Presentation to the Unity School Board

Unity, New HampshireFebruary 21, 2012

Jorgelina Abbate-Vaughn, Ph.D.http://www.jorgelinaabbate-vaughn.org

jorgelina.abbate@gmail.com

Work of the Task Force: to expand and strengthen

SB 196: school boards shall have a teacher performance evaluation policy

Read more at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2011/SB0196.html

Learners and learningContent knowledge

Instructional practiceProfessional responsibility

Dispositions

New Hampshire Task Force on Effective Teaching, Phase I Report, October 2011:

http://www.education.nh.gov/teaching/documents/phase1report.p

df

Propriety standards: ensure a legal and ethical evaluation with due process for teacher;

Utility standards: guide evaluations to be informative, timely, and influential;

Feasibility standards: systems are easy to implement, efficient, adequately funded, and viable;

Accuracy standards: determine if the evaluation has produced sound information

It needs to include improved opportunities for student learning as a key objective;

It has to be linked to previous or ongoing professional development;

It needs to be understood as a cyclical portion of professional development;

It has to be comprehensive of targeted development in areas where professional teachers might need assistance.

Capacity building Group solutions More synergy in instruction Integrated or systemic strategies

PPA PLUS, with specialty questions under Standard B.2.c. (Content knowledge) tailored to level and/or subject. Available at http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/schools/lsoe/pdf/PracSpring11/pracFall11/Full_Prac_K-12.pdf

SEDL Summary of teacher evaluation tools in various states: http://secc.sedl.org/orc/rr/secc_rr_00052.pdf

Teacher effectiveness and its inevitable companion teacher evaluation (to assess such effectiveness) are highly politicized areas.

Caution must be exercised. Various perspectives need to be taken into consideration.