Judging Teachers, Judging Schools – Accountability in Education EDN 200 October 30, 2006

Today’s Plan Discuss School Visit Article Reflection – Teacher Evaluation Judging Teachers, Judging Schools - Pt 1 –Presentation –Activities Book Report Check Up (Due Nov. 6 th ) Final Research Paper Presentation (10:30)

Middle School Visit Physical Facility Students and Teachers Curriculum and Pedagogy Surprises

Article Teacher Evaluation –Your comments and questions

Judging Teachers, Judging Schools: The Current Climate Parents are very positive about the public school their child attends: –Using the A, B, C, D and FAIL scale what grade would you give the school your oldest child attends?* Parents of Public School Children: –A&B = 72%, C = 16% *Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, 2005

The Current Climate People Are Less Positive About Public Schools in their Own Communities Students are often given the grades A, B, C, D and FAIL to denote the quality of their work. Suppose the public schools themselves, in your community, were graded in the same way. What grade would you give the public schools here – A, B, C, D or FAIL?* –The Public in General: »A&B = 47%, C = 33% –Parents of Public School Children: »A&B = 61%, C=24% *Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, 2005

The Current Climate The Public Views the Nation’s Public Schools Negatively –How about the public schools in the nation as a whole? What grade would you give the public schools nationally- A, B, C, D or FAIL?* The Public in General: –A&B = 26%, C = 45%, D = 13%, Fail = 4% Parents of Public School Children: –A&B = 22%, C=44%, D= 13%, Fail = 6% *Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, 2005

The Current Climate Policymakers and the public have concerns about the nation’s teachers, the schools that prepare them, and the standards they must meet –A majority of parents (53%) believe that people who choose teaching as a profession tend to be just average compared to other college graduates. - Reality Check, 2000 –Forty-seven percent of the general public think lack of good teaching contributes a great deal to why students fail to learn. (2003 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public) –“Schools of education and formal training programs are failing to produce the types of high quality teachers that No Child Left Behind Demands” – Rod Paige, 2003 (Secretary of Education)

The Current Climate But, parents are very positive about teachers in their child’s school: –An overwhelming 85% of parents agree that, in their child’s school, most teachers are committed to their profession and really care about their students. (Reality Check, 2000) –Three out of four parents (75%) say that all or most of their child’s teachers know their subject matter very well. (Reality Check, 2000)

Judging Teachers, Judging Schools Regardless of how their viewed, teachers are vitally important for the success of students. –“Within grade levels, the single most dominant factor affecting student academic gain is teacher effect.” - Wright, Horn, and Sanders, 1996

So What is Good Teaching? “I know it when I see it.” –Justice Potter Stewart, 1964 Not talking about education, focus was pornography

Efforts to Define Good Teaching Kratz (1896) asked 2,411 students to describe characteristics of their best teachers –87% Helpfulness –58% Personal Appearance 20th Century is full of presage-product research –Characteristics of Teachers-Effect on Student Learning Teacher physical, intellectual traits, teacher training examined (1,000’s of studies) –Found very few links - teacher verbal ability (SAT, GRE) seems to be only characteristic that has survived multiple studies* Stronge, 2002

Efforts To Define Good Teaching So, how do we know if our schools are staffed with effective teachers? –Test scores may tell us which teachers are adding value but they do nothing to tell us what effective teachers are doing. –500+ published classroom observation systems –Your Turn A look at teachers in action –Effectiveness 1-7 (based on what?)

Flanders (1970) 1.Accepts feelings 2.Praises or encourages 3.Accepts or uses student’s ideas 4.Asks questions 5.Lecturing 6.Giving directions 7.Criticizing or justifying authority 8.Pupil talk -response 9.Pupil talk - initiation 10.Silence or confusion DATA: 10, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 10, 10, 4, 8, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 6, 6, 10, 10, 9, 9, 7, 7, 6, 6, 4, 4, 8, 8, 10, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 2, 2, 4, 4, 10, 10

Flander’s Analysis x 2 xx xxxx xx x 6 xxxxxx xx 7 x 8 xxxx 9 x 10 xxx xx

Goldhammer (1969) Classroom evaluation is a collaborative process. Pre-observation, observation, post- observation conference Highlight areas of practice on which to focus Two column running- record Left column - what’s happening in the classroom Right column, time, questions Review notes and filter information Cluster items and rank order

Kounin (1970) Four pupils - one in each quadrant Supervisor selects pupils - teacher identifies atypical students 5 seconds per pupil Attention and behavior ratings (1-3) Three minute observation cycles Average attention and behavior scores

North Carolina TPAI

Value-Added Modeling William Sanders Tennessee Standardized Assessments 3-Years of Pupil Standardized Tests Expected gain scores Concerns –Based on results of one test in May –Teachers are penalized for following exceptional teachers –Teachers are rewarded for following poor teachers

We Should Care Because Change is Here Fla. to Link Teacher Pay To Students' Test Scores - Washington Post, 2006 Ehrlich Outlines Plan to Pursue Merit Pay for Teachers if Reelected - Washington Post, 2006 Teacher Merit Pay Tied to Education Gains - New York Times, 2006 Denver Voters Approve Merit Pay for Teachers