Enabling mediocrity through work

assignments !   Basing feedback on sparse or non-existent

data (cardiac assessment: “I know it in my heart”)

!   Assigning inappropriate weight to non-instructional contributions

!   Allowing mixed messages or inflated performance ratings


Michael Fullan’s Wisdom

Fullan describes what happens when we create complicated, unmanageable evaluation systems as a kind of conspiracy of lies, having conversations as a polite, professional way of going through the motions. From The Moral Imperative Realized



“Change really isn’t as hard as we thought if we capture people’s interest and give them

enjoyable, worthwhile experiences.” “We are learning more about large-scale change,

making it less complicated by focusing on a small number of ambitious goals with a coherent strategy that attends in concert to half a dozen or

so key factors: intrinsic motivation, capacity building, transparency of results and practice,

leadership at all levels, and a positive but assertive stance on progress…I call this

“simplexity”–a small number of key factors that must be made to gel with large groups of

people.” Michael Fullan


Flawed operating assumptions regarding supervision

!   That telling a teacher what we think of their teaching will change it

!   That NOT telling them what we think will change it

!   That telling them what to do will cause it to happen

!   That “drive-bys” and one, or few, conversations will work

!   That our superstars don’t need real feedback

Fears about costs vs. benefits !   Might fracture relationships and endanger

collegiality !   May lose longtime social and professional

friendships !   Interupts good will and credibility with school

and staff !   Disruption of school climate, add emotional

pain and inevitable conflict !   Fear of not having the skills or backing to get

job done Sawyer Educational Consulting 2014

Slow to change… C = D x V x F > R

Change = Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps > Resistance Change is a process of complex cognitive transformations, which involves internal discrediting of existing schemas, and takes persistent, conscious effort. Sustained change involves beliefs, attitudes, theories, and practice.


Carousel Interview !   Number off 1-6 !   Write a response to the question that corresponds to your

number !   Interview your partners and record their answers on your

question sheet

!   Round 1: Partners 1-2 / Partners 3-4/ Partners 5-6 !   Round 2: Partners 1-3 / Partners 2-5/ Partners 4-6 !   Round 3: Partners 1-4 / Partners 2-6/ Partners 3-5 !   Round 4: Partners 1-5 / Partners 2-4/ Partners 3-6 !   Round 5: Partners 1-6 / Partners 2-3 /Partners 4-5


Carousel Interview !   Join like-number question groups (all number

1’s, 2’s, etc.)

!   Review responses and identify themes, patterns, significant ideas

!   Record on charts. Be ready to share with full group


Self-directed, highly performing, professionally satisfied teachers

!   Self-monitoring !   Self-managing !   Self-modifying


Self-‐Monitoring Persons n  Have capacity to monitor their own work n  Think about their own thinking, behaviors, biases,

beliefs n  Have sufficient self-knowledge to know what works

for them n  Establish conscious metacognitive strategies to

monitor effectiveness of own plans n  Persevere in generating alternative action plans n  Know how and where to turn when perplexed n  Listen to others with understanding and empathy


Having sufficient self-knowledge about what works, establishing conscious metacognitive strategies to alert the

perceptions for in-the-moment indicators of whether the strategic plan is working or not,

and to assist in the decision-making processes of altering the plan and choosing

the right actions and strategies.

Sawyer Educa7onal Consul7ng 2014

Self-‐monitoring


Self-‐monitoring

Knowing the significance of and being inclined to approach tasks with clarity of

outcomes, a strategic plan, and necessary data, and drawing from past experience,

anticipating success indicators, and creating alternatives for accomplishment.


Self-‐managing

Self-‐Managing Persons

n Control first impulse for action n Delay premature conclusions n Clarify outcomes and gather relevant

data n Think flexibly, develop alternative

strategies n Draw on past knowledge and apply to

new situations



Self-‐managing

Reflecting on, evaluating, analyzing, and constructing meaning from experience and making a commitment to apply the learning to future activities, tasks, and challenges.


Self-‐modifying

Self-‐Modifying Persons n Can change self n Reflect on experience and evaluate,

analyze, and construct meaning n Readily admit they have more to learn n Apply what’s learned to future activities,

tasks, and challenges n Communicate their conclusions with

clarity, precision, and prudence n Are curious, motivated, and open to

continuous learning Sawyer Educational Consulting 2014


Self-‐modifying

• Conscious of Unconscious Competence

• Unconscious Competence

• Conscious Competence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Unconscious Incompetence

Levels of Competence Sawyer Educational Consulting 2014

Eye Contact Partners

Share your thinking.

Be ready to share

your partner’s thinking with

the group.

Join an ‘eyeball’ partner

Table dialogue

What are some ways that learning-focused conversations empower teachers to be self-directed? What skills sets must supervisors and teachers develop to work together this way?



Designing the Evaluation Process – !   Step 1 – Determine Process for Decisions and Key

Participants !   Step 2 –Determine the Evaluative Criteria, clearly

articulated and well understood standards with associated performance scales—the “what”

!   Step 3 – Define the Protocols, Procedures, and Instruments for collecting and providing evidence of teaching—the “how”

!   Step 4 – Create high levels of supervisor observation and analysis skills to support the framing of consistent evidence-based judgments

Designing the Evaluation Process

!   Step 5 – Determine and communicate the plan for Implementation

!   Step 6 – Design the Training Program for Evaluators who can make consistent judgments based on evidence

!   Step 7 – Professional development for teachers to understand the evaluative criteria, and build skill

!   Step 8 – Articulate the protocols for planning and reflecting conferences, differentiation formats, delivery of feedback and final reporting


Questions to Ask and Answer !   What is it that good teachers do? How

is that the same or different in different contexts?

