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ERIC ED485231: Teacher Growth and Assessment Process Procedural Handbook PDF

2005·6.1 MB·English
by  ERIC
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T G A P EACHER ROWTH AND SSESSMENT ROCESS Procedural Handbook TM © SERVE 2004 T G A P EACHER ROWTH AND SSESSMENT ROCESS Procedural Handbook © SERVE 2004 • Proprietary—Not for copying without the express permission of SERVE. Second Printing, 2005 • First Printing, 2004 Produced by the SERVE Center at UNCG Associated with the School of Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Design Team Members Barbara B. Howard, Ed.D., Project Director, Assessment, Accountability, and Standards at SERVE Wendy H. McColskey, Ph.D., Program Director, Assessment, Accountability, and Standards at SERVE Paula Egelson, Ed.D., Program Director, Reading and School Improvement at SERVE Charlotte Danielson, Educational Testing Services (ETS), Trenton, New Jersey Karen Wetherill, Ed.D., Assistant Dean, Watson College of Education, University of North Carolina at Wilmington Hazel Gibbs, Director of Human Resources, Chapel Hill/Carrboro School District, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Mary Margaret Ingle, Ph.D., Assistant Superintendent, Polk County Schools, Tryon, North Carolina Linnea Litaker, District Administrator, Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Salisbury, North Carolina Written by Barbara B. Howard, Ed.D., Project Director, Assessment, Accountability, and Standards at SERVE Edited by Karen DeMeester, Ph.D., Senior Program Specialist, SERVE Designed by Tracy Hamilton, Assistant Program Specialist, SERVE The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This document was produced with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no. ED-01-CO-0015. 04 0 2 VE R SE © Table of Contents 1 Overview of Teacher Growth and Assessment 17 Beginning Teacher Growth and Assessment 29 The Orientation 33 The Components of the Summative Evaluation Phase 34 Classroom Observation and Post-Observation Dialogue 38 The Summative Interview 46 Scoring the Matrix: The Profile of Performance Sheet 48 The Post-Interview Conference 49 Determining the Next Steps 53 The Formative Evaluation Phase 63 Teacher Growth and Assessment Process: Assessment Matrix 73 Forms 4 0 0 2 VE R SE © 4 0 0 2 VE R SE © Overview of Teacher Growth and Assessment 4 0 0 2 VE R SE © 1 Overview Purpose Teacher Growth and Assessment (TGA) is a comprehensive teacher evaluation system that includes structures for both accountability and professional growth, taking teacher evaluation to a new level. TGA provides the opportunity to use teacher evaluation data to plan professional development, involve teachers in self-assessment, and structure activities around expectations of performance. This is accomplished through two complementary phases: (a) summative and (b) formative. The summative phase establishes the process for accountability that ensures overall competency of the classroom teacher while also acknowledging those who meet or exceed state teaching standards within specific areas. All new teachers and those requiring more intense supervision should be evaluated using the summative process. All experienced teachers, including those who excel in their practice, should undergo summative evaluation at least once every three years. In contrast, the formative phase is designed to provide maximum opportunity for experienced (three plus years) teachers who have demonstrated proficient (or above) performance levels and are ready to be self-directed with minimum supervision. The summative phase allows for a graduated system of accountability to address the needs of those entering the profession. Novice teachers should be on the summative phase for at least the first three years as they build their skills and knowledge under the guidance of an experienced mentor. During the first critical year of practice, the novice and the mentor focus on developing proficient performance in 12 of the 22 performance dimensions while beginning to practice skills demanded by the remaining 10 dimensions. The second-year teacher adds seven more dimensions for accountability, thus building on the 12 from the previous year. The third-year teacher is ready to demonstrate proficiency in all 22 areas. This gradual adoption of the Assessment Matrix promotes a strong foundation while maintaining high expectations for performance. The formative phase provides structures for experienced teachers who meet or exceed expectations of performance to engage in deep, individualized professional growth. This process is designed to improve instructional practice—arguably the most important function of evaluation (Haefele, 1993; Manning, 1988). Why engage in teacher evaluation? An effective system of teacher evaluation properly implemented can be a principal’s most powerful tool in fulfilling the role of instructional leader. The intent of this system of teacher evaluation is to provide principals with a tool to increase 4 0 0 2 2 VE R Teacher Growth and Assessment Process: Procedural Handbook SE © Overview their own