1. Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation Dudley-Charlton – Kim Marshall – April 29, 2011
MORE REVISIONS FOR CHALRTON APR 26, 11

2. Your role? Principal Assistant principal Teacher Union official
Instructional coach
District official
Consultant
Education advocate
University or college
Other 10

3. Approximate FRPL of your students
0-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
51-60%
61-70%
71-80%
81-90%
91-100% 9
Answer Now

4. Percent of New York 7th-graders proficient and above in ELA, and FRPL

5. What are the two biggest factors in achievement in low-SES schools?
Differences in class size
Strict discipline
Sense of mission
School leadership
Teaching practices
Curriculum content
Parent involvement
PD, coaching
Teachers’ credentials
Staff morale 8

6. As a teacher, which two most improved your teaching and your students’ learning?
Ideas from books, articles
PD workshops in school
Workshops and courses outside school
Supervision suggestions from administrators
End-of-year evaluation by administrators
Ideas and suggestions from fellow teachers
Ideas and suggestions from loved ones
Internet resources
Figuring it out myself
Other 7

7. Evaluation has become a polite, if near-meaningless matter between a beleaguered principal and a nervous teacher. Research has finally told us what many of us suspected all along: that conventional evaluation, the kind the overwhelming majority of American teachers undergo, does not have any measurable impact on the quality of student learning. In most cases, it is a waste of time.
Mike Schmoker, 1992
Except for a few instances, the traditional evaluation process is exhausting and fruitless.
Kathleen Elvin, Brooklyn principal, 2008
Principal evaluation of teachers is a low-leverage strategy for improving schools, particularly in terms of the time it requires of principals.
Richard DuFour & Robert Marzano, 2009

8. Your reaction to these statements?
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree 6
Answer Now!

9. Widget Effect – New Teacher Project
Chicago teacher ratings on 4-point scale:
Superior – 25,332
Excellent – 9,176
Satisfactory – 2,232
Unsatisfactory – 149
Elgin teacher ratings on 3-point scale:
Excellent – 2,035
Satisfactory – 264
Unsatisfactory – 11
Denver ratings on binary scale:
2,374 Satisfactory
32 Unsatisfactory

10. A summary Quality of teaching is hugely important to kids’ futures.
Especially is they have any kind of disadvantage.
99% of U.S. teachers are rated Excellent or Satisfactory.
But there’s plenty of mediocre and ineffective teaching.
We’re not differentiating excellent, good, mediocre, poor
A mediocre hotel isn’t a big deal, but with teaching…
We’re not helping mediocre/unsatisfactory teachers…
And the evaluation system is exhausting principals.

11. Saints, cynics, and sinners
Saints spend 6+ hours per teacher.
Pre-observation conference, observation, write-up, post-conference
Cynics bang out observations/evaluations.
Tedious, won’t make much difference, but…
Sinners don’t do them (except when the heat is on).
Usually get away with it

15. Bill Ribas, Teacher Evaluation That Works, 2005

16. Which category describes the principal you know best?
Saint
Cynic
Sinner 5
Answer Now!

17. The $64,000 Question
Could a saint’s school have low student achievement?
The story of one principal in New York City
Could a sinner’s school have high student achievement?

18. The challenge How can principals sample teaching accurately?
Positively influence teaching?
Assure quality teaching in every class, every day?
Boost learning for all students?
Is this humanly possible?

19. Each teacher teaches 900 lessons a year

20. How to supervise this kind of work?
Police departments have a similar challenge
Very difficult to keep tabs on police officers
How do you make sure they’re doing the right thing all the time?
How do you motivate them to do want to do the right thing all the time?
Rigid policies and procedures – “officer-proof”
Supervisors cruising around checking up
Compstat – using crime statistics, arrests - results
Video cameras in patrol cars

21. Teachers are on their own 99
Teachers are on their own 99.9% of the time; many are great, many are not. What to do?
Hire more administrators to evaluate more frequently
“Master Educators” from central to evaluate teachers
Evaluate teachers using value-added test scores
Wyoming proposal: once-a-year videotaping
Cameras monitoring classrooms all the time
Student input; parent input
A 4-year evaluation cycle
Trust in teachers’ professionalism
Prayer

22. Logic model – how it could work
A shared definition of good teaching
Principals see everyday teaching in action.
Principals are knowledgeable and perceptive observers.
Principals have an effective way to give feedback.
Principals address mediocre and ineffective teaching.
Teachers hear and accept the feedback.
Teachers take ownership for student learning.

