Evidence

What is it? How do I use it? How can it help me? A Training Prepared by the PERA Workgroup Fall 2013

PERA Training – What is Evidence?

The purpose of this training is to hold an interactive session that allows for discussion. Both the Framework for Teaching (Danielson’s continuum) and the concept of evidence are integrated so deeply in each other that it is difficult to determine which should come first (sort of like the “chicken or the egg” argument). This training focusing on the concept of evidence is meant to foster discussion, so we look forward to your participation through questions or discussion points.

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From the ITED Document: Chapter 2A, Appendix 5

Evidence refers to data, information, artifacts and performances that educators and evaluators review in order to accurately assess or determine educator effectiveness. The evidence should be judged against specific teaching criteria or teaching standards, elements and performance indicators. It should be objective and based on what evaluators see, hear and read while observing an educator’s practice or while engaging in conversations with the educator.

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A Clear Definition of Practice

• The Framework for Teaching guides collection of evidence of practice… – that is grounded in actual events, in actions or statements, in artifacts, or in decisions a teacher makes. – that serve as a basis of decision-making 7/17/2013 4

Evidence of Teaching

How to Gather Evidence Direct Observation: Examine Artifacts: Classroom Practice

•

Observation of teaching, with a planning conference and a reflection conference

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Analysis of activities and assignments for their cognitive challenge

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Analysis of student work Non-classroom Practice

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Observation of practice-for example, a presentation to a child study team or leading a meeting with colleagues

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Planning documents for example, a unit plan

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Examples of components of Domain 4-for example, Communicating with Families

7/17/2013 5 Danielson, C. (2008). The handbook for enhancing professional practice: Using the framework for teaching in your school.

Types of Observation Evidence

1.Verbatim scripting of teacher or student comments: “Could one person from each table collect materials?” 7/17/2013 6

Types of Observation Evidence

2. Non-evaluative statements of observed teacher or student behavior: The teacher stands by the door, greeting students as they enter.

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Types of Observation Evidence

3. Numeric information about time, student participation, resource use, etc.: Three of the 18 students offer nearly all of the comments during discussion.

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Types of Observation Evidence

4. An observed aspect of the environment: The assignment is on the board for students to do while roll is taken. 9 7/17/2013

Teachscape Evaluator Training provides

• • • An introduction to biases and personal preferences Opportunities to identify biases Strategies to help put aside biases and personal preference.

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Teachscape

• Evidence - “Observer records an event with no interpretation.” Ex.- The teacher greets students as they enter the classroom.

• Opinion – “Observer interprets an event based on own beliefs about good teaching.” Ex.- The reading assignment is too difficult for the students.

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Teachscape Bias Training

• • • • Examine the difference between evidence and bias Learn about triggers for underlying bias Uncover your underlying triggers Create a personal trigger list 12 7/17/2013

Teachscape Quote

“It is important that you record as evidence only what you see, hear, or read – not your interpretation of what you see or your opinion about it.” 7/17/2013 13

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Evidence vs. Opinion

EVIDENCE

observable objective free of value judgment not subject to debate (unambiguous)

OPINION

draws conclusions subjective may include value judgment makes inferences 14

Evidence or Opinion Activity

• Imagine you are reading comments from an evaluator’s observation or summative rating report. • Working with a partner examine the statement. Is the comment an example of an evidence statement or an opinion statement. Write E or O after the comment.

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Evidence or Opinion?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

____Students were paying attention during the lesson.

____Raul states “Can you help me. I’m confused.” ____Your kids are making steady progress .

____Lesson plan states “review quadrilateral equations.” ____The students came into the class. 6 students were talking in the back of the room while you were introducing the lesson.

6.

7.

8.

9.

____Your classroom management techniques were evident. ____English Language Learners were neglected during the lesson.

____Seven of eight students in the group completed the assignment.

____This common core standard was on the board: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

10. ____Teacher helps students to connect learning to their life experiences and cultural understanding.

11. ____Teacher states “Could the equation we used to solve the hydraulics problem apply to this question?” 12. ____Special Needs student chose a leveled reading book from the basket you gave him.

