MAAP Con 2012: Teacher Evaluation

By Michael Diedrich, Policy Associate, February 16, 2012 at 4:00 pm

For the next few days, I'll be covering the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs (MAAP) conference in Rochester and passing on some of the most interesting, exciting, and thought-provoking concepts.

The first presentation I attended, presented by two administrators from White Bear Lake, offered perspectives on teacher evaluation that higher level policy discussions often overlook.

The presenters cautioned against “the widget effect” that treats teachers as interchangeable widgets rather than individuals with multiple routes to effectiveness. They also encouraged a mindset organized around growth rather than judgment or punishment. One further point they raised was about the importance of differentiating formative assessment -- aimed at improving or shaping skills -- from summative assessment -- aimed at providing quality assurance -- which is an important distinction when too many of our policymakers seem fixated solely on summative quality assurance when most of our focus should be on formative skill development.

The presentation also listed five questions we should ask about all teacher evaluation systems (including the statewide system currently in development). The five questions are:

  1. Do the criteria and tools cover the classroom performance areas most connected to student outcomes?
  2. Do the criteria and tools set high performance expectations for teachers, or do they settle for minimally acceptable performance?
  3. Are the performance expectations for teachers clear and precise?
  4. Are the criteria and tools student-centered, requiring evaluators to look for direct evidence of student engagement and learning?
  5. Are the criteria and tools concise enough for teachers and evaluators to understand thoroughly and use easily?

These questions combine fairness to teachers with a persistent focus on relevant student outcomes. It should be noted that even an evaluation system that satisfactorily answers all of these questions depends on competent evaluators to be effective. There's a lot more to talk about with regard to teacher evaluation, and we'll have more on teacher evaluation next week. Stay tuned!

Posted in Education | Related Topics: K-12 education  Teacher Assessment