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 this school year.
The 290 teachers who received “highly effective” ratings for the past two years and earn at least a 3.5 on their first two evaluations of this school year have the option to waive the remaining three evaluations. Of the two observations still required, one will be performed by a master educator and the other by a school administrator.
Scott Thompson, director of teacher effectiveness strategy for DCPS, cautions that this is only a pilot. If teachers who waive their final three evaluations score poorly in their first two evaluations the following year, DCPS will have to re-evaluate to determine next steps. “Everyone thinks it’s reasonable to be evaluated and held to high standards, and if [teachers] consistently demonstrate they are high-performing, it didn’t seem like they needed to be observed quite as many times,” Thompson said.
Classroom observations count for 75% of teacher evaluations for subjects that do not have standardized exams; for the “core” subjects that do have state-mandated exams, observations count for 35%. Ashley Allen of Endeavor Group, a firm that advises philanthropies on local education donations, notes that the plan has some drawbacks. “You have teachers who are right on the line of ‘highly effective’ who would benefit from more feedback, so if they opt out of the observations, it could shortchange them.”
To read the full story, visit http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/dc/2011/09/dcps-change-its-teacher-evaluation-tool
