Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation Charlotte Danielson

Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation Charlotte Danielson charlotte_danielson@hotmail. com Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 1

Purposes of Teacher Evaluation n Quality Assurance n Professional Learning Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 2

A Flawed System Outdated, limited, evaluative criteria Few shared beliefs about good teaching Inconsistency among evaluators Hierarchical, one-way communication Same procedures for novices and experienced professionals n Limited evaluator expertise n Based only on classroom observation n Requires lots of time n Negative culture surrounding evaluation n n Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 3

Teacher Evaluation System How What n Evaluative Criteria n Procedures n Levels of Performance n Instruments n Weighting n Personnel n Score Combining n Timelines n Standard Setting n Due Process for Deciding Training for Evaluators Professional Development for Teachers Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 4

A Blueprint for Teacher Evaluation n Clear definition of teaching (the “what”) n Instruments and procedures that provide evidence of teaching (the “how”) n Trained evaluators who can make consistent judgments based on evidence n Process for teachers to understand the evaluative criteria n Process for making final judgment Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 5

Hallmarks of a Genuine Profession n Knowledge base, grounded in research n Knowledge shared by a community of professionals n Professional knowledge is implemented at the intersection of theory and practice n Professionals exercise autonomy and judgment n Practice is influenced by both technical and moral judgment Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 6

The Nature of Professional Learning n Trust n Self-assessment and self-directed inquiry n Reflection on practice n Collaboration and conversation n A community of learners Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 7

Questioning and Discussion What is the evidence? Respect and Rapport Evidence • Accurate and unbiased • Relevant • Representative of the total Interpretation Judgment Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 8

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment 2 a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 9

General Evaluation Procedures n Observations of practice n Conferences n Samples of student work, with analysis n Teacher artifacts Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 10

The Evaluation System n Track 1: Probationary or non-tenured teachers n Track 2: Experienced teachers, with continuing status n Track 3: Experienced teachers encountering difficulty Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 11

Track 1: Probationary Teacher Evaluation n A critical decision, for both the teacher and the district n Should be consistent with, but separate from, the mentoring program Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 12

Probationary Teacher Procedures n The same each year, or progressive? n Observations of teaching - how many? - announced or unannounced? - conferences before and after observations - consider “extended” observations n Examination of artifacts - to provide evidence of skill in non-observed areas n Evaluation decision Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 13

Track 2: Experienced Teacher Evaluation n Designed as a professional model n Teachers demonstrate their skill in all the evaluative criteria Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 14

The Two Presumptions n The presumption of competence n The presumption of continuing learning Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 15

Experienced Teacher System n Multi-year cycle n Comprehensive evaluation - every 2 -4 years n Self-directed professional inquiry in the “other” years Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 16

Experienced Teacher Procedures (Comprehensive Evaluation) n Initial conference, if possible n Observations of practice n Artifact conference n Evaluation decision Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 17

Recommended Artifacts for Experienced Teachers n Unit plan, including student assessment n Instructional artifact or assignment from the unit n Samples of student work, with teacher comments n Commentary n Examples of record-keeping n Examples of communication with families n Evidence of contributions to school, profession n Evidence of professional growth n Evidence of student learning Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 18

Experienced Teacher Procedures (Self-directed Professional Inquiry) n Conduct self-assessment n Set a professional goal, with evaluator, reflecting n n n own learning and application to practice Prepare a professional growth plan Work on plan, in study groups if possible Participate in interim conference with evaluator Participate in reflection/closure conference with evaluator Share findings with colleagues Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 19

The Instruments and Procedures n Taken together, they document all the evaluative criteria n They represent a “natural harvest” of a teacher’s work n The timelines and workload are reasonable, for teachers and evaluators n They promote professional learning Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 20

Track 3: Experienced Teachers: Intensive Assistance n Signifies performance below standard: a “heads up” n Must determine what “triggers” in and out n Flexible duration n Designed for support and assistance n Customized to the situation n Three phases: awareness, assistance, disciplinary Making the Most of Teacher Evaluation, Charlotte Danielson 21