In her report Inside IMPACT, Reporter Susan Headden takes a close look at D.C.’s teacher evaluation system. IMPACT was developed by former Chancellor Michelle Rhee to address the gulf between the high rate of “satisfactory” teacher evaluations and student NAEP scores that were among the lowest in the nation.
IMPACT was developed with an eye to how to teach as opposed to what to teach. “We focused first on pedagogy, whereas most other reforms focused on curriculum,” says Scott Thompson, director of teacher effectiveness strategy for DCPS. Though there is still debate across districts and states about what the definition “good teaching” is, IMPACT has set forth the nine “commandments” for good teaching:
Lead well-organized, objective-driven lessons.
Explain content clearly.
Engage students at all learning levels in rigorous work.
Provide students with multiple ways to engage with content.
Check for student understanding.
Respond to student misunderstandings.
Develop higher-level understanding through effective questioning.
Maximize instructional time.
Build a supportive, learning-focused classroom community.
IMPACT is a numerically-based system that relies heavily on classroom observations (35%) and student performance data (50%). For teachers in untested grades or subjects, their classroom performance accounts for 75% of their score. Teachers are observed five times per year; three times by a school administrator and twice by an outside teacher in the same discipline (called a Master Educator). All visits except for one by an administrator are unannounced.
Headden finds that IMPACT has had mixed results on teacher attitudes: they either go forth “encouraged and re-energized,” or head to the new school year “frustrated and scared.” To dig deeper, Headden went inside the teacher evaluation process, talked with teachers, sat through classroom observations and their follow-up conferences, and spoke with the D.C. administrators responsible for developing and implementing the program.
To read Headden’s full report and read her recommendations for improving IMPACT, visit http://www.educationsector.org/publications/inside-impact-dcs-model-teacher-evaluation-system
