Teacher Evaluation in Context: Who uses it and how

Video Transcription

Hi. My name is Ashley, and today's lesson is titled teacher evaluation and context. Who uses it, and how?

In today's lesson, we will define teacher evaluation. We'll review what the teacher evaluation cycle looks like, and review the purpose and benefit of using teacher evaluations.

What is teacher evaluation? Teacher evaluation is the complete cyclical process that a school uses to review a teacher's instructional effectiveness and professional growth and other professional practices.

Teacher evaluations include observations. This can be done by an administrator or an academic coach, or even a mentor. Conferences between the teacher and administrator or the evaluator. This is usually done after the observation so that the evaluator may provide timely and supportive feedback.

It's also more effective to do it sooner than later, so that when you are recalling specific things that happened in the lesson, you know exactly what took place instead of having to recall a lesson that you did a month or two ago. It might be harder to remember what was going on then and how to improve. Goals are plans for growth are also included in teacher evaluation.

At my school, we call these SMART goals. We make one academic goal for our students, and then a professional goal for ourselves. Teacher evaluations also include student data, looking at student scores and their grades. This also includes time for reflection where normally at the end of the year the teacher will go back and review the goals and the outcomes of those goals and reflect on the plan.

However, this reflection process is more effective when you have an opportunity to do it throughout the school year instead of at the very end. These elements together determine the effectiveness of the teacher.

What are teacher evaluation cycles? Well it's important to know that the teacher evaluation cycles differ from state to state. Some districts evaluate teachers annually or in a cycle that is determined by the number of years the teacher has been employed.

For example, almost a guarantee if it is your first year as a teacher, you're going to have an evaluation that first year. Maybe even the second year. Veteran teachers may not be evaluated as often. They may do it every other year, or every two years. The district determines how often teachers are evaluated, and this is usually precedent in a teacher's contract.

A more routine system of evaluations is the most effective. Principals and other mentor teachers complete the evaluation process.

What is the purpose and benefit of using teacher evaluations? Evaluation of teacher effectiveness is a requirement that a state is entitled to of ESEA, which is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It is also a requirement of no child left behind and title 1.

Research also highly supports the need for highly qualified teachers in order to bridge achievement gaps and increase student achievement. So you can see evaluation systems play a role in reporting teacher effectiveness to state and federal agencies.

Teacher evaluations also help increase professional growth within teachers by allowing them to reflect on their results and make improvements. Linda Darling Hammond states the development and use of standards based evaluations of practice combined with student learning evidence developed by teachers seem to be associated with improvements and practice. In other words, she found that improvement with students was directly tied to improved teaching skills.

In today's lesson, we looked at the definition of teacher evaluation, which is a cyclical process of determining the effectiveness of the teacher. The teacher evaluation cycle can be completed annually or it can also be determined by the number of years that a teacher has been employed. And it is most often completed by your school principal.

Using teacher evaluations as mandated by no child left behind and ESEA as well as title 1. It's a requirement by law to report the effectiveness of teachers. Teacher evaluation can help teachers reflect on their own performance and make improvements.

As we bring the lesson to a close, consider how the use of teacher evaluations can be beneficial for students, teachers, and administrators. From my own experience with teacher evaluations, I've benefited the most from Conferencing with my principal after an observation. The discussion was beneficial because we were able to go through what worked and what did not work and come up with strategies to make improvements. And then I was able to implement those strategies in my classroom.

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.