Proponents of evaluation systems that include high -
quality classroom observations point to their potential value for improving instruction (see «Capturing the Dimensions of Effective Teaching,» Features, Fall 2o12).
A study published in Education Next by Eric Taylor and John Tyler found that teacher evaluation systems that include high -
quality classroom observations can improve the effectiveness of individual teachers.
The second set of preliminary findings, released in January 2012, examined classroom observations and offered key considerations for creating high -
quality classroom observation systems.
Not exact matches
In this context, the responsibility of schools is to ensure high
quality assessment of
classroom practice as part of accreditation and registration as well as developing a growing understanding of the use of
classroom observation and feedback as key tools for improving the
quality of teaching and learning practice for individual teachers, teams and schools.
They argued that there is a growing professional and academic understanding of the use of
classroom observation and feedback as key tools for improving the
quality of teaching and learning practice for individual teachers, teams and schools.
At Canberra College, Clayden says the QT framework for improving the
quality of assessment tasks operates very much like QT Rounds for
classroom observation.
During the past year, Bonnie Mackintosh has been conducting
classroom - level
observations and child assessments in community - based preschool programs throughout Boston's Circle of Promise and East Boston neighborhoods as part of an initiative to improve access to high -
quality early childhood care and educational programs.
Efforts to Improve Teacher
Quality: Although Delaware requires only a basic - skills test for teachers to earn their initial licenses, it also has a performance assessment, consisting of
classroom observations, to evaluate novice teachers once they are in the
classroom.
Second, it would be a self - adjusting standard: if
classroom observation scores become inflated or if the
quality of those willing to enter teaching were to decline (or rise), the threshold for tenure would adjust accordingly.
In the interim, schools might adapt their
classroom observations and student surveys to look for evidence of student writing or add questions to the student survey asking students to describe the
quality of feedback they receive on their writing.
Third, we worked hard to improve the
quality of our principal training and credentialing, year - after - year, to ensure accuracy in
classroom observations.
In addition, our analysis does not compare value added with other measures of teacher
quality, like evaluations based on
classroom observation, which might be even better predictors of teachers» long - term impacts than VA scores.
CLASS ratings in sampled K - 3
classrooms (one of Bob Pianta's
classroom observation instruments), or another
classroom observation system for primary grades with equal or greater evidence of reliability and validity to judge the
quality of
classroom interactions, with sampling and
observation windows designed to draw school - level (not class - level) inferences — see for example the use of CLASS in the Head Start Designation Renewal System.
At the middle of the preschool year,
classroom observations of interactions were conducted by trained observers and teachers rated the
quality of dyadic teacher — child relationships.
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.
In addition, through direct measurements of teaching practices through
classroom observations, the CNA study also found that applicants for Board certification had higher ratings of instructional
quality compared to non-applicants.
After conducting several rounds of
classroom observations at Costano it became apparent that while teachers delivered instruction that was of high
quality and mostly engaging, they were not providing enough meaningfulread more
Amy has since completed countless
classroom observations through work as a peer validator evaluating practices in Newark and New Haven schools, and in providing embedded, ongoing support for instructional leaders and teachers in the areas of high
quality observation, feedback, and teaching and learning across Connecticut.
Tags: checklist,
classroom observations, evaluating
classroom assessment,
quality assessment, questions to ask, teacher reflection
The
classroom observations provide more nuanced information about the specific ways in which instruction can be improved (
classroom management,
quality of feedback to students, etc.), something not possible with value - added.
Though this multimedia case study can help teacher educators address other difficulties raised at the beginning of this paper — providing preservice teachers with
quality field
observations and providing them with a common experience to reflect upon together — our focus in this paper has been examining more closely lessons we have learned about how to provide preservice teachers access to the complexities of
classroom teaching.
It further found that some teachers who were highly rated on student surveys, in
classroom observations by principals, and through other indicators of
quality had students who scored poorly on tests.
Teachers grant more validity to
classroom assessment results,
classroom observations, homework completion and
quality, and students» class participation and behavior than administrators do (Guskey, 2007).
As Dropout Nation noted last week in its report on teacher evaluations, even the most - rigorous
classroom observation approaches are far less accurate in identifying teacher
quality than either value - added analysis of test score data or even student surveys such as the Tripod system used by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of its Measures of Effective Teaching project.
As
quality teaching is key to providing the high -
quality early learning experiences, IDRA provides customized technical assistance and training that can include:
classroom demonstrations and
observations, coaching for success, nurturing of innovations, and building on existing strengths.
