Teacher evaluation is arguably the hottest issue in education right now. Because of Race to the Top, many states and districts around the country are designing and implementing new teacher evaluation systems that--for the first time ever--evaluate teachers based on how much their students learn. However, there is limited research on how to build an evaluation system centered on classroom observations that can distinguish between effective and ineffective teaching. This report from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research focuses on Chicago, but the lessons learned have significant applicability to districts across the country. The report is one of the first to provide research-based evidence showing that new teacher observation tools, when accompanied by thoughtful evaluation systems and professional development, can effectively measure teacher effectiveness and provide teachers with feedback on the factors that matter for improving student learning. This is especially relevant for those districts that are implementing the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching, including Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, South Dakota, Washington, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh.

In this important book, education expert Kim Marshall shows how to break away from the typical and often ineffective evaluation approaches in which principals use infrequent classroom visits or rely on standardized test scores to assess a teacher's performance. Marshall proposes a broader framework for supervision and evaluation that enlists teachers in improving the performance of all students. Emphasizing trust-building and teamwork, Marshall's innovative, four-part framework shifts the focus from periodically evaluating teaching to continuously analyzing learning. This book offers school principals a guide for implementing Marshall's framework and shows how to make frequent, informal classroom visits followed by candid feedback to each teacher; work with teacher teams to plan thoughtful curriculum units rather than focusing on individual lessons; get teachers as teams involved in low-stakes analysis of interim assessment results to fine-tune their teaching and help struggling students; and use compact rubrics for summative teacher evaluation. This vital resource also includes extensive tools and advice for managing time as well as ideas for using supervision and evaluation practices to foster teacher professional development.

This report summarizes findings from a two-year study of Chicago's Excellence in Teaching Pilot, which was designed to drive instructional improvement by providing teachers with evidence-based feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. The pilot consisted of training and support for principals and teachers, principal observations of teaching practice conducted twice a year using the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching, and conferences between the principal and the teacher to discuss evaluation results and teaching practice. Although the findings from this report focus on a specific pilot in a specific city, they have broad implications for districts and states nationwide that are working to design and develop evaluation systems that rely on classroom observations to differentiate among teachers and drive instructional improvement. Overall, the authors found that the Excellence in Teaching Pilot was an improvement on the old evaluation system and worked as it was designed and intended, introducing an evidence-based observation approach to evaluating teachers and creating a shared definition of effective teaching. At the same time, the new system faced a number of challenges, including weak instructional coaching skills and lack of buy-in among some principals. Specific findings include: (1) The classroom observation ratings were valid measures of teaching practice; (2) The classroom observation ratings were reliable measures of teaching practice; (3) Principals and teachers said that conferences were more reflective and objective than in the past and were focused on instructional practice and improvement; and (4) Over half of principals were highly engaged in the new evaluation system. Appended are: (1) Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching Modified for Use in Chicago Public Schools; (2) Chicago Public Schools Evaluation Checklist; (3) Danielson Framework Training for Pilot Principals and Teachers; (4) Quantitative Data and Statistical Models; and (5) Qualitative Data and Analytic Methods. (Contains 13 tables, 17 figures and 23 endnotes.) [This paper was written with Stuart Luppescu, Kavita Kapadia Matsko, Frances K. Miller, Claire E. Durwood, Jennie Y. Jiang, and Danielle Glazer. For the first year report, "Rethinking Teacher Evaluation: Findings from the First Year of the Excellence in Teaching Project in Chicago Public Schools. Policy Brief," see ed512286.].

This book provides a framework, concrete examples, and tools for designing a high quality, academically-robust preservice teacher preparation program that empowers teachers with the depth of professional knowledge and the skills required to become adaptable, responsive K-12 teachers ready to engage with diverse groups of students, and to achieve consistent learning outcomes. Renowned teacher educators Etta R. Hollins and Connor K. Warner present a systematic approach for developing a teacher preparation program characterized by coherence, continuity, consistency, integrity, and trustworthiness, as well as one that is firmly grounded in collaboration between faculty, community members, and other school practitioners. This book offers an evidence-based roadmap relevant for teacher educators, administrators, scholars, agencies at the state and national levels, and any organization that serves teacher educators.

In the wake of national interest in teacher evaluation, this book examines what we have learned about how and whether teacher evaluation holds teachers accountable and improves their practice. Drawing on literature in psychology, economics, and sociology, this multi-disciplinary and multi-perspectival book explores teacher evaluation’s intended goals of development and accountability, as well as its unintended consequences, especially as they relate to equity. Blending theory from diverse disciplines with decades of research, this book provides new insights into how teacher evaluation has played out in schools across the United States and offers recommendations for research, policy, and practice in the years to come. Insights include how to embed teacher evaluation in a larger culture of continuous learning; rethinking assumptions on accountability and development aims; and highlighting the importance of equity in the design, implementation, and outcomes of teacher evaluation. Every chapter concludes with practical recommendations informed by theory and research to guide policymakers, researchers, and district and school leaders as they seek to understand, design, and implement better teacher evaluation systems.

A practical, research-based guide for ensuring trustworthy classroom observations that provide teachers with meaningful feedback Better Feedback for Better Teaching is an essential resource for school, district, and state, leaders committed to high-quality classroom observations. This practical guide outlines the knowledge and skills classroom observers need to identify and help develop effective teaching, and explains how leaders can best facilitate the development of classroom observers. The best way to ensure high quality instruction in every classroom is to provide teachers with accurate, constructive feedback on practices proven to enhance student learning. Skilled classroom observers help teachers do their best work, so that they can guide students to their greatest potential. Better Feedback for Better Teaching provides helpful, reliable strategies from leading experts and practitioners involved in the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project, which carried out one of the largest, most influential studies of classroom observations to date. Among the many topics covered, Better Feedback for Better Teaching describes how to: Build a shared vision of effective teacher feedback among observers Ensure a common understanding of a classroom observation tool Train observers to collect objective evidence from a lesson, efficiently and free of bias Leverage data to improve how observers are trained and supported This comprehensive resource includes helpful starting points, as well as tips to refine techniques and address new challenges. Each section combines clear explanations of key ideas with concrete, adaptable examples and strategies. Self-assessments are included to help you quickly rank current needs and find the most relevant solutions. Filled with valuable, practical tools, Better Feedback for Better Teaching helps educators cultivate high-quality classroom observations that improve teaching and learning.