USING TEACHER EVALUATION TO IMPROVE TEACHING

1. USING TEACHER EVALUATION TO IMPROVE TEACHING Melinda Mangin

2. Setting the Context… Modern teacher evaluation policies demand that school leaders’ time and energy is consumed by evaluation. But evidence suggests: • This is a task they can not adequately complete, that has questionable validity • “capacity to conduct observations” is key challenge • more “random noise” than “true signal”

3. Opportunity Costs Time spent on (dubious) teacher evaluation is time that could be spent leading for learning. “In essence, leading for learning means creating powerful, equitable learning opportunities for students, professionals, and the system, and motivating or compelling participants to take advantage of these opportunities.” (Knapp, Copland, et. al., 2003, p. 18)

4. Three Learning Agendas

5. Leading for Learning • Establishing a Focus on Learning: establishing shared values &expectations that set the foundation for learning. • Theories of intelligence that promote equitable education • Knowledge necessary to build shared vision • Commitment to a culture of teacher learning • Building Learning Communities: creating a collaborative culture focused on learning as means to develop teacher capacity. • Professional learning situated within context • Structures that facilitate collaborative interdependencies • Trust necessary to facilitate hard feedback

6. Leading for Learning • Monitoring Teaching and Learning: using data and collaborative inquiry in the process of improving teaching and learning. Examining data to: a) identify and define problems, b) develop an evidence-based plan for improvement, c) assess progress toward goals and, d) provide means for reflection for continuous improvement. • Acquiring & Allocating Resources for Learning: managing and aligning financial, physical, and human resources to advance student learning. • For teachers: investing in professional development

7. Leading for Learning • Engaging External Environments that Matter for Learning: Developing relationships that support student learning: • in the immediate external community (parents, neighbors, school volunteers, & the district office) • in the broader external community (business organizations, other schools, policymakers, the professional community) as a means to leverage stakeholder support and attend to multiple contexts for learning and their intersections. • Sharing Leadership • Treating teachers as a resource • Creating Coherence • Vertical and horizontal alignment across subsystems

8. Learning Culture • Learning IS the work • Evaluation is a tool to meet learning goals and not the goal itself • Where learning is the priority, evaluation will follow as an inherent part of the learning process as learners engage in inquiry, reflection, collaboration and constructive feedback.

9. References Knapp, M. S., Copland, M. A., Ford, B., Markholt, A., McLaughlin, M. W., Milliken, M. Talbert, J.E. (2003). Leading for learning sourcebook. University of Washington: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.