Just like students, teachers needed to be assessed. Teacher evaluations help teachers know what they are doing well and how they can improve to be even better educators. But, the big question regarding teacher evaluations is how do we best assess teachers? Do we base evaluations on observations, student performance, student surveys, parent surveys or lesson plan reviews? What is the best and fairest way to assess a teacher? In researching this topic, I found that teacher evaluations can vary from school to school and from state to state. There seems to be no unilateral standard form of teacher assessment. But, to look a bit closer at teacher evaluations, I would like to take two examples to write about here.
Danielson's Framework
The Danielson Group, founded by Charlotte Danielson, offers a framework to assess the performance of teachers. Based on research, they group has developed four domains on which teachers should be assessed:
- Domain 1: Planning & Preparation
- Domain 2: Classroom Environment
- Domain 3: Instruction
- Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
Within each domain are five or six different, specific elements that are part of the assessment rubric. As the website suggests, these domains provide a base on which observations and professional dialogue can be built.
The Framework may be used for many purposes, but its full value is realized as the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching. The Framework may be used as the foundation of a school or district’s mentoring, coaching, professional development, and teacher evaluation processes, thus linking all those activities together and helping teachers become more thoughtful practitioners. (Danielson Group, 2013)
Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System
The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, or TVAAS, is an educator evaluation that is based in part on students' standardized test scores. Thirty-five percent of the teacher's assessment is based on how well their students perform on standardized tests throughout the year and compared to other classes throughout the state of Tennessee. The remaining sixty-five percent is based on a classroom observation rubric, somewhat similar to the Danielson's Group framework. The Tennessee rubric includes three categories for performance evaluation:
- Instruction
- Planning
- Environment
My Thoughts
As a teacher, I think it is important to take a step back to really look at what I am doing in the classroom and reflect on how I can be a better teacher. I do not think using standards test scores to assess a teacher's performance achieves this end goal. Yes, standardized tests, over time, can track a student's progress and growth, but to link it to the teacher's own professional future, I believe is wrong. Students change teachers from year to year and students test differently. I do not think standardized tests are good indicators for assessing teachers. I do think these tests can be beneficial in mapping out student achievement. I also think educators can look at these tests and learn from their students' scores. But, I do not think it should be integrated into formal teacher evaluations. I feel that the best way to do this is through observations and through discussions. I like the idea of a rubric, as in both examples I mentioned above, because with a rubric the expectations are clear and unbiased. I think the Danielson's Group framework gives four clear and important areas in which teachers should be evaluated: planning, classroom environment, instruction, professional responsibilities. There is so much that goes into teaching, but I think these four categories really address the areas in which teachers can be best assessed, and, in turn, make the most progress when necessary.
https://www.danielsongroup.org/framework/
http://tn.gov/education/topic/teacher-evaluation
http://tn.gov/education/topic/tvaas
sources for images:
http://eagnews.org/dozens-of-co-teachers-set-to-lose-tenure-protection-under-new-evaluation-system/
http://www.citeonline.com/8-domains-new-teacher-evaluations/
http://slideplayer.com/slide/8048058/
https://www.bestthinking.com/trendingtopics/society_and_humanities/education/curriculum_and_instruction_measurement/pros-and-cons-of-teacher-evaluations