After conducting several rounds of
classroom observations at Costano it became apparent that while teachers delivered instruction that was of high
quality and mostly engaging, they were not providing enough meaningful and strategic opportunities for students to engage in conversation around content.
The completed online, video - based assessment tool aims to measure how school leaders can observe and notice the
quality of
classroom instruction, interpret their
observations and provide productive feedback to the teacher, and use the
observations to plan professional development for the teaching staff.
She has led professional learning sessions at the local, regional, state, and national levels on topics such as
classroom observations and the use of video, formative assessment, common core state standards, and
quality feedback.
Participants will be provided a comprehensive, research - based instructional framework for analyzing the
quality of teaching across five categories and 13 sub-dimensions that they can use for
classroom observation.
And considering the low -
quality of subjective
classroom observations that are the norm for traditional teacher evaluation systems, the state laws and collective bargaining agreements governing teacher performance management discourage school leaders from providing more - ample feedback, and that the use of objective student test score growth data is just coming into play, few teachers have gotten the kind of feedback needed to build such expertise in the first place.
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.
In our experience with the process of supporting
quality teaching through professional development, three major elements have facilitated the shifts we see in teachers» thinking and practice as evidenced in teacher goals,
classroom observations and other data sources:
The Network for Excellence in Teaching defines a high -
quality clinical preparation program as one that includes a scaffolded approach, a continuum of experiences, integration between coursework and theory, faculty
observation and feedback, and
classroom teacher involvement and feedback.8
The descriptions of
classroom quality available in standardized
classroom observation systems provide a standard way of measuring and noting teachers» strengths and weaknesses and evaluating whether policy initiatives or professional development activities are actually helping improve
classroom interactions.
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.
Researchers at the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher
Quality (Little et al., 2009) found that a «reliable
classroom observation protocol may be wildly inaccurate or inconsistent in the hands of an untrained evaluator» (p. 21).
How are schools using peer review,
classroom observations, and students» and parents» perspectives to provide a comprehensive picture of teacher
quality?
The proposed system would include requirements for grant - funded
classrooms in regards to improvement plans, multiple
observations over time to increase program
quality, as well as professional development for teachers and administrators to understand and promote
quality practices and data use.
TORSH Talent, an easy to use, video - based and in - person
observation, feedback and data management platform, provides center directors with the ability to remotely coach educators to support and improve
classroom quality, developmentally appropriate practice, and accreditation efforts.
These
observations showed significantly higher levels of overall
classroom quality among
classrooms in the 4Rs schools compared to
classrooms in the control schools at the end of the first year.
SB 1458 also authorizes the SPI to develop a school
quality review program including school visits,
classroom observations, pupil interviews, or examination of student work should funds be allocated for this purpose in the state budget.
The report notes that evaluations are most effective when value added scores are combined with other
classroom measures, such as
observations — which provide opportunities for school leaders and line managers to see teachers in action — and surveys of pupils about the
quality of teaching they receive.
Although Pennsylvania commendably requires
classroom observations as part of teacher evaluations, the state should articulate guidelines that focus
classroom observations on the
quality of instruction, as measured by student time on task, student grasp or mastery of the lesson objective and efficient use of class time.
No matter how you mix it, it's better to go with Value - Added, student surveys, or both: As Dropout Nation noted last year, the accuracy of
classroom observations is so low that even in a multiple measures approach to evaluation in which value - added data and student surveys account for the overwhelming majority of the data culled from the model (72.9 percent, and 17.2 percent of the evaluation in one case), the
classroom observations are of such low
quality that they bring down the accuracy of the overall performance review.
However, with continued concerns over the unintended (and sometimes detrimental) consequences of expanding standardized testing, policies have reemphasized the importance of more traditional, widely applicable approaches to measuring teacher
quality — specifically, the
quality of teachers» instruction, assessed through
classroom observation.
Previously, Ullrich conducted academic research related to
observations of
classroom quality and teacher - child interactions as a graduate research assistant at George Mason University.
These
observations showed significantly higher levels of overall
classroom quality among
classrooms in the 4Rs schools compared to
classrooms in the control schools at the end of the first year.
A trained administrator conducts a
classroom observation and teacher interview, uncovering detailed information about the
quality of 14 key teaching practices, noting red flags that indicate areas for immediate support, and observing how teachers respond to challenging behaviors.
Conduct
classroom observations, including providing feedback on
observations to
classroom teams, meeting with teams to develop plans for improving
classroom quality and addressing child behavior, etc..
To get «under the hood,» schools and districts might use tools such as
classroom observation rubrics, a School
Quality Review in which an outside observer rates a school's environment, or an examination of the steps a district has taken to support SEL.