The State Consortium on Educator Effectiveness (SCEE) has unveiled a new teacher evaluation database called State Policies on Teacher Evaluation 2010-2011. The database includes state-by-state information on teacher evaluation policies for all states plus DC. The purpose of the database is to provide information on how states have addressed teacher effectiveness in a time when Read more about State Policy Database on Teacher Evaluation[…]
A new working paper by C. Kirabo Jackson, Assistant Professor at Northwestern, takes a closer look at value-added measures and their application to high school teachers. Jackson notes that there is ample research at the elementary level detailing the importance of individual teachers on student outcomes in reading and math, but there isn’t much supporting Read more about Do High School Teachers Matter?[…]
In a new chapter of the issues plaguing Tennessee’s teacher evaluation system, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has announced its plans for a statewide feedback process on the system (background information). The process is designed to gather input from all stakeholders, but particularly educators, and is a response to Gov. Bill Haslam’s request Read more about SCORE Announces Statewide Feedback Process[…]
The Center for American Progress (CAP) has released a report that analyzes how states can use the results of their teacher evaluation systems in a meaningful way. In other words, “what kinds of strategies should they adopt to increase the amount of measured effectiveness in the teacher workforce over time?” In October 2011, the National Read more about Movin’ It and Improvin’ It[…]
Earlier this month, the Gates Foundation released its most recent report on the MET Project (Measures of Effective Teaching). The report focuses on the second set of preliminary findings, particularly on classroom observations. Five instruments for classroom observations are studied: the Framework for Teaching (FFT), developed by the Danielson Group; Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), Read more about Gathering Feedback for Teaching[…]
The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center), established in 2005 as a joint venture between the American Institutes for Research and its partners, ETS, Vanderbilt University, and the US Department of Education provide a central “collection point” for teacher quality content and resources. Of particular interest among their resources are the State Database Read more about TQ Center Provides Online, Interactive Teacher Evaluation Resources[…]
In the new era of teacher evaluation reform, policymakers at all levels have instituted unprecedented changes in teacher evaluation with the goal of improving student outcomes. Though research has shown that many teachers do embrace adopting meaningful evaluation systems, their voices have remained largely unheard at the evaluation reform discussion table. Enter Everyone at the Read more about Everyone at the Table[…]
A report on a study of Chicago’s Pilot Teacher evaluation system was released last month by the Consortium on Chicago School Research. In 2008, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) launched the Excellence in Teaching Pilot (ETP), aimed at revamping the teacher evaluation system. The pilot was motivated by two factors: the current evaluation system had no Read more about Rethinking Teacher Evaluation: Chicago’s Experiment[…]
John Tyler of the Center for American Progress released a report last month focused on the challenges of developing evaluation systems for high school teachers, and possible solutions. Tyler believes that special attention should be paid to high school educators for three reasons: 1) high school student performance lags behind performance of students with similar Read more about Designing High Quality Evaluation Systems for High School Teachers[…]
When Tennessee was one of the first winners named in the federal Race to the Top competition, Secretary Arne Duncan praised the state’s officials for having “the courage, capacity and commitment to turn their ideas into practice that can improve outcomes for students.” Now, it appears that commendation was premature. The new teacher evaluation system, Read more about RTT Winner Tennessee Realizes You Can’t Jump Without Looking First[…]
A new teacher evaluation law in Indiana is causing concern among prospective and certified teachers. The new evaluation system includes measures of student performance that carry significant weight in the overall evaluation structure. Teachers who formerly welcomed student-teachers into their classrooms are now hesitant to do so. “They’re saying, ‘We’re not having a student teacher Read more about New Evaluations Systems May Threaten Student-Teaching Programs[…]
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released its report State of the States: Trends and Early Lessons on Teacher Evaluation and Effectiveness Policies late last month that offers a closer look at what is being done across the nation with regard to teacher assessments. While admitting that it is too early to assess which Read more about State of the States: Teacher Evaluation & Effectiveness Policies[…]
Education writer Andrew Rotherham speculated in Time this week about the current data analysis “trend” that is sweeping the education reform movement. He reflects on Michael Lewis’ 2003 book Moneyball, which “traces the rise of new methods that the Oakland A’s used to identify undervalued baseball players so the team could win more games with Read more about ‘Moneyballing’ Education[…]
The continuing discussion on teacher evaluations has led many to ask how to go about evaluating teachers in non-tested subjects. Some states have chosen to instead rely heavily on classroom observations; however, a new strategy has evolved that would include a “student learning objectives” (SLO) component. SLOs are “carefully planned goals for what a student Read more about Teacher Evaluations for Non-Tested Subjects: SLOs[…]
DCPS officials are moving to change the most controversial reform of former Chancellor Michelle Rhee: teacher evaluation. The IMPACT evaluation system requires that teachers be observed five times per year (three times by a school administrator and twice by a “master teacher”) and rated on a scale of 1 to 4; however that is changing Read more about DCPS to Change Teacher Evaluation Tool[…]
The Department of Education has invited states and schools who were awarded a School Improvement Grant (SIG) to take some extra time to figure out the most crucial component: teacher evaluation. All of the schools and states eligible for the waiver are using the most popular, and arguably least rigorous, “transformational model” of school turnaround Read more about SIG Schools Get Extra Time for Teacher Evaluation Systems[…]