Evaluating Teacher Performance: Getting it Right

CPRE Annual Conference November 21-23, 2002 Charlotte Danielson [email protected]

Requirements of a System

 Clarifying the Purpose  Defining Good Teaching  Deciding the Role of Impact on Student Learning  Determining Evidence of Teaching  Establishing Clear Procedures  Ensuring Equity and Access

Clarifying the Purpose

 Attracting the “best and the brightest”  Ensuring the quality of entry-level teachers  Ensuring the quality of all teachers  Structuring professional learning for teachers  Supporting a career ladder for teachers  Rewarding excellent teachers

Defining Good Teaching

 The evaluative criteria  Levels of performance  Examples of performance at different levels  Weighting of evaluative criteria

The Framework for Teaching: The Domains

 Domain 1: Planning and Preparation  Domain 2: The Classroom Environment  Domain 3: Instruction  Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

The Framework for Teaching: The Components

      Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy Demonstrating knowledge of students Selecting instructional goals Demonstrating knowledge of resources Designing coherent instruction Assessing student learning      Communicating clearly and accurately Using questioning and discussion techniques Engaging students in learning Providing feedback to students Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness      Creating an environment of respect and rapport Establishing a culture for learning Managing classroom procedures Managing student behavior Organizing physical space       Reflecting on teaching Maintaining accurate records Communicating with families Contributing to the school and district Growing and developing professionally Showing professionalism

Levels of Performance for 3b: Questioning and Discussion Skills Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished Quality of Questions Discussion Techniques Student Participation Teacher’s questions are virtually all of poor quality Teacher’s questions are a combination of low and high quality. Only some invite a response. Most of teacher’s questions are of high quality. Adequate time is available for students to respond Teacher’s questions are of uniformly high quality, with adequate time for students to respond. Students formulate many questions. Interaction between teacher and students is predominantly recitation style, with teacher mediating all questions and answers.

Teacher makes some attempt to engage students in a true discussion, with uneven results. Classroom interaction represents true discussion, with teacher stepping, when appropriate, to the side. Students assume considerable responsibility for the success of the discussion, initiating topics and making unsolicited contributions. Only a few students participate in the discussion. Teacher attempts to engage all student in the discussion, but with only limited success.

Teacher successfully engages all students in the discussion. Students themselves ensure that all voices are heard in the discussion.

Deciding the Role of Impact on Student Learning

 For the public, a “no-brainer”  Poor measures of what is important  Alignment to curriculum and instruction  Limitations of mean test scores: out-of school influences on student learning  Concepts of value-added, patterns  Attributing learning to individual teachers

Determining Evidence of Teaching

 Aligned with evaluative criteria  Representative of total performance  Represent a “natural harvest” of teachers’ work: not overly-burdensome  Promote professional learning

Possible Sources of Evidence

 Observations of practice  Unit and lesson plans  Samples of student assessments  Analyses of student work  Professional artifacts

Establishing Clear Procedures

 Quantity of evidence: how many observations, lesson or unit plans, examples of record-keeping, etc.

 Timelines  Personnel  Procedure for decision-making and standard-setting

Ensuring Equity and Access

 All teachers understand the evaluative criteria and how to demonstrate their skill  Teachers have the opportunity to improve their performance  Training program for assessors ensures consistent judgments based on evidence  The context of teaching does not affect performance