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Examples: • Massachusetts (Reinventing Educator Evaluation)** • New York (Teacher Evaluation and Development Handbook)** **Please note that both these systems include Peer Assistance and Review components and this chart is only addressing the Peer Assistance part
Peer assistance (PA) programs are joint, collaborative labormanagement programs that focus on enhancing teacher quality by using expert teachers as mentors for probationary or career teachers. (See Evaluation Procedures Section for more).
Description:
(FORMATIVE ONLY as only licensed administrators can evaluate teachers per the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). TSPC has statutory authority to license and define the roles of Administrators (ORS 342.121 and ORS 342.140) and they have therefore defined licensed Administrators as the only “teachers” allowed to evaluate and supervise (OAR 584-005-0005) which is further defined and restricted by state bargaining law (Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act ORS 243.650; Peer Assistance also must be carried out per OAR 342.850 (2) (b)(E))
Peer Collaboration & Assistance
Measure:
Has been used widely in teacher education programs and in states for assessing the performance of teacher candidates and beginning teachers.
Teacher portfolios are exhibits of evidence of teaching practice, school activities, and student progress. They usually are compiled by the teacher him- or herself. Portfolios may include teacher-created lesson or unit plans, descriptions of the classroom context, assignments, student work samples, videos of classroom instruction, notes from parents, and teachers’ analyses of their students learning in relation to their instruction. They can be used to document a large range of teaching behaviors and responsibilities.
Description:
Portfolios
Measure:
Evidence (Humphrey, et. al, p. 22) suggests that CTs tend to conduct more comprehensive assessments than principals who are more typically using a checklist to identify issues that need attention. CTs typically spend more time with teachers during PA or PAR than principals or administrators—and their feedback is often more supportive, less threatening, and broader in scope.
•Performance Assessment of California Teachers (PACT)
Assessment (TPA)
•Teacher Performance
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards portfolio assessment
Examples:
Research on validity and reliability is ongoing, and concerns have been raised about consistency/ stability in scoring. There is a lack of research linking portfolios to student achievement. Some studies have linked NBPTS certification (which includes a portfolio) to student achievement, but other studies have found no relationship.
• CT job responsibilities are comprehensive and demanding – must be thoroughly thought through and tenable
• PA are expensive in both time and money to implement. A school district must hire teachers to replace the CTs in the classroom. Other costs are the stipends paid to CTs and general administrative and training costs associated with the program
• May not include robust measures of student learning
• Portfolio scores seldom have been shown to be consistently related to student achievement
• May not represent day-to-day practice well
• Time-consuming for teachers and to a lesser extent scorers
•Portfolios are difficult to standardize (compare across teachers or schools)
•The stability of scores may not be high enough to use for high-stakes assessment
•Scorers should have content knowledge of the portfolios
• This system could lead to a deterioration of relationships between teachers if it is not implemented with abundant training, resources, time and thoughtfulness
• CT would need high level of training and standardization to make results compa• May feel less threatening than receiving feedback rable, reliable, and valid from principal • CTs would need to be carefully chosen • Could have more flexibility to have CT with through a highly thoughtful process similar experiences, thus feedback would be more valid and reliable • This system must have stakeholder buy-in up front – this means time and money to train and educate all stakeholders prior to an ask of buy-in
• Can work flexibly within a building or district’s unique schedules and needs
• Can expand capacity for formative feedback
•Though PA may cost more initially, many school districts report that over time, PA programs reduce turnover costs, support teacher recruitment and retention, and decrease the time and expense associated with dismissing career teachers
• Works best when designed collaboratively with labor-management stakeholders
•Portfolios represent teachers’ exemplary work
• Can provide important formative and summative information on teacher practice
• May include some assessment of student learning
• Can be done electronically
• Professionally credible
•Is a good tool for teacher reflection and improvement
•Provides a high level of credibility among stakeholders
• Can be used with teachers of all fields
•Is comprehensive and can measure aspects of teaching that are not readily observable in the classroom