Getting Teacher Evaluation Right

Stanford and Melbourne working in tandem on education reform

Getting Teacher Evaluation Right

Why is There So Much Attention to Teacher Evaluation Reform?

The Need for More Powerful Teaching

“The evaluations themselves are typically of little value—a single, fleeting classroom visit by a principal or other building administrator untrained in evaluation, wielding a checklist of classroom conditions and teacher behaviors that often don’t even focus directly on the quality of teacher instruction…. “Is presentably dressed,” “Starts on time,” “Room is safe,” “The lesson occupies students…. But, in most instances, it’s nothing more than marking ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory.’”

-- Toch & Rothman, 2008.

I have had administrators who never came into my classroom for formal observations or asked me for anything more than the initial planning/goal sheet. I have had administrators observe a formal lesson and put the feedback sheet in my box without ever having spoken to me about the lesson, and I have had years where I am just asked to sign the end-of-the year evaluation sheet [without being observed].

—Jane Fung, National Board Certified teacher and Milken Award Winner, CA  

 

Why has Teacher Evaluation often been problematic?

Lack of

-- Clear standards for practice

-- Time

-- Expertise

-- Links to professional development

Little attention to student learning

Unwieldy processes for making decisions

How We Might Make Matters Even Worse

Focusing evaluation entirely after entry Creating systems that focus on ranking

teachers rather than improving teaching Making decisions substantially based on

value-added state test scores Putting all of the weight on school principals Designing systems that cannot be

implemented

The Right Starting Point: What Do Effective Teachers Know and Do?

Effective Teachers…

Engage students in active learning

that builds on their experience Create intellectually ambitious tasks Use a variety of teaching strategies Assess student learning to adapt

teaching to student needs Create effective scaffolds and supports for language and

content learning Provide clear standards, constant feedback, and

opportunities for revising work Develop and effectively manage a collaborative

classroom in which all students have membership.

These Qualities are Embedded in Standards for Teaching

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards + INTASC Standards for Beginning Teachers (U.S.)-- Portfolios used to certify accomplished teaching and,

now, in some states, beginning teaching

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at four levels-- Graduate, Proficient, Highly accomplished, Lead

-- To be evaluated through ITE accreditation, classroom observation, and collection of evidence

How Do We Develop and Ensure Effective Teaching for

Every Child?

Teacher Effectiveness Has Many Components

Research finds that student learning gains are related to: Strong academic background Quality preparation prior to entry Certification in the field taught Experience (> 3 years) National Board Certification

In combination, these predict more of the difference in student learning gains than race & parent education combined (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2008).

Policies should strengthen & equalize these features.

Still, Many Things Influence Overall Achievement

School leadership, teachers’ peers, collaboration, curriculum,class size & composition matter

Creating a System: First Steps

Treat teacher evaluation in conjunction with the creation of a standards-based teacher development system

-- beginners

-- professional teachers

-- accomplished practitioners Treat teacher evaluation in conjunction with

leadership training, development, and evaluation, as well

© Linda Darling-Hammond 2010

Beginning Teacher Performance Assessment (e.g. PACT, edTPA)

National Board CertificationProfessional

License Assessment

Performance Assessments of Teaching

Teachers and preparation programs learn from performance assessments – videos, lesson plans, student work, and commentary -- showing how a prospective teacher:

Plans a unit of instruction around standards for students and standards for teaching

Instructs, reflects, and revises in response to students’ learning

Assesses and analyzes student learningReflects on the success of practice and on how it can be

improvedDevelops academic language among all students.

Teacher Learning is Enhanced

I think for me the most valuable thing was the sequencing of the lessons, teaching the lesson, and evaluating what the kids were getting, what the kids weren’t getting, and having that be reflected in my next lesson...the ‘teach-assess-teach-assess-teach-assess’ process. And so you’re constantly changing – you may have a plan or a framework that you have together, but knowing that that’s flexible and that it has to be flexible, based on what the children learn that day.

Teacher Educators Learn

This [scoring] experience…has forced me to revisit the question of what really matters in the assessment of teachers, which – in turn – means revisiting the question of what really matters in the preparation of teachers.

Teacher Education Programs Learn

How candidates do: On different aspects of teachingIn different subject areasIn comparison to other programsOver timeWith different kinds of supports

… And change:

Courses The learning sequence Clinical practice opportunities Supports for candidates

Next, Build an Integrated System of Ongoing Evaluation

-- Standards-based measures of practice

-- Evidence of collegial contributions

-- Measures of student learning & growth

Linked by goals, considered in context

Integrated evidence of:

practice

student learning

professional contributions

Use Multiple Measures to Reflect Practice

Standards-based observation by experts trained in evaluation and, ideally, the content area

Curriculum plans, assignments, and student work samples

Evidence of practices that support student learning in and outside of the classroom -- feedback and extra help to students-- work with parents-- work with colleagues to support students

Feedback from parents and students

Element Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Accomplished Exemplary

1.1 The teacher builds on the students’ prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests to achieve learning goals.

Makes limited connections between the learning goals and students’ prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests. Does not encourage student questions or comments during a lesson.

Makes acceptable connections between the learning goals and students’ prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests. Elicits some questions from students during a lesson to monitor student understanding.

Makes substantial connections between the learning goals and students’ prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests. Elicits and uses questions and comments from students during a lesson to extend their understanding.

Employs strategies that allow all students to connect and apply their prior knowledge, life experiences, and interests to new learning and the achievement of learning goals. Builds on students’ questions and comments during lessons to modify instruction.