13. ____There are positive interactions between students.

14. ____Students were working in a group. One person from each group reported out to the entire class.

15. ____The lesson has no relationship to the district’s stated curriculum. 16. ____Teacher visited each group four three times during a ten-minute period.

17. ____ The teacher told the students to put their hands down and pulled sticks out of a jar to call on kids.

18. ____The lesson challenges students to think critically.

19. ____Students cite an average of about six internet sources in their papers. 20. ____ The students do not listen to your instructions.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

O E O E E 6.

7.

8.

9.

E E O O 10. O 11. E 12. E 13. O 14. E 15. O 16. E 17. E 18. O 19. E 20. O

7/17/2013 Check Your Answers Students were engaged during the lesson.

Raul states “Can you help me. I’m confused.” Your kids are making steady progress .

Your lesson plan states “review quadrilateral equations.” The students came into the class. 6 students were talking in the back of the room while you were introducing the lesson.

Your classroom management techniques were evident. English Language Learners were neglected during the lesson.

Seven of eight students in the group completed the assignment.

This common core standard was on the board: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Teacher helps students to connect learning to their life experiences and cultural understanding.

Teacher states “Could the equation we used to solve the hydraulics problem apply to this question?” Special Needs student chose a leveled reading book from the basket you gave him.

There are positive interactions between students.

Students were working in a group. One person from each group reported out to the entire class.

The lesson has no relationship to the district’s stated curriculum. Teacher visited each group four three times during a ten-minute period.

The teacher told the students to put their hands down and pulled sticks out of a jar to call on kids.

The lesson challenges students to think critically.

Students cite an average of about six internet sources in their papers. The students do not listen to your instructions 17

From the Legal Department:

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7/17/2013 Evidence can take a variety of forms, but the important take-away is that it should be a reliable way to measure/demonstrate whatever it is that is trying to be shown. Different types of evidence show different things (real/tangible stuff like lesson plans, representative stuff like a log of calls made to parents, etc.) and there is a sliding scale of reliability.

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7/17/2013 In the law, there are rules that have to be met to ensure fairness of the stuff, or evidence. There are several bargaining implications here including the rules for evidence in evaluation—what do you think is a reliable measure, how much, etc.

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The stuff that is “in evidence” is all that can be considered in a teacher practice evaluation. The administrator has to present the evidence to the teacher and the teacher has to present to the administrator. In other words, the district and teacher can’t go back after a certain point and add stuff in if they didn’t try to do that before.

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For evaluation purposes, we want to try to stick to personal knowledge comments as much as possible. What did they see, hear or witness themselves—not what did someone else tell them. (While opinions can be given as evidence in legal proceeding, there are special rules associated with doing so and we want to stay away from those in teacher practice evaluations.) 7/17/2013 22

Evidence also can be categorized as either direct or circumstantial in nature. Circumstantial evidence requires an inference to be drawn from it for the evidence to be relevant. Thus, circumstantial evidence is used indirectly through inferences.

For example, an Administrator who states “I saw the teacher yell at the student and heard her threaten to slap the student,” provides direct evidence. The statement that “the teacher said something and then the student started crying which means she must have threatened the student”, is circumstantial. The teacher speaking and the student crying both require inference to prove the material fact, that the teacher said something which threatened the student.

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Evidence of Non-Observable Standards/Components

• • The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Danielson Framework for Teaching all include items that are not usually observed when teaching a lesson.

The next activity focuses on finding examples of evidence that demonstrates teachers’ good work in these areas.

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Identifying Evidence Activity

• • • Please read the handout describing the non observable Illinois Professional Teaching Standards or the Danielson Framework (Domains 1 and 4).

Working together think of what artifacts demonstrate a teachers work in these areas. Record these ideas on chart paper.

Remember to identify some artifacts that can be used as evidence for more than one standard or component.

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Evidence vs. Opinion

EVIDENCE

observable objective free of value judgment not subject to debate (unambiguous)

OPINION

draws conclusions subjective may include value judgment makes inferences 26