Teacher Evaluation

We as teachers frequently evaluated our students, but this blog is focused in how is evaluated the teacher practice. First, I would like to explain two systems of teacher evaluation. Then, I will mention some of the problems in the evaluation systems. At the end, I propose some elements on which I think should be judged us as teachers.

Currently I work in the District of Columbia Public Schools DCPS, so I would like to share my experience with IMPACT. IMPACT is DCPS’s system for assessing and rewarding the performance of teachers and other school-based staff. More information in http://dcps.dc.gov/page/impact-overview. This system evaluated the teacher practice in three components: Formal observations in the classroom, grades (growth) of the students and school involvement. There are three components but formal observations are the 75% of the final score. At the end of the year each teacher receives a score, this score establishes a “grade” for the teacher, you could be (Highly effective with more than 3.5, effective with 3 to 3.5, Minimally Effective and Ineffective). According to the score, the teachers with higher scores receive incentives. I feel that this process not measure the real work of the teachers, a 30 min visit of a person who do not know about your students and your classroom determine your score. Also, I consider that the most important part of the system is find ways to continue improving our teacher practice, label the teacher work is not the best way.

Reading about the State of Ohio teacher evaluation, (more information in http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Educator-Evaluation-System/Ohio-s-Teacher-Evaluation-System) they have a system that evaluate the teacher 50 percent student academic growth measures and 50 percent performance. The focus is providing more professional development for the teachers. Also, include other options like: student surveys; teacher self-evaluations; peer review evaluations and student portfolios.

The evaluation systems for teacher vary between countries, states and also between public and private schools. I was working in a Charter School in DC and the process was focused in the professional development of the teacher, I received two formal observations and more that 200 hours of professional development. Also, in other countries like Mexico they do not have evaluation system for teachers yet, they are working in create a system but the teachers refuse to have it.

As systems, the teacher evaluation process have some problems. As mentioned the article Teacher Evaluation 2.0 produced by the new teacher project (Available in the following link: https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https://platform-user-content.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/M4U4A3_Teacher-Evaluation_2.0-20150707115740.pdf) the evaluation system are unfocused, teachers are often evaluated based on superficial judgments about behaviors and practices that may not have any impact on student learning—like the presentation of their bulletin boards. Other problem is the scores, this are not undifferentiated, the teachers pass or fail. All our work is not represented in a score; we are more that a number. The evaluation systems also are inconsequential, the results of evaluations are rarely used to make important decisions about development, compensation, tenure or promotion. In fact, most of the school districts we studied considered teachers’ performance only when it came time to dismiss them.

Base on my experience and listen other teachers, I think that the goal of a teacher evaluation system is improve the teacher practice. The results could be used to create plans for professional development base on the teacher’s needs. The feedback could be accompanied with solutions and resources to implement changes. We as teachers are waiting for spaces to growth and learning, we are not waiting for spaces to be judged.