1. Principles of Teacher Evaluation Design
Illinois Performance Evaluation Advisory Committee
June 11, 2010

2. National nonprofit, founded by teachers in 1997
Partners with school districts, state education agencies, and charter schools
Targets acute teacher quality challenges
Delivers a range of customized services and solutions on a fee-for-service basis
Approx. 200 employees, most embedded in school district offices; majority are former teachers
Past and present clients include:
Districts: Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Memphis, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Washington, DC
States: Alaska, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) helps school districts and states fulfill the promise of public education by ensuring that all students— especially those from high-need communities— get excellent teachers.

3. Human capital reform requires a comprehensive effort.
District Governance
Working
Conditions
Recruitment
Effectiveness Management
Optimize effectiveness of teacher workforce.
CORE METRICS
School-
Level
Perf.
Mgmnt.
Selection
Talent Pipeline
Create supply of effective teachers to fill all vacancies.
CORE METRIC
Number and percentage of new teachers who demonstrate effectiveness above a target threshold
An effective teacher
in every classroom
Retention /
Dismissal
Training /
Certification
Retention rate of top-quartile teachers vs. bottom-quartile teachers
Average improvement in retained teachers’ effectiveness over time
Compensation
Hiring /
Placement
Evaluation /
Prof. Dev.
On-
Boarding
Measures of student learning 3

4. And past performance in the classroom matters much more than qualifications in predicting a teacher’s impact on student learning.
Effects of Teacher Characteristics on Student Performance
Source: Student Achievement Partners, LLC 4

5. Teacher Effectiveness (e.g., Value Add, Growth, PE Rating)
Dramatic improvements in student achievement cannot occur without a sustained and strategic focus on teacher effectiveness.
Boost effectiveness of all teachers through effective evaluation and targeted professional development. 5
Goals for
Optimizing
Teacher
Effectiveness 2 1
Optimize new teacher supply by hiring early and from preparation programs whose teachers consistently achieve higher student outcomes.
Retain and leverage
the most effective teachers 3
Teacher Effectiveness
(e.g., Value Add, Growth, PE Rating) 5 4
Improve or exit persistently less effective teachers and replace with more effective teachers.
Increase the concentration of effective teachers in high-need schools.
Current Performance
Potential Performance 5

6. This type of human capital reform depends on teacher evaluation systems that provide fair, accurate and credible measures of teacher effectiveness. 
Set performance standards that are linked to evidence of student learning. 
Measure teacher effectiveness and trajectory against performance standards. 
Compare teacher effectiveness and trajectory ratings against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level. 
Determine evaluation outcomes by considering both absolute effectiveness and trajectory.

7. Performance standards are focused on student outputs and on the teacher inputs linked most closely to student learning.
Student Growth and Performance: Demonstrates adequate student learning using objective and rigorous means of assessment
Expectations/Goals: Sets high expectations for student growth; translates expectations into measurable goals for student learning that meet or exceed district and school goals
Planning and Professional Engagement: Uses goals and interim assessments to drive planning and differentiation for individual student needs; supports school-wide goals through collaboration with peers and active participation in school initiatives and processes
Instructional Excellence: Maximizes time on task through student engagement and behavior management; delivers excellent content through high-impact teaching techniques and differentiated instruction; makes adjustments as required by continual assessment of student learning 
Set performance standards that are linked to evidence of student learning. 
Measure teacher effectiveness and trajectory against performance standards. 
Compare teacher effectiveness and trajectory ratings against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level. 
Determine evaluation outcomes by considering both absolute effectiveness and trajectory.

8. TNTP recommends multiple measures of student learning:
Multiple measures of student learning are used to gauge teacher impact on student growth.
TNTP recommends multiple measures of student learning:
State standardized tests
Unit, benchmark, and end-of-year assessments
Randomly selected samples of daily student work, benchmarked against a standard rubric
Teacher portfolios that include videotaped lessons; an overview of an instructional unit, including student scores on pre- and post-unit assessments; documentation of student learning gains throughout the year; and 360-feedback from students and parents reflecting on overall student learning as promoted by the teacher  
Set performance standards that are linked to evidence of student learning.   
Measure teacher effectiveness and trajectory against performance standards.  
Compare teacher effectiveness and trajectory ratings against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level. 
Determine evaluation outcomes by considering both absolute effectiveness and trajectory.

9. TNTP believes a good evaluation rubric has the follow characteristics:
Classroom observation rubrics are designed to drive accurate and meaningful differentiation of teacher performance.
TNTP believes a good evaluation rubric has the follow characteristics:
Aligned to excellence: The criteria for the highest performance level reflect exemplary performance, not minimum standards
Low inference: The criteria require the rater to observe student behaviors and outcomes, rather than relying on teacher knowledge, behaviors, or actions alone
Precise wording: The criteria are clearly defined and use non-subjective wording that require minimal interpretation on the part of the evaluator
Reflect expectations: The criteria and domain ratings are tailored to years of experience: Novice (1st and 2nd year teachers); Intermediate (3rd and 4th year teachers); Effective (5th year teachers and beyond); Highly Effective/Master; and Highly Effective/Exemplar 
Set performance standards that are linked to evidence of student learning. 
Measure teacher effectiveness and trajectory against performance standards. 
Compare teacher effectiveness and trajectory ratings against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level. 
Determine evaluation outcomes by considering both absolute effectiveness and trajectory.

10. Duration of District’s Probationary Period (e.g., 3 years)
Effectiveness and trajectory ratings are benchmarked against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level. 
Minimum expectations for teachers to get tenure
Set performance standards that are linked to evidence of student learning. t t t  t
Measure teacher effectiveness and trajectory against performance standards.
Effectiveness t t t 
Minimum expectations for first year teachers to get renewed t t
Compare teacher effectiveness and trajectory ratings against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level. t
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3 
Duration of District’s Probationary Period (e.g., 3 years)
Determine evaluation outcomes by considering both absolute effectiveness and trajectory. t
Renew
Do not renew t

11.     Evaluation Outcome High Trajectory Low Low High Effectiveness
Benchmarked effectiveness and trajectory ratings are used to determine evaluation outcomes.
Evaluation Outcome 
Set performance standards that are linked to evidence of student learning.
Appreciate, highlight, and reward - and maximize role in influencing other teachers
Renew for another year, expect more
High 
Measure teacher effectiveness and trajectory against performance standards.
Trajectory
Replace with a rigorously screened and interviewed teacher 
Appreciate, highlight, and reward
Compare teacher effectiveness and trajectory ratings against minimum expectations for the teacher’s experience level.
Low 
Determine evaluation outcomes by considering both absolute effectiveness and trajectory.
Low
High
Effectiveness

12. A new evaluation framework should be deemed successful if it achieves significantly improved outcomes over current systems.
Most current systems
Ideal framework
Student outcomes
Teacher ratings
Nearly all teachers get the top ratings and ratings do not correlate with student outcomes.
Ratings produce a bell curve that closely correlates with student outcomes.
Ratings provide a view of growth over time and are suited to driving critical decisions.
Ratings provide a single snapshot in time and cannot be used to drive decision making. X
Effectiveness
Time

13. For more information: