Evaluating Teacher Performance: Getting it Right

CPRE Annual Conference

November 21-23, 2002

Charlotte Danielson

charlotte_danielson@hotmail.com

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

Creating an environment of respect and rapport

Establishing a culture for learning Managing classroom procedures Managing student behavior Organizing physical space

Communicating clearly and accurately Using questioning and discussion

techniques Engaging students in learning Providing feedback to students Demonstrating flexibility and

responsiveness

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

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.

Discussion Techniques

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.

Student Participation

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