Teacher Evaluation & Race to the Top

July 28th, 2010 10:16am - Posted By: Peggy Gonder

Congratulations to the State of Colorado for becoming a finalist for Race to the Top Funds from the U.S. Dept. of Education. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan praised the State for passing SB 191, which ties teacher tenure to student achievement.  

But the bill was controversial because it provides almost no funding for reforming the teacher evaluation process and could demote teachers with two consecutive ineffective ratings. Improving teacher evaluation is a critical step in increasing student achievement.  Beginning teachers need help with discipline and setting measurable goals for what they can accomplish over time. Veteran teachers who struggle to help students succeed need specific guidance on types of additional training, including analyzing student performance data.  An improved system should include a learning plan where all teachers can improve their practice.

To their credit, the Colorado Legislature empowered The Governor's Council on Educator Effectiveness (created last January) to define teacher and principal effectiveness and establish standards and make recommendations to ensure that evaluations use multiple fair, transparent, timely, rigorous and valid methods. At least 50% of the evaluation is to be determined by the academic growth of their students.

The state's largest teachers union, the Colorado Education Association, supports the Council, which includes teachers, principals, a parent, a superintendent, school board members, state leaders from K-12 and higher education.  The CEA opposed SB 191 because budget cuts have reduced the resources (human and financial) needed to implement a system calling for annual evaluations of "non-probationary" teachers.  Currently, such teachers are only evaluated every three years. The new evaluation system and its consequences will take effect in the 2013-14 school year.

If Colorado does receive Race to the Top Funding, it will be important to allocate a majority of the funds to developing models for a robust  evaluation system and resources to help struggling teachers to improve.  It may still be difficult to implement without more funds to help local districts pilot the new system, but it will be a start so all Colorado districts can increase teacher effectiveness and improve student achievement.

Posted in: Education

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