23. A. A shared definition of good teaching
Every district has criteria in its evaluation form.
Required presentation to teachers, sign-off
But does everyone pay attention, buy in?
A common problem: defining just one level.

24. Is there agreement on good teaching in your school?
We all agree on what excellent, good, mediocre, poor teaching looks like.
We agree on what good teaching looks like.
There are some disparities within the school.
There are many different opinions on what good teaching is. 7
Answer Now!

25. Teachers are immune to feedback from a coach or administrator
when they have different definitions of quality.
The single most important thing
that a school leader can do
is reach agreement with the staff about quality.
Fisher and Frey, 2010

26. B. Principals see everyday reality
Factors that make this difficult:
H.S.P.S. – evaluation avoided, procrastinated
Principals see only 0.1% of teaching
The principal’s presence changes things.
Announced observations, “glamorized” lessons
A “collusive deal” – utterly bogus
Restaurant owner’s concerns…
It’s what teachers do every day that boosts learning.
Like healthy eating, exercise – keeping it up

27. It has been said that when a principal walks into a room, it has the same effect as seeing a state trooper pull out onto the highway – the students straighten up and “take their foot off the gas”, even if they weren’t speeding (er, misbehaving). Peter Hall, Nevada principal (2005)

28. In your school, how many formal teacher evaluation visits are announced in advance?
All of them
About 75%
About half
About 25%
None of them 6

29. In defense of pre-announced visits
“I want to see teachers at their best.” “It is my firm belief that mediocre teachers will hang themselves whether announced or unannounced.” “I have never met a bad teacher who didn’t look horrible despite an announced visit.”

31. C. Principals are knowledgeable and perceptive observers of teaching
A shared definition of good teaching helps.
So does knowledge of curriculum goals, calendar, ideas
Touring classrooms with thoughtful colleagues helps.
Best of all: being in classrooms a lot, talking to teachers, and looking at student learning.
Most principals don’t do enough of this.

32. D. An effective way to give feedback
Often low-quality forms, checklists
Teacher signs, files away – little impact
High skill level needed to do good lesson write-ups.
Lots of words without clear judgment, feedback.
Plus it’s time-consuming, exhausting for principals
Some principals have teachers draft their evaluations.
Some cut corners, paste in boilerplate

33. Your opinion of your district’s end-of-year teacher evaluation form?
Excellent tool that improves teaching
Good feedback tool
Not bad but doesn’t affect teaching much
Poor tool that doesn’t capture good teaching or help teachers improve 6

34. Problematic models Narratives – verbiage without impact
Teacher goal-setting – very hard to follow up
Checklists – perfunctory, don’t distinguish
Quality descriptions with no rubric
Binary ratings – Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
Three-point scales:
Excellent
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Five-point scales: “Gentleman’s C”

37. E. Principals step up to the plate on mediocre and ineffective teaching
Some don’t push teachers to be better.
Want to keep the peace, avoid conflict, be liked
Fear of grievances, lengthy proceedings
Afraid of jeopardizing other initiatives.
Wait for them to retire.
And some teachers are scary…

39. F. Teachers hear and accept the feedback
Can be overwhelming – too much feedback to absorb
Many teachers shrug off criticism.
Lots of reasons to ignore a principal:
You’re hardly ever in my room.
You haven’t taught in years.
You never taught my grade level/subject.
You don’t have children of your own.
I was having a bad day.
Criticism makes some teachers shut down…

41. G. Teachers take ownership for student learning
Many teachers work in isolation.
Little ownership for the school’s mission
For many, evaluation is paternalistic, top-down.
Impressing, charming, getting over on boss
It’s about instructional inputs, which are debatable.
How to instill intrinsic motivation?
Get teachers focused on learning, finding the most effective methods and materials, always improving?

