Teams, administrators, or consultants
make classroom observations and review student - teacher and student - student interactions.
Making classroom observations the bull's - eye of legal action isn't going to help the current crop of plaintiffs very much.
Observation 360 runs conveniently as an app for iPad,
making classroom observation easily recordable and immediately sharable.
Specifically, they sought to determine whether or not video technology can
make classroom observation processes easier to implement, less costly, more valid and reliable, and more acceptable to teachers and administrators.
Not exact matches
State lawmakers earlier this year agreed to a package of education policy changes that linked test scores to evaluations as well as in -
classroom observation and
made it more difficult for teachers to obtain tenure.
The move comes after NYSUT pushed back this year against efforts by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to overhaul the state's teacher evaluation system, with the performance evaluations linked to both standardized test results and in -
classroom observation, while also
making it more difficult for teachers to obtain and keep tenure.
Throughout, the M15 chief, Harry Patterson (John Hurt), who's rigged the van with a hidden camera and a microphone and is overseeing the ride,
makes observations about the two figures» psychologies that are already plainly evident through the actors» gestures, as well as offers explanations about the political and historical importance of this discussion that feel more like
classroom lectures.
For a number of reasons — limited reliability, the potential for abuse, the recent evidence that teachers have effects on student earnings and college going which are largely not captured by test - based measures — it would not
make sense to attach 100 percent of the weight to test - based measures (or any of the available measures, including
classroom observations, for that matter).
There is an expectation among the school staff that they practice a culture of continuous improvement and risk - taking based on a cycle of conversations,
classroom observations, constructive feedback, and planning and implementing strategies that aim to directly
make a difference to
classroom practices in line with the priorities identified for school improvement.
With the Best Foot Forward project, the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard is testing what it hopes is a better way to conduct
classroom observations,
making the process more valuable for teachers and administrators.
As educators who have spent over 20 years researching, observing and studying
classroom practice, we are even more convinced that many of the past practices in
classroom observation relied on snapshot
observations made by supervisors with little professional or academic learning.
The scheduling, the
classroom observations, the discussions, the reports, the checklists, the double - check - to -
make - sure - we - haven «t - written - anything - that - the - union - folks - will - use - to - flay - us - later routines — it's an exhausting, demanding, tenuous adventure.
•
Classrooms open to teacher colleagues for observation and analysis In order to articulate a problem of practice teachers must make use of instructional data which they collect through observations of their colleagues» classrooms and contrast current practice with their shared expectation of effective instruction for the identified learnin
Classrooms open to teacher colleagues for
observation and analysis In order to articulate a problem of practice teachers must
make use of instructional data which they collect through
observations of their colleagues»
classrooms and contrast current practice with their shared expectation of effective instruction for the identified learnin
classrooms and contrast current practice with their shared expectation of effective instruction for the identified learning problem.
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.
Here's what this approach looks like: Administrators
make frequent short, unannounced
classrooms visits (at least once a month), followed promptly by face - to - face listening / coaching conversations; teacher teams meet regularly to discuss planning, pedagogy, and assessment results; and teacher assessment is saved till the end of the school year, pulling together
observations, other points of contact, and teachers» self - assessments.
In her role as Principal for the program, Simpson supported mentors and interns in the implementation of project - based assessments, facilitated planning meetings between mentor and intern teachers, and
made daily
observations in
classrooms and provided feedback and support based on those
observations to both mentors and interns.
Teachers» scores on the
classroom observation components of Cincinnati's evaluation system reliably predict the achievement gains
made by their students in both math and reading.
School leaders will be able to
make retention decisions based on valid measures such as student - achievement growth and
classroom observations and student evaluations.
What's more, significantly improved predictive power from a mixture of
classroom observations with test score gains could have
made the case for why we need both.
They actually tried a variety of procedures for
classroom observations to see what
made a difference.
For a number of reasons limited reliability, the potential for abuse, the recent evidence that teachers have effects on student earnings and college going which are largely not captured by test - based measures it would not
make sense to attach 100 percent of the weight to test - based measures (or any of the available measures, including
classroom observations, for that matter).
High - scoring principals frequently observed
classroom instruction for short periods of time,
making 20 - 60
observations a week, and most of the
observations were spontaneous.
Except for the observers «filled out
observation protocol, we
made no recording of any sort of the
classrooms.
We found that the teachers who
made the most gains in their
classroom practice (as measured by the CLASS ™
observation tool) focused their conversations with mentors on
classroom practice — following a cycle in which mentors observed teachers and collected data, interpreted the data with mentees in post-
observation meetings, planned next steps together and kept in touch between monthly visits.
One of the commitments that Washington — and every State that received ESEA flexibility —
made was to put in place teacher and principal evaluation and support systems that take into account information on student learning growth based on high - quality college - and career - ready (CCR) State assessments as a significant factor in determining teacher and principal performance levels, along with other measures of professional practice such as
classroom observations.