instructional leadership skills while guiding teachers in improving their practice. Rationale Behind the Process The national report What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, 1996) identified the quality of teachers in the classroom as having a critical impact on student learning. William Sanders (1998) found through the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) that the effects of teacher quality on student learning were long-lasting with profound effects on student achievement. Students who experienced three low- performing teachers in a row showed significantly lower achievement gains throughout later years. Even having a high-performing teacher later on did not make up for the loss. According to Sanders (1997), the clear implication of these findings is “more can be done to improve education by improving the effectiveness of teachers than by any other single factor” (p. 63). Through a system of feedback based on data directly related to job performance, a principal can influence a teacher’s practice. How can principals have the greatest impact on the development of competent teachers if not through summative evaluation processes that provide the structure for high expectations, multiple sources of data, and clear, credible feedback? The Summative Phase Definition Summative evaluation is a judgment on the quality of the total teaching performance of an individual teacher over a specified time period (Gullatt & Ballard, 1998; Sergiovanni, 1995; Scriven, 1987). Since the data collected and analyzed during an evaluation period should guide future employment and principals’ decisions, this process may be viewed as quality control for the protection of students and the public from incompetent teaching (Sergiovanni, 1995; Popham, 1988). Summative evaluation, then, is administrator-directed with an emphasis on accountability. Assessment Matrix Improving student learning is a dynamic process requiring continual growth in teacher knowledge and skill. To foster individual teacher growth, there must be clear, specific expectations of performance that guide feedback on current teaching practice. Everyone involved in the evaluation process—administrators and teachers—must have a common understanding of what those expectations look like in practice. 4 0 0 2 VE 3 SER Teacher Growth and Assessment Process: Procedural Handbook © Overview Those expectations are defined by an analytic rubric, the Assessment Matrix. This Matrix provides clear descriptions of performance defined as unsatisfactory, needs improvement, proficient, and accomplished practice within each dimension. These descriptions guide both teachers in self-assessment and administrators in scoring, thus keeping everyone “on the same page.” Instead of rating scales left open to interpretation, the Matrix provides a more defined road map for both teacher and evaluator to assess the teacher’s performance within each dimension. The Assessment Matrix is aligned with the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards for new teachers and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. In some districts, it may be modified by SERVE to reflect district goals applicable to all teachers. The Matrix represents expectations for all teachers employed within any given district, and, as such, it is necessary that all expectations for performance be appropriate for all teachers regardless of subject or grade level. While standards of performance must be maintained, there is flexibility among grade levels and subject areas in the type of evidence or practice to support those standards. The Matrix is divided into six broad categories of teaching responsibilities: 1. Planning 2. Instruction 3. Assessment 4. Student Motivation and Management Please note: 5. Teacher Impact It is important that 6. Professional Growth and Contribution principals use the actual descriptors within the The six categories are defined by 22 performance dimensions with four performance dimensions clearly stated levels of performance: when considering the score for a performance 1. Unsatisfactory and not rely on their 2. Needs Improvement own interpretation of the 3. Proficient labels for each level. 4. Accomplished The evaluator uses the Assessment Matrix as a guide to judge overall performance and provide feedback to teachers on the quality of their job performance. The teacher uses the Assessment Matrix as a guide for analyzing practice through self-assessment. The written descriptions of the levels of performance within the Matrix provide clear expectations and reduce some of the subjectivity inherent in rating scales. The expectations for each level of performance are clearly stated and enable the teacher to determine what actions are needed to perform at higher levels. For this reason, the Assessment Matrix provides an excellent opportunity for teacher self-assessment at the beginning of the summative year and as a guide to the development of professional growth goals for the formative year. 4 0 0 2 4 VE R Teacher Growth and Assessment Process: Procedural Handbook SE ©

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