42. Dependency   Results Paternalistic Glamorized lessons
Winning the boss’s approval
“I liked when you…”
Lesson plans turned in
Data analysis because we have to
CYA
Working in isolation
Shared vision, mission
Team unit planning
On-the-spot assessments
Common interim assessments
Immediate team analysis, action plans
Supervisory voice in head all the time
Continuously improving

43. In short, the logic model isn’t working
No school effectiveness lists include supervision/eval.
Marzano, DuFour, Saphier: a “weak lever” for change
Core problem: full-lesson evaluations that are infrequent, announced, time-consuming, not focused on results
Lots of mediocre, ineffective teaching under the radar
How can we get good teaching in every class, every day?
Here’s my 4-part proposal…

44. I. MINI-OBSERVATIONS Principals need a system for:
Getting into classrooms
Seeing everyday reality
Giving teachers meaningful feedback
Continuously improving student learning
Gathering data for year-end evaluations
Many are racked with guilt about not doing this.

45. Mini-observations: systematic, frequent sampling and coaching
Short visits to fit them in to very busy days
Unannounced to see what kids are experiencing daily
Lots of them to sample all aspects of teaching, blend in
Prompt, thoughtful feedback to each teacher
Informal and low-stakes to maximize adult learning
Systematic cycling through the whole staff
Integrated with team unit planning and results analysis

46. Like a Gallup Poll

47. Still not much time, but…
Much more representative than one dog-and-pony
A random sampling is amazingly accurate.
And this is as much as most principals can do.
My challenge: What’s the alternative?
We still rely on teachers’ professionalism, skill.
But by frequently checking in and giving feedback
Message: It’s what you do every day that matters.

48. About how often is the average teacher visited and given feedback in your school?
Never
Once every two years
Once a year
Twice a year
3-5 times a year
6-8 times a year
About once a month
About every two weeks
Once every week
More than once a week 5
Answer Now

49. Why not call them “walk-throughs”?
Confusion with learning walks - a team touring the whole building, general feedback (Resnick, Elmore)
The wrong term for a focused, thoughtful observation with feedback – sounds to teachers like a drive-by.
Video clip
Safety walk-through
Showing the flag
Learning walk/ Instructional rounds
Mini-observations
Full-lesson observation

50. Education Week, March 12, 2008

51. What might worry teachers about mini-observations?
If you were introducing this idea, what concerns would you predict?
What might principals worry about?
Brainstorm in groups of 2-3
Jot down your key points for a kick-off meeting.

52. Nine key success factors
Staying long enough to gather helpful information
Making enough visits to get a balanced picture
Having a clear sense of what to look for
Capturing and remembering key insights
Giving feedback in a way teachers can hear and accept
Stepping up with criticism, not accepting mediocrity
Shifting gears with unsatisfactory teaching
Being clear that mini-observations are evaluative
Explaining mini-observations to teachers

53. How long depends on your purpose
Showing the flag: 5 seconds
Checking on a substitute: 6 seconds
In-depth professional development: 45 min. +
Making the case for dismissal: multiple 45 min.
But what about a dialogue about instruction?

54. How long does a principal need to stay to form a meaningful impression?
1 minute
3 minutes
5 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
35 minutes
45 minutes
1 hour or more 5
Answer Now!

57. Videotape and role-play - preferred grade level?
Kindergarten
Grade 4-5
Middle school
High-school English
High-school science
GOOD RETHINKING OF LEAD-IN (SCATTER PLOT) AND SAMPLING CHALLENGE, LOTS OF REVISIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS MID-JULY 2010 5
Answer Now

58. Was that enough time to get a sense of what was going on in the classroom?
Yes No 5
Answer Now!

59. Was it possible to give meaningful feedback to the teacher afterward?
Yes No 5
Answer Now!

60. Best range: 5-15 minutes Depending on: How many teachers
How many administrators doing mini-observations
Discipline issues
5 minutes worked for me with 42 teachers to supervise
I could fit them into the nooks and crannies
But not too short! Principal who sees all classes 2nd per.
Note: no pre-observation conferences

61. So who does full-lesson observations?
All teachers should have them periodically.
Instructional coaches (also co-observe with principal)
Peer observers
Lesson study colleagues
Videotaping lesson, watching with a critical friend
New teachers need more detailed feedback.
But principal only does unsatisfactory teachers.

