Teacher Evaluation in CT

SCSU EDU 200 Professor M. Bless

19th Century Blog

• How should teachers be evaluated?

Rules for Teachers, Circa 1900

• You will not marry during the term of your contract.

• You are not to keep company with men.

• You must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless at a school function.

• You may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have permission from the chairman of the school board.

• You may not ride in carriages or automobiles with any man except your father or brother.

• You may not smoke cigarettes or dress in bright colors.

• You may under no circumstances dye your hair.

• Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes or two evenings a week if they attend church regularly.

• To keep the classroom neat and clean you must sweep the floor once a day, scrub the floor with hot soapy water once a week, clean the blackboards once a day and start the fire at 7 AM to have the school warm by 8 AM when the scholars arrive.

“Teacher quality maters… a great deal. If we are

committed to the premise,

then we must be committed

to populating our schools with the highest quality

teacher possible.” Stronge et al. (2006)

“The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.” Barber & Mourshed (2007)

“Of all the factors within our

control in the educational

enterprise, teacher quality

matters most.”Stronge

(2010)

Challenges with Current Practices

• Varied effectiveness of evaluation instruments

• Evaluations are based on a fraction of teaching time

• Instruction during observation may not reflect typical classroom practice

• Inadequate administrator training for observation look-fors and how to give effective feedback

• Administrators do not always feel comfortable addressing poor or mediocre teaching

• The process can sometimes shut down adult learning

Source: Marshall (2009) & Stronge (2010)

Challenges with Current Practices:

The Widget Effect“... evaluators in all districts still rate the majority of teachers in the top category, rather than assigning the top rating to only those teachers who actually outperform the majority of their peers.”

Weisberg, Sexton, Mulhern, & Keeling (2009)

69%

25%

6%0.40%

Superior

Excellent

Satisfactory

Unsatisfac-tory

The Widget Effect

Weisberg, Sexton, Mulhern, & Keeling (2009)

Chicago Public Schools Teacher Ratings 03-07

8.00%

0.70%Average per-cent of tenured teachers identi-fied as poor performers by other teachers

Actual percent of tenured teachers receiv-ing an Unsatis-factory rating

Chicago Public Schools 03-07

Observation-Only Measures:

• Offer a limited, often artificial view of teacher effectiveness

• Assess classroom, but not other responsibilities

• Focus on teaching processes, but not products

• Are an inspection approach to evaluation

• Have limited validity based on the skill of the observer(s)

Source: Stronge & Tucker (2005)

The Way It Should Be

• Principals and teachers have shared understanding of what good teaching looks like

• Principals get into classrooms frequently and see typical instruction

• Principals provide meaningful feedback on effective practices and improvement opportunities

• Teachers understand, accept and use the feedback to improve instruction

Source: Marshall (2009)

The Way It Should Be: Multiple Measures

• Produce a richer textured & more complete portrait of performance

• Collect data in more naturally occurring situations

• Integrate primary & secondary data sources in the evaluation

• Assure greater reliability in documenting performance

• Enhance objectivity in documenting performance

• Document performance that is more closely related to actual work

• Offer a more legally defensible basis for evaluation

Essential Message #1

• If our teacher evaluation systems include the multiple inputs that we know generate teacher growth, then, we will have a system that, over time, will ensure teacher’s professional growth and improved student outcomes.

Essential Message #2

• If our teacher evaluation systems are designed to provide opportunities for teachers to learn and grow instead of focusing on removal of poor performing teachers, then, we will have a system that, over time, will ensure improved teacher performance and improved student outcomes.

Effects of Support and Challenge on Teacher

DevelopmentRetreat Growth

Status Quo Confirmation

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Barber, 2003Mckinsey Global Ed Practice

Teacher Evaluation in CT

• Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC)

• Group of CT Stakeholder Groups who have been meeting since September of 2010 on the development of SDE Guidelines for Teacher and Principal Evaluation

• Established and released guidelines (two pager) in January of 2012

• Released full guidelines in June of 2012

www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/.../adopted_peac_guidelines.pdf

The SDE/PEAC Guidelines

• 45/40/15• 45 % is based on multiple student learning measures• 22.5% state test (CMT/CAPT), if applicable - ? If not – Student

Learning Goal• 22.5% other student learning measures (district/school

administrators and teacher collaboratively decide)• Standardized test

• Portfolio

• SLO

• 40 % is based on observation of teacher performance and practice

• 10 % is based on peer or parent feedback surveys• 5 % is based on whole-school student learning indicators or

student feedback

The SDE/PEAC Guidelines

45% + 5%

40% +

10%

Outcomes Rating Practice Rating

Overall Rating

Language for state reporting of overall rating: Exemplary, Proficient, Developing, Below Standard

Student Feedback

ParentFeedback

Student Learning

Objectives The 45%

SDE/PEAC Guidelines for 45%

• 45 % is based on multiple student learning measures• 22.5% Student Learning Objective (SLO)

for state tests, if applicable; if not an alternate SLO/IAGD (Indicator of Academic Growth & Development)• 22.5% other student learning measures

(district/school; administrator and teacher collaboratively decide) SLO/IAGD

Sample SLO for Grade 8 Science

• My students will master concepts of science inquiry.

Sample IAGD for Grade 8 Science

• 78% of my students will attain at least a 4 on the state assessment section concerning science inquiry.

Observation of PracticeThe

40%

40 % - Observation of Teacher Performance and Practice

40 % is based on observation of teacher performance and practice

How Many Observations?

Years 1 & 2 Teachers

• 3 formal (minimum of 30 min)• 1 announced with pre-

conference

• 2 unannounced

• All 3 have post conferences & written feedback

• 1 informal (minimum of 10 min) unannounced• Verbal and/or written

feedback

Years 3 & 4+ Teachers

• 1 formal (minimum of 30 min) announced• Verbal & written

feedback

• 2 unannounced informal (minimum of 10 min)• Verbal and/or written

feedback

What do we mean by “observation”?

40 % - Observation of Teacher Performance and Practice

Classroom & Professional Practice Observations

• Informal Classroom Observation

• Formal Classroom Observation

• Observation of Professional Conversation (e.g., Collegial PLC or data team conversations, presentations, mentoring, Parent Conferences,)

Self-Evaluations

Portfolio/Document Review

Parent Feedback

10%

Student Feedbac

k

5%

Stakeholder Feedback

“… the use of client surveys as part of a comprehensive teacher evaluation system can provide administrators and teachers with better feedback and assessment information both for personal and professional improvement and for ensuring accountability in performance.”

~Stronge, 2006

Stakeholder Feedback

Reliability of Students’ Ratings

Peterson (2000), in a review of research studies, found that student ratings of teachers tend to be consistent among students and reliable from one year to the next.

Goal Setting for the 10% & 5%

• Leadership team and staff set school-wide goal(s) based on survey results

• Teacher articulates an action plan to support the school-wide goal

• Teacher gets measured on the extent to which the action plan was carried out

Example

• Area of Focus for School-wide Goal:• Increasing communication with parents regarding student progress.

• Objectives:• I will post grades to the online grade book weekly.• I will personally contact parents of students with low grades two weeks before progress reports. • My team will create a monthly newsletter highlighting student work as well as information regarding upcoming curriculum.

Role-Play Prep

• Assume your given role• Parent• Teacher• Administrator• Student• BOE Members

• Brainstorm a list of pros & cons for the CT TEVAL model from your role’s perspective

• Decide who will plead your case to a Board of Education