Teacher Evaluation

As education departments begin to design new evaluation models for their school districts’ teachers, the issue of responsible and respectful evaluation of non-tested subject areas has come to the forefront of many discussions. States, and often individual school districts, have many choices to make in determining student achievement growth and appropriate measurement in these non-tested areas (i.e., music). The states listed below share their plans for evaluation of music teachers, as well as helpful guides and documents relating to the overall evaluation of all teachers.

ASCD State Comparison – A brief “policy points” update from ASCD comparing evaluation practices across all 50 states.

Update from AK – Alaska is reporting the possibility of student achievement being used in teacher evaluations.  Learn more at http://www.adn.com/2012/11/08/2686820/student-achievement-could-be-part.html#storylink=cpy

State Educational Technology Directors Association– launched a new online database intended to help policymakers, researchers, and educators keep track of state-level policies directly affecting educational technology including online assessments for each state.

Chicago Teachers and Teacher Evaluation – An EdWeek article discussing the role that teacher evaluation is playing in the Chicago Teacher’s Strike.

TN Update – This link will take you to the latest review of the TN Race to the Top initiatives.  The full report can be accessed via the link within the article.  The review does not include information related to the evaluation of arts educators and the recently implemented assessments of arts learning, but it does give an overall perspective of the implementation process.

PA – Teacher Evaluation Phase II Project Overview – A slide presentation of the most recent work on teacher evaluation in Pennsylvania.

NY Guidance for the Student Learning Objective Evaluation Process – This Student Learning Objectives (SLO) guidance document applies to both Districts and BOCES. This document provides Districts with guidance as they implement SLOs as the State-determined District-wide goal-setting process for teachers of subjects where there is no State-provided measure of student growth. While SLOs are also an option as a locally-selected measure, this guidance (except as otherwise noted) applies to SLOs as comparable growth measures.

Performance Based Teacher Evaluation in 5 States – This study of performance-based teacher evaluation systems in the five states that had implemented statewide systems as of 2010/11 finds considerable variation among them. However, all five states’ systems include observations, self- assessments, and multiple rating categories. In addition, the evaluation rubrics in each state reflect most of the teaching standards set out by the Inter-state Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium.

DE Performance Assessment – DPASII

NY APPR guidelines per Ratner – Here is the latest update (February, 2012) of the Teacher Evaluation process that is developing in New York State.  The system is still in development and teachers in New York are urged to contact their administrators for more clarification about how this will be implemented in their districts.

IN The RISE Evaluation and Development System – Indiana’s RISE looks at a teacher’s professional practice as well as evidence of student learning to paint a fair, accurate, and comprehensive picture of an educator’s performance.  By using multiple sources of information, RISE identifies strengths and areas for improvement, which can help teachers grow year after year.

KY Arts Program Eval Tool

MI SMTE Position Statement on Teacher Evaluation

NY Professional Performance Review Handbook

WI Educator Effectiveness Powerpoint

State Of The States: Trends and Early Lessons on Teacher Evaluation and Effectiveness Policies – A report from the National Council on Teacher Quality

Race to The Top Summary Report – A key focus of the Obama administration’s Race to the Top (RTT) initiative in public education is to support states that implement plans for “recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most.” Race to the Top asked states to adopt more vigorous teacher- education accountability mechanisms and to establish or expand programs “that are successful at producing effective teachers.” This report discusses new information about the specifics each of the twelve RTT states’ goals, activities, and challenges as part of our profiles of the commitments made by these states to improve teacher education and to strengthen public disclosure and accountability of program performance. A full version of the report can be found at: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/01/pdf/teacher_preparation.pdf

Data for Action Update – This report outlines how data is currently being used by states in teacher evaluation.  Data for Action is a powerful tool to inform efforts in education to better use data in decision-making. It is a series of analyses that highlight state progress and key priorities to promote the effective use of longitudinal data to improve student achievement. For more information, and to view Data for Action 2011: DQC’s State Analysis, please visit www.DataQualityCampaign.org/stateanalysis/about.

Brophy and Colwell NAfME Presentation – Dr. Tim Brophy and Dr. Richard Colwell presented on Teacher Evaluations: Issues of Reliability and Validity.  Their powerpoint outlines many of the challenges faced by the profession as it considers how to proceed with music teacher evaluation.

NAfME 2012 Value-Added Teacher Evaluation Part 1 & NAfME 2012 Value-Added Teacher Evaluation Part 2 – A panel of music teacher educators and researchers presented a session on Value-Added Models and their implications for music education.  Their powerpoint offers explanations and recommendations related to the use of this model in schools.  Dr. Abby Butler, Dr. Phil Hash, Dr. Cynthia Taggart and Dr. Colleen Conway all hail from Michigan.

Value-Added NAfME Teacher Evaluation – These are the handouts from the session on Value-Added models and their impact on music education.

Developing a Teacher Evaluation Tool – Doug Orzolek outlined a number of the factors, issues and questions about music teacher evaluation.  He discussed two models that may serve as tools to engage music educators in the process.

Orzolek Handouts for NAfME Presentation – These are the handouts from Doug Orzolek’s session including an extensive reference listing.