Based on the earlier
observations I
made and seeing the debate in action, I see that the
classroom had been intentionally set up in such a way that student voice was not only celebrated, but used to create more opportunities for students to grow and be successful.
In contrast to their view of VAM scores, teachers reported to us that they found
classroom observations helpful in providing actionable feedback on their teaching in real time — so they didn't have to wait until the end of the year to
make adjustments.
Can video technology transform
classroom observations for teachers and principals,
making the process easier and more reliable?
And if the second stage is based solely on the
classroom observation, for example, then the final performance classification is
made based on the same criteria for everyone.
The
observations made in this case study show that drama can be integrated into academic
classrooms as an effective approach for engaging students in active participation in their learning while helping them
make connections between historical and contemporary world issues.
Preservice teachers often struggle with
making sense of what they have learned in their methods courses about «research - based practice» and the reality that they find in the
classrooms in which they are placed for
observations and teaching experiences.
He now wants to simplify the process by
making student progress on state exams count for half of the teacher's rating, with
classroom observations accounting for the other half.
Make sure that all
classroom observations are in line with the school's procedure and also with acceptable
observation protocols.
We are proud to be able to offer an affordable
classroom observation tool — developed by Principals for Principals — that will
make the daunting task of observing all teachers more manageable and effective.
He has provided professional development for teachers and administrators, including Data Teams / Decision
Making for Results, Leadership Performance Coaching, and monitoring curriculum and instruction through
classroom walk through
observations and follow up conversations.
It's
observations like this that many teachers hope will provide a clearer picture of their
classrooms and
make up for any deficiencies in using test scores to judge their performance.
The change has three main prongs: principals
making more frequent and rigorous
classroom observations; teachers in core subjects like math and English receiving ratings based on how their students perform on standardized tests; and teachers in grades and subjects where those tests don't apply devising other ways to chart student growth, in collaboration with their principals and using advice from the state.
Your campus may already have exemplars for teacher practices and student actions you expect to see in a
classroom, but
make sure capturing evidence of these is part of your
observation tool.
Another issue that has cropped up in both D.C. and Memphis is how well the teacher ratings based on
classroom observations match the student test - score data that
make up the other half of a teacher's overall rating.
Lee County School District in Florida pays Mark Rolewski over $ 100,000 a year to
make motivational speeches to school leaders, look at school data, and
make short
classroom observations.
And yet, the researchers argue that using test scores to
make high - stakes decisions about teachers» jobs is actually a more accurate method than previous systems, which often depended on cursory
classroom observations, pass rates on licensure tests, and degrees earned.
We
made an average of six
observations per participant, for a total of 54
classroom observations.
I use multiple data sources — including eight months of participatory
classroom observation; in - depth interviews with educators, school leaders, and staff; and document and media analyses — to probe teachers» decision -
making processes and to examine how, why, and under what conditions they elect to employ discipline in relation to particular students.
The impacts on teacher effectiveness and placement are inconclusive during the first couple of years of study; however, majorities of teachers have indicated that the feedback they received, especially from
classroom observations, has prompted them to
make changes in their practice.
Among these factors were building collaboration and trust by protecting time for teachers to work together and developing a team - oriented culture;
making teaching public by opening
classroom doors and engaging in frequent
observation, feedback, and support; and persisting in improvement efforts by celebrating progress and overcoming inevitable setbacks.
The TAP System for Teacher and Student Advancement is implemented in school districts across the country, affecting approximately 15,000 teachers and 200,000 students.46 With support from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, school districts create multiple career paths for teachers, including career, mentor, and master teacher.47 Teacher leaders participate in school leadership teams with administrators, provide colleagues with regular professional learning opportunities and individualized coaching, observe and provide feedback for instructional improvement, and are compensated for these additional responsibilities.48 Trained teacher leaders in schools using the TAP System have demonstrated an ability to evaluate
classroom instruction with accuracy and consistency, and their
observations are closely aligned to student learning gains in
classrooms.49 According to Lori Johnson, a participating TAP master teacher in Phoenix, «It was the best decision I ever
made professionally.
This article is primarily about (1) the extent to which the data generated by «high - quality
observation systems» can inform principals» human capital decisions (e.g., teacher hiring, contract renewal, assignment to
classrooms, professional development), and (2) the extent to which principals are relying less on test scores derived via value - added models (VAMs), when
making the same decisions, and why.
Make sure the evaluation system has no consequences for teachers associated with student test scores but does include multiple
classroom observations and an evaluation of
classroom artifacts — tests, papers, projects, and the like.
Ted Christensen, 47, a seventh - grade English language arts teacher who has taught at Valor Middle Academy for six years and has been a teacher for 18 years, said the evaluations he gets during
classroom observations make him feel valued.
Classroom
observation requires having lots of people to sit in the back of lots and lots of
classrooms and
make judgments.