1.2 The teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies and resources that respond to students’ diverse needs.

Uses limited instructional strategies, but they lack variety, are poorly carried out, or are inappropriate to the students or to the instructional goals. Few adjustments are made to respond to students’ needs.

Uses a selection of instructional strategies that are largely appropriate to the students and the instructional goals. They may lack variety or be less than responsive to students’ needs.

Uses a variety of instructional strategies that are appropriate to the students and the instructional goals. The teacher carries out these strategies thoughtfully, making some adjustments that are responsive to students’ needs.

Makes skillful use of a wide repertoire of instructional strategies to engage all students in learning, making adjustments while teaching to respond to students’ needs.

1. Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning

Use Multiple Measures to Assess Student Learning

Goal-Setting Matched to Curriculum and Students Taught

Authentic assessments: essays, research projects, investigations; portfolios

Rubric-Scored tasks Local, state, national tests

(pre - post measures; AP; IB; DRA)

English proficiency gains Accomplishment of

learner goals (IEP, other) Documentation of learning

Basket of Evidence

Student Learning Objectives

A goal-setting process in which teachers assemble learning evidence to evaluate students’ progress.

Teachers set targets on assessment measures—for entire classrooms or specific subsets of students, for an entire course or a specific set of skills within the course—taking into account students’ starting points.

The goals and evidence of student learning are examined, along with evidence of teachers’ practices, in the evaluation process.

How Evaluation Can Support Collaboration

[Student learning evidence] can be used to promote collaboration and reflection on practice among educators. By analyzing work in teams and by setting schoolwide, subject-level, grade-level, or team-based goals, educators can work together to better understand and meet the needs of all students. The goal-setting and inquiry cycle encourages educators to share strategies and seek guidance and assistance from specialists who support student learning….

Finally, Create an Integrated System

Link the implementation of standards to goal-setting and support

Train and assess prospective and current principals for teacher evaluation and support

Create Peer Assistance and Review systems for making decisions about tenure and continuation in cases of intervention

Use professional development policies and identification of expert teachers to support coaching and peer evaluation

Long Beach, CA Approach

Individuals, grade-level / department teams, and schools set goals Multiple sources of evidence are examined collectively to evaluate progress

for students and to plan for next year. These include:

-- Teacher observations of learning

-- Anecdotal and cumulative records

-- Success and progress on a learning continuum or course of study

-- Teacher, department, or school-made pre- and post-tests

-- Curriculum-related tests

-- Use of audio-visual documentation

-- Student self-evaluations

-- Evaluative discussion with students & parents

-- Records of students' past learning

-- Files of students' work collected to show growth

-- Action research

Hillsdale High School Approach(San Mateo, CA)

Teachers work with principal to set specific goals around 2 CSTP standards (e.g. student engagement; instructional practice)

Teachers write a self-evaluation which becomes an iterative conversation with the principal via googledocs as observations occur and new strategies are tried

Observation of practice and collection of evidence about learning drive conversations throughout the year

Teachers assemble a portfolio of evidence about how they have met the standards, which integrates evidence of practice, student learning, and professional contributions

New Mexico Approach: South Valley Academy 3-tiered state portfolio-based licensing

system Within the school, PDP (Professional

Development Plan) used for goal-setting; focused collaborative work; and assessment of results -- A practitioner action research evaluation model

Case in Point

Andres’ focus on improving vocabulary learning in chemistry

-- set goals in terms of improved mastery

-- a variety of strategies, developed with peers

-- tracking of outcomes on multiple measures

[14 artifacts collected in his portfolio with analysis of student learning]

Andres’ Reflection

“These collaborations are perhaps the most powerful and useful part of the PDP process. Staff became aware of the many learning gaps that we are noticing in our students, and we began working collaboratively to share and find ways to address those learning gaps. Many times other staff members noticed things that were happening that I hadn’t noticed before, but as soon as they said it, I was like, “Yeah, that’s happening with my students, too.” In many of the meetings, teachers together can start noticing trends, and then the project is even more meaningful….

Having a forum to share effective strategies for student learning opens the door for every teacher at the school to help every other teacher get better. When other people start doing new things because of other people’s PDPs, this makes the process even more powerful.”

Connect Assessment to Quality Professional Learning

Well-designed professional development can improve practice and increase student achievement.

A review of experimental studies found that student achievement increased by 21 percentile points among programs offering extended PD (49 hours on average over 6 to 12 months). (Yoon et al., 2007)

One-shot workshops (PD <14 hours) had no positive effects.

Professional Learning Opportunities that

Impact Practice are Generally: Focused on specific curriculum content Organized around real problems of practice Connected to teachers’ work with children Linked to analysis of teaching and student learning Intensive, sustained and continuous over time

Supported by coaching, modeling, observation, and feedback

Connected to teachers’ collaborative work in professional learning communities

Integrated into school and classroom planning around curriculum, instruction, and assessment

Learning about Practice in Practice

If We Take Teaching Effectiveness Seriously, We Will Ensure…

High-quality preparation and mentoring for all beginners Teaching assignments and conditions that support success for

students and teachers Sustained, practice-based collegial learning opportunities for

all educators Well-designed schools with thoughtful, coherent curriculum Evaluation systems that are

-- Standards-based, integrating practice and outcome data

-- Linked to coaching and professional development

-- Rigorous at tenure and other key junctures

-- Designed to provide assistance, due process, & timely decisions