Teacher Evaluation Washington

1. Overview
It is important to note, from the onset, that growth in every sector is often preceded by an assessment of current performance, appraisal of desired performance, and formulation of the measures to be taken to close any existing gap. This evaluation model for Washington High School is inclusive of the subsystems meant to not only assess, but also gauge teaching, administration, and programs. Teacher evaluation, according to Darling-Hammond et al. (as cited in Razik and Swanson, 2009), “generally addresses four purposes: individual improvement, school improvement, individual accountability, and organizational accountability” (p. 195).
2. Practice and Performance
2.1 Observation
There will be two observation schedules – formal and informal. At least one formal observation (in a class setting) shall be undertaken every two years. With regard to the informal schedule, two such observations (in a class setting) will be completed annually. Feedback is designed to facilitate the growth of the teacher as an educator. In that regard, therefore, comments presented by evaluators will not only be direct, but also clear and concise. Their content will be largely supportive and will be inclusive of ratings evidence, actions recommended, and follow-up timeline.
2.2 Other Practice Reviews
The goal of evaluations should be the provision of feedback that is largely comprehensive. In that regard, therefore, all engagements of relevance to not only the professional conduct, but also instructional competence of teachers ought to be included in evaluations. Such engagements could be inclusive of records of attendance to activities of a professional nature, evidence of mentorship, parent-teacher meeting/engagement notes, etc.
3. Feedback
3.1 Parent Feedback
Parent feedback will be a score component on the indicator of teacher practice.
3.1.1 Parent surveys will be anonymous and they will be formulated and administered in a way that guarantees both reliability and fairness. The surveys will be undertaken every spring and their coverage will be all-inclusive.
3.1.2 The results of the survey will be reviewed by the school’s management with an aim of discerning points that require attention. It is on the basis of this review that parent engagement objectives will be set.
3.1.3 Next, school-wide consultations will be held to identify and agree upon goals to be followed upon. Examples here could include the enhancement of parent-teacher engagements, strategies to be implemented in ensuring that parents become more interested in the academic progress of their children, etc.
3.1.4 Progress measurement parameters will be formulated
3.2 Student Feedback
3.2.1 Whole-school student feedback will also be gathered. Just as is the case with parent surveys, the student surveys will remain anonymous and deliberate steps will be taken to ensure validity, relevance, as well as fairness. It is important to note that “student surveys are potentially useful in systems of teacher feedback and evaluation because they can identify specific areas of focus for teacher improvement and are less resource-intensive that teacher observations…” (Grissom and Youngs, 2016, p. 312). The administration of the survey will be deliberately planned so as to ensure that there are no retribution fears amongst students. This could be done by ensuring that student’s names are not tied to the survey responses.
3.2.2 Student feedback surveys will be conducted on an annual basis, with two such surveys being undertaken in the specified period. While the first survey can seek to set targets for the coming year, the second could be focused on the sourcing of information key to the professional growth and development of teachers.
4. Growth and Development of Students
4.1 It is important to note that as a group (and even individually) the students of a given teacher are not identical to those of another teacher, regardless of the subject under consideration or even the grade. In the words of Gregory and Chapman (2012), “experts have shared with educators the notion of student learning styles and the fact that we all learn in different ways, process information differently, and have distinct preferences about where, when, and how we learn” (p. 27). In that regard, therefore, to be meaningful for the evaluation of teachers, student development as well as growth ought to be gauged or assessed using techniques that are appreciative of the uniqueness of students as well as assignment of the teacher.
4.2 The appropriate approach towards this end would be Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) – which are, in essence, academic goals that have a longer-term orientation and are well-formulated. These will be implemented as the year commences and will highlight the various objectives tied to the learning of students and the outcomes expected.
4.3 The stages to be considered in this regard include; familiarizing oneself with the current period’s students, setting of learning goals, tracking the progress of learners, and conducting an outcome assessment in relation to the set objectives.
5. Implications
It is important to note that putting the plan into effect will be of great relevance towards the achievement of the greatest potential of teachers. To begin with, the plan will enable teachers to gain access to various data forms to inform the development of their improvement plans and objectives. This is more so the case given that the plan provides various feedback sources on the performance of the said teachers. Putting the plan into effect will also further inform or facilitate the professional learning of teachers as in this case, there are varied learning experiences and learning approaches are designed to meet the outcomes desired and keep track of progress made.


















References
Gregory, G.H. & Chapman, C. (2012). Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn’t Fit All (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Grissom, J.A. & Youngs, P. (Eds.). (2016). Improving Teacher Evaluation Systems: Making the Most of Multiple Measures. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Razik, T.A. & Swanson, A.D. (2009). Fundamental Concepts of Educational Leadership Management. Belmont, CA: Ally and Bacon