For the first time in Delaware,
all teachers will be evaluated this year in part by the performance of their
students. It is a process that has
created some anxiety for teachers because it is still under development and
results are hard to predict.
Teachers are evaluated on 4
components for which they are determined satisfactory or not:
1.
Planning and Preparation
2.
Classroom Environment
3. Instruction
4.
Professional Responsibilities
Component 5 is student
performance. Everybody has some measure of student
performance for which they are responsible and which will have an impact on
their work evaluation. If you teach a
subject that is tested by the state test (DCAS), then you are partly evaluated
on what percentage of your students hit their target score at the end of the
year. If you teach a non-DCAS tested
subject, then you use an evaluation approved by the state and developed by
state teachers. Generally a pre- and
post- test on that particularly subject.
Other measures may be included and counted toward the final score.
Because the state was slow in
developing and finalizing procedures, many teachers are being rated based upon
a pre-test that was administered in November or December. If student growth is in question I’m sure
most would have rather given their pre-test in September. Never-the-less, everybody from the school
nurse to the superintendent will have a student performance measure included in
his end of year evaluation this May or June.
Finally, and perhaps what makes
many teachers nervous, is that the Component 5 measure out-weighs the first
four components. One could be rated
satisfactory in the first four components based upon the principal observation
and evaluation of the teacher’s performance throughout the school year. But, the teacher may not hit the targets on
student performance, which could result in an overall “needs improvement” rating.
The past 2 weeks I’ve been
sitting in on some conferences between principals and teachers as they discuss
the results. For the most part, the
result is a very a valuable conversation with regard to expectations both for
students and for teachers. The vast
majority of our teachers are meeting and exceeding student growth targets which
results in a final rating of effective or highly effective.
I can’t help but think, that
after a few years to modify and become accustomed to the process, that student performance will benefit. I believe teachers will become more
confident in their abilities to move students forward and challenge them with
more rigorous content.
