Hi. My name is Ashley, and today's lesson is titled Benefits and Pitfalls of Teacher Evaluation Models. In today's lesson, we will analyze how teacher evaluations are connected to teacher effectiveness. We'll look at the benefits of an effective teacher evaluation system. We will identify the pitfalls of an ineffective teacher evaluation system and discuss how pitfalls can be avoided.
How are teacher evaluations connected to teacher effectiveness? There's a lot of research that supports the use of teacher evaluations, and this research demonstrates how it is connected to teacher effectiveness. In this tutorial, we'll look at research from Teaching for America's Future, John Hattie, and the findings of the Measures of Effective Teaching project study. Remember, the main goal of teacher evaluations is to support teachers and their goals to become effective teachers. It is the goal to have high-quality teachers accessible to all students.
What are the benefits of an effective teacher evaluation system? According to the findings of Measures of Effective Teaching, student growth and achievement depends on the effectiveness of the teacher. Evaluations can improve teaching practices with the use of observations, student surveys, and student achievement gains. Teacher evaluation model supports teachers in improving their practices, which results in student achievement.
According to John Hattie, teacher feedback has a very large effect size, which means that it greatly impacts student learning. Domains include the evaluation models. Therefore, evaluations have the greatest potential to improve student learning. According to Teaching for America's Future, the teacher recruitment process, as well as teacher training and the school environment, also impacts student achievement.
Evaluation systems are most effective when professional development and dialogue are catered to the needs of the teacher being evaluated. In addition, providing support and a differentiated approach to professional development opportunities to help teachers meet their learners not only enhances teachers' teaching practices, but encourages teachers to not leave the profession.
What are the pitfalls of an ineffective evaluation system? Most ineffective systems take a one-size approach, thinking that all teachers will learn in the exact same way. This results in lack of support, where professional development opportunities are not catered to the needs of all teachers. There is also a lack of support concerning new teachers, who are new to the profession and need guidance and assistance. This leads to a decrease in teacher retention and negatively impacts student achievement.
There is an absence of teacher voice in evaluation systems, which leads to a lack of support from teachers. There is a lack of efficient mechanisms for carrying out the evaluation process of collecting data. The result of this is that administrators and evaluators would have to spend so much extra time trying to figure out the evaluation process that it would take them from their original roles as administrator of the school building. Ineffective evaluation systems also use ineffective methods for evaluating students. Some assessments may not be culturally appropriate.
How can the pitfalls be avoided? In order to avoid the pitfalls of an ineffective evaluation system, a team should be elected to personalize the evaluation system for the school or district. The purpose of the team is for the team to collaborate and suggest improvements that will meet the needs of teachers and students of the district. Training should also be offered to all of those involved in the evaluation process to receive full understanding of how the revaluation model should work. Lastly, professional development opportunities should be added if they are missing from the evaluation model.
Let's recap what we have discussed in today's lesson. Teacher evaluations are connected to teacher effectiveness. Through observation, student surveys, and other methods, teachers are able to improve their effectiveness. According to research, the benefits of an effective teacher evaluation system is that it improves teaching practices, and it impacts student learning. It also helps increase teacher retention.
Some pitfalls of an ineffective teacher evaluation system is the one-size approach, which doesn't always work with everybody all of the time. Also, in some cases, there's a lack of support in meeting the needs of new teachers. To avoid these pitfalls, a team should be selected to personalize evaluation systems for the district, and training should be offered for all persons involved.
Consider what can be done in your school or district to avoid the pitfalls of an ineffective teacher model. As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set.
Overview
(00:00 - 00:10) Introduction
(00:11 - 00:35) What Will You Learn Today?
(00:36 - 01:13) How are Teacher Evaluations Connected to Teacher Effectiveness?
(01:14 - 02:33) What are the Benefits of an Effective Teacher Evaluation System?
(02:34 - 03:38) What are the Pitfalls of an Ineffective Evaluation System?
(03:39 - 04:14) How Can the Pitfalls Be Avoided?
(04:15 - 05:05) What Did You Learn Today?
(05:06 - 05:30) Reflection
Ensuring Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching
This policy brief addresses best practices in teacher evaluation models, processes, and measures.
http://metproject.org/downloads/MET_Ensuring_Fair_and_Reliable_Measures_Practitioner_Brief.pdf
HR Educator Evaluation Cheat Sheet: 8 Best Practices From Recent Research
This cheat sheet is a useful tool when analyzing your teacher evaluation model and making suggestions for improvements to the model.
http://blogs.edweek.org/topschooljobs/k-12_talent_manager/2013/06/evaluaton_cheat_sheet.html