All other parts of the system rest on the successful completion of this step—agreement about what constitutes good practice, and what evidence will confirm it.


Questions to Ask and Answer !   What are all the outcomes we want to get

from this process? !   Will we pilot the program or launch district

wide? !   How many teaching standards will be looked

at each evaluation cycle (who needs close attention each year, and who doesn’t?

!   Number/type of observations needed for meaningful evaluations?


Questions to Ask and Answer !   How can we think outside the box, AND at the

same time, not reinvent for reinvention’s sake?

!   What do we count as evidence for each of the teaching standards?

!   How would we describe “meaningful and manageable” for OUR school/district?

!   How good is “good enough”?


Q’s to ponder re: Differentiated Supervision

!   What are all the aspects of our system of differentiation for Novice, Competent Professional, and Intensive Support?

!   Membership? !   Triggers for

entering/exiting !   Who controls goals? !   What supports need

to be in place for each?


What about the schedule of events?

!   What is the “cycle”? !   Who needs attention every year? Who

doesn’t? !   During an “off” year, what does the

teacher need? What could fulfill the letter of the law?

!   ???????


“I have never seen spontaneous recovery from incompetence.”

Susan Scott,

Fierce Conversations


Inspect what you expect, Expect what you inspect.

Maria Mangus


The Wisdom of Colleagues As colleagues share their experiences of success, trial, and error, compare your own insights and struggles. Listen for “pearls” that may help you to avoid pitfalls, or accelerate your progress.


Case Studies/Colleagues Share…

!   1. As you worked to restructure your teacher evaluation process, what things were you aware of in the existing protocol that were not working, were not efficient, or that your staff was generally dissatisfied with?

!   2. Were there any events that led to the

decision to re-tool or to create an all-new system?



3. What are some specific goals/outcomes your district/school had in mind as outcomes of an effective system (examples: to provide better feedback promoting growth, to identify poor performing teachers for remediation or removal, to inform the selection/hiring process, to guide professional development planning)? 4. What did you learn the hard way, and what pearls of wisdom/advice would you give? (DO THIS, but DON'T do that.) 5. What initial training did you do, and what PD is ongoing?


Yes, the unions!

!   Involve the Teachers’ Associations early, late, and often

!   Find common ground about the universally sound teaching practices, ex: get kids’ attention before you start teaching them…

Nothing happening…

“It is possible to have a smoothly functioning, lively classroom where all the students appear happily occupied with worthwhile tasks and yet no mental acts conducive to learning are taking place.” Graham Nuthall, 2005



The Two Presumptions

!   The presumption of competence

!   The presumption of continuing learning


Experienced Teacher System

!   Multi-year cycle

!   Comprehensive evaluation - every 2-4 years

!   Self-directed professional inquiry in the “other” years


Recommended Artifacts for Experienced Teachers

!   Unit plan, including student assessment !   Instructional artifact or assignment from the unit !   Samples of student work, with teacher comments !   Commentary !   Examples of record-keeping !   Examples of communication with families !   Evidence of contributions to school, profession !   Evidence of professional growth !   Evidence of student learning


Experienced Teacher Procedures (Self-directed Professional Inquiry)

!   Conduct self-assessment !   Set a professional goal, with evaluator, reflecting

own learning and application to practice !   Prepare a professional growth plan !   Work on plan, in study groups if possible !   Participate in interim conference with evaluator !   Participate in reflection/closure conference with

evaluator !   Share findings with colleagues

Feedback we give Ms. Jones greeted her students in a friendly way when they

entered the classroom. She cares about her students and her classroom is pleasant. Things are organized and students are kept on task, completing activities. Her students are not disruptive, and work diligently on their assignments, asking few questions. During the observation, students were enthusiastic about the project, and were able to finish on time.

The room is colorful and includes many displays of the student work. Ms. Jones frequently organizes social events for the faculty, and is an asset to the school.


Feedback she didn’t get •  Curriculum goals are not tied to specific content standards, and

plans are organized around activities rather than student learning outcomes

•  No context for the lesson was set, and prior knowledge about the topic was not surfaced. Students did not have awareness of what they were to learn, or how they would demonstrate it.

•  The level of thinking asked for by the teacher was basic recall, and did not extend to higher tasks such as analyzing, comparing/contrasting, evaluating.

•  Teacher asked questions of one student at a time, and other students were passive.


FIRST TURN/ LAST TURN Read individually. Highlight 4-6 items. • In turn – share one of your items – but do not

comment on it. -- The First Turn • Group members comment in round-robin order

about the item (with no cross-talk). • The initial person who names the item then

shares his or her thinking about the item and gets – The Last Turn. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

• Repeat the pattern around the table.



The Evaluation System

● Track 1: Probationary or non-tenured

teachers ● Track 2: Experienced teachers, with

continuing status ● Track 3: Experienced teachers encountering

difficulty



Track 1: Novice Teacher

To support the beginning teacher/practitioner in learning and achieving the performance standards of the profession and the District.



Track 2: Experienced Teacher

Experienced teachers who are competent and continuously refining their teaching expertise.



Track 2: Experienced Teacher Evaluation

!   Designed as a professional model

!   Teachers demonstrate their skill in all the evaluative criteria


Track 3: Experienced Teachers: Intensive Assistance

!   Signifies performance below standard: a “heads up”

!   Must determine what “triggers” in and out

!   Flexible duration

!   Designed for support and assistance

!   Customized to the situation !   Three phases: awareness, assistance,

disciplinary

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getting the most out of teacher evaluation€¦ · michael fullan’s wisdom ... sawyer educational...

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