1

Evidence Based Observation

Lead Evaluator TrainingPart 2 – Welcome!

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” Margaret Wheatley

Explain the difference between current practice and evidence based observation

Identify and define criteria for one area of effective instruction around which evidence collection will be focused

Define the differences between the definitions of “Teaching to an Outcome” in the rubrics approved by SED.

Today’s Outcomes:

Explain the impact of confusing and/or ambiguous language on the process of teacher evaluation.

  Describe strategies that a district could employ to

increase the quality of evaluations and the agreement of evaluators.

Today’s Outcomes:

Rewind…

What is Evidence Based Observation?

Collection of factual information

Free of bias or opinion

Based on specific criteria

Used to provide feedback for reflection and improvement of teacher practice

What does it mean when we say “student engagement”?

All students are visibly participating in activities/learning that is relevant

to the objective.

Continuum of Engagement

TEACHER ONLY

SIMULTANEOUS ACTIVE

PARTICIPATION

OPTIONAL STUDENT

PARTICIPATION

OCCASIONAL TEACHER DIRECTED

PARTICIPATION

Video –Student Engagement

What did you collect? Collection of Evidence

Teacher stated, “The person sitting in the 4 position-at every table except for this one when it is the 3 person-I need you to come to the front and stand in a line.” 7 students came to the front of the room.Teacher stated to the seven students, “Raise your hands if you can answer yes to the following questions.” 3 questions were posed about having expertise with pens. No students responded yes.

What did you collect? Collection of EvidenceThe 7 students were told, “Your job is going to be to construct a pen.” The students were given envelopes with pen parts inside and were timed while they put the pens together.

Teacher stated to the class, “Look around the room for things with interchangeable parts.”

Teacher asked, “What kind of revolution is this?” One student replied, “A good revolution to a better future.” Another student replied, “Industrial revolution”

What does it mean when we say “Teach to an Outcome”?

Pink: Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (ASCD)

Orange: Danielson (2011 Revised Edition)

Tan: Marshall’s Teacher Evaluation Rubric

Green: Marzano’s Causal Teacher Evaluation

Blue: NYSTCE Framework for the Observation of Effective Teaching (Pearson)

White: NYSUT’s Teacher Practice Rubric

Purple: Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness (Silver Strong & Associates)

Rubric Work…Teach to an Outcome

The objective of the lesson is clear to the students (Shift from “What do I want them to do today?” to “What do I want them to learn today?”)

All classroom activities are aligned with the objective

What does it mean when we say “Teach to an Outcome”?

Quotations from the teacher Examples/models Descriptions of activities in which the

students are engaged Student quotes

What qualifies as “evidence” for “teach to an outcome”?

Let’s Practice Collecting Evidence:

Defend WHY you called this evidence of TTO:Collection of EvidenceTeacher stated, “Today I want to talk to you about what writers do to narrow their focus.”

The teacher used a visual of a pizza/pizza slices to illustrate “narrowing the focus”. A whole pizza represented the teacher’s family, a slice represented the teacher’s Grandma Succi, a half-eaten slice represented Grandma’s Succi’s house, and a small biterepresented the teacher’s experience on her grandmother’s swing.

Before the teacher shared a story from her journal, she explained the process she took from deciding to write about her family (a broad topic) down to her decision to write about her experience sitting on her grandmother’s swing (more narrow focus).

Defend WHY you called this evidence TTO:Collection of Evidence

After reading her story, the teacher asked, “Did I stick to my focus? Is it about my grandmother’s swing and being on that swing—that special time with her?”

Students read the story aloud with the teacher. Before reading chorally, the teacher asked the students to think about the story they are working on. She asked them to think about whether their story is narrowed enough or needs more narrowing.

The teacher stated, “In a few minutes I’m going to ask you to talk to each other and decide if your story is narrowed or if you need to do some more narrowing.” Students buddy shared.

What did you collect? Defend WHY you called this evidence of TTO:

Collection of Evidence

The teacher worked with two boys during the buddy share time. A discussion took place about the confusion the one student had about the other student’s story. It was decided that the writer needed to work on focusing about the pool—his main topic.

The teacher stated to the class, “Narrowing the focus helps us as writers.” She added “narrowing the focus” to the “How Writers Revise” chart posted in the front of the room.

On the blank side of your feedback sheet:

1. Write one question that you

think everyone should be able to answer about “Teach to an Outcome.”

2. Write a personal goal that you have around “Active Engagement” and/or “Teach to an Outcome.”

“Homeplay” Practice collecting evidence of “Teaching to

an Outcome”

Examine an observation that you have completed, looking for evidence and bias/opinion

Identify the presence or absence of “check for understanding” in your current observation tool

Thank you!See you February 16th

5:00-7:00 p.m.