Why the New York Times is wrong again on teacher evaluation

Last week I wrote a review of articles by school reformers who evaluate teachers using standardized test scores. It examined Chicago Mayor Ram Emanuel and the New York Times editorial reform. This evaluation is called "rational". On Monday the Times published another article.

"This is mainly about the evaluation of teachers," Carlson said. "New York is trying to implement a common core in the new teacher evaluation policies and tests.In many ways, this is reluctant for teachers to evaluate the power of the policy and reconsider it" Common Core It seems to be in progress, Mr. Carlson said it will collapse a series of very complicated educational policies Cuomo attempted to implement at the same time. "Change the standard name to Common. Adjustment of non-core standards and some languages ​​is much easier than returning to a difficult victory that won by teacher rating. "

If you are not a teacher in New York State, you may not understand teacher rating system. Oops, the teacher in New York does not understand the rating system. Basically, since 2012, the State School District of New York has adopted evaluation criteria (many using Charlotte Danielson) to evaluate teacher pedagogy and professionalism. Sixty percent of all teacher's scores are based on administrative observations and self-reporting by professors with evidence of field 4 - professional activities. The remaining 40% are based on the school's goals in the state test and the achievement of the students. If there is no status test in the subject or grade of the teacher, it will be evaluated by the student's test "cocktail". Elementary school teachers were also given the student 's growth score. Beginning with the educational law S 3012 - d in 2015, secondary school teachers are rated 50% in 4 areas and the students' test scores are rated at 50%.

Disclosure: In my previous work as an educator at New York, I worked with a public school teacher to promote a change in the New York teacher assessment system, such as lowering the weight for evaluating test scores . Teacher system for subject test 1. Since many areas of New York have received exemption to fully implement the new evaluation system this year, use 40% of the teacher's score as the basis for student achievement old We rely on evaluation protocol. A New York State Education Department spokesperson confirmed that this percentage may be lower this year for regional teachers who used the previous evaluation system and is partially evaluated in the state evaluation It's a schedule. (Return to the story)

No, Governor Kuomo did not kill test-based teacher report. In fact, his "pause" can promote more tests.