Classroom observation scores refer to a set of data collected by observing and evaluating teachers' performance in their classrooms.
Full definition
Teachers with students with higher incoming achievement levels
receive classroom observation scores that are higher on average than those received by teachers with lower achieving students.
In our report, we introduced a method for adjusting for the bias
in classroom observation scores by taking into account the demographic make - up of teachers» classrooms.
In addition, «approximately half of the teachers — 48 % in ELA and 54 % in math — were rated in the top two performance quintiles if assigned the highest performing students, while 37 % of ELA and only 18 % of math teachers assigned the lowest performing students were highly rated based
on classroom observation scores»
Jay accuses the foundation of failing to disclose the limited power
of classroom observation scores in predicting future test score gains over and above what one would predict based on value - added scores alone.
Such an adjustment for the makeup of the class is already factored into teachers» value - added scores; it should be factored
into classroom observation scores as well.
Increasing the rigor of standards and, subsequently, the demand of tests, will likely increase the proportion of cases
where classroom observation scores and student achievement results align to identify similar teachers as effective.
Our study, «Relationships between Observations of Elementary Mathematics Instruction and Student Achievement: Exploring Variability across Districts» explores a potential explanation as to why differences in the relationships
between classroom observation scores and student test scores exist across different contexts.
Teachers with students with higher incoming achievement levels
receive classroom observation scores that are higher on average than those received by teachers whose incoming students are at lower achievement levels, and districts do not have processes in place to address this bias.
Several studies, including our own, clearly demonstrate that teacher evaluation systems that are based on a number of components, such
as classroom observation scores and test - score gains, are already much more effective at predicting future teacher performance than paper credentials and years of experience.
The question is whether teachers who were dismissed for low evaluation scores in the districts we studied would have received substantively different evaluation scores if
their classroom observation scores had been adjusted as we recommend.
Most importantly, we discovered that there is bias in
the classroom observation scores due to student ability.
(If some teachers are assigned particularly engaged or cohesive classrooms year after year, the results could still be biased; this approach, however, does eliminate bias due to year - to - year differences in unmeasured classroom traits being related to
classroom observation scores.)
I mentioned earlier that a teacher with high value - added and low
classroom observation scores (High - Low) is unlikely to be equally effective as one with low value - added and high classroom observations scores (Low - High).
Taylor received «exceeding expectations»
classroom observation scores, but a low value - added estimate reduced his final evaluation score below the requirement to receive the bonus.
To see how, note that researchers have found consistent, positive correlations between value - added and
classroom observations scores.
In addition, we provide the first evidence that
classroom observation scores are unbiased predictors of teacher performance on a rubric measuring the quality of mathematics instruction.
Teachers can earn performance bonuses based on
their classroom observation scores, their students» growth scores, and a schoolwide growth score.
Specifically, we explore whether the relationship between teachers»
classroom observation scores and their students» mathematics achievement outcomes might be attributed to (mis) alignment between the types of instructional practices valued in classroom observations and the skills expected of students on standardized tests.
Her classroom observation score was 3.2 out of a possible 4, but she was still rated minimally effective and fired in July.
Our results thus provided suggestive evidence that the strength of the relationship between teachers»
classroom observation scores and their students» test performance may in part be attributable to the sensitivity of the skills assessed during observation to those assessed on the test.