62. 2. Doing lots A good annual target: 10/teacher/year
Seeing each teacher every 2-3 weeks
Sampling all aspects of instruction
Frequent visits build dialogue, candor, and trust.
How? Set a daily target number and keep it up!
My track record: 11, 12, 12, 14, 12, 7, 12, 11, 11+

63. Do the math for your staff
# of teachers
Minis for year
# per day
Stretch goal 60
600
3.3 4 50
500
2.7 3 40
400
2.2 30
300
1.7 2 20
200
1.1 10
100 .6 1

64. A hypothesis on frequency
The less frequently a principal visits classrooms…
The more chance for an inaccurate impression
The riskier for teachers – caught in a bad moment
The more teachers do their own thing
The more teachers get into bad habits
The more frequently a principal visits…
The more accurate a picture of daily instruction
The safer for teachers – accurate sampling
The more thoughtful the feedback
The better the quality of instruction

65. Refinements and variations
Mixing up morning, mid-day, and afternoon visits
Arriving at beginning, middle, or end of lessons
Doing a grade-level team in a single day
Deciding to stay longer
“Intensives” – Herb Daughtry
Following one class through an entire day
Others?

66. Which strategy would help you keep up mini-observations all year?
Will power
My boss being on my case
A daily target number of visits
A weekly target
Tracking data
Rewarding myself
A bare office
Other 5
Answer Now!

67. The boss’s support really helps
Regularly visiting, asking good questions
How’s it going? Hitting target? What noticing?
Very helpful if it’s a district policy
Seen as a best practice, frequently discussed
Training and support, watching videotapes
Also, taking something off the table!
Like what?

68. 3. Knowing what to look for
Can’t use the end-of-year evaluation checklist, rubric
Too much to look for
Only seeing a lesson fragment; not fair or practical
Many mini-observation checklists are being developed.
eCOVE, iObservation, others
Problem: the principal is rating, evaluating
Schoolwide or systemwide data gathering, but does that help the individual teacher. Is it good coaching?

72. A hypothesis on checklists
The more detailed and elaborate the checklist…
The more constrained the principal
The more consumed with recording data
The less perceptive in observing students, tasks
The less seriously teachers take the feedback
The less frequent are classrooms visits
The simpler and clearer the vision of good teaching…
The more observant principal is
The more focused on a few key change levers
The more seriously teachers will take the feedback
The more frequently visits will occur

73. “You can observe a lot by watching”
Slowing down, breathing, listening, paying attention
Not imposing a checklist on the situation
This teacher in this classroom in this moment
What’s most important? What deserves feedback?
Capturing 1-3 thoughtful points
So as not to miss anything, a mental checklist helps.
The irreducible elements of good teaching…
With a clear sense of your red flags on each

74. S - Safety O - Objectives T - Teaching E - Engagement L - Learning

75. The L in SOTEL Ultimately, year-end state tests, but in real time?
Teachers’ checking for understanding
Looking at the learning task (City, Elmore, et al.)
Asking a student “What are you working on?”
Teacher teams looking at student work
Teacher teams looking at interim assessments
One-on-one principal/teacher chats with work

76. 4. Capturing insights You don’t want to forget important stuff.
For example, COPWAKTA, great moment, low rigor
Clipboards, checklists, iPhones, laptops can distract.
Plus, you can miss the forest for the trees.
The key: Being a good observer!
Not missing the big picture! One or two key points only.
Jot notes later?

79. Which would you as a teacher prefer your principal to use?
Checklist on a clipboard
Notepad
Laptop
BlackBerry
iPad
Flip video camera
Recording device
No writing in class
Doesn’t matter 5
Answer Now!

80. 5. Giving feedback that will make a difference
After a mini-observation, there’s lots to say:
Praise, on-the-edge, reinforcement, suggestions
Questions, redirection, criticism, reprimand
What’s the best way to deliver the feedback?
How soon?
Where?

81. Some possible approaches
No feedback to the teacher; supervisus interruptus
Memo to whole staff showcasing best practices
Post-It note on teacher’s desk on the way out
Hand-written feedback in mailbox
Checklist filled out, in teacher’s mailbox
Palm Pilot electronic checklist sent to teacher
later that day
Face-to-face conversation soon afterward

82. The trouble with written feedback
In , people talk at you; in conversation I can talk with [people], and a casual remark can lead to a level of discussion that neither party anticipated from the beginning. I am more likely to learn from someone in a conversation than in an exchange, which simply does not allow for the serendipity, intensity and give-and-take of real-time interaction.
Steven Levy, Newsweek, June 11, 2007

83. Especially in our digital age,
the power of talking to people in person
is exponential.
Howard Schultz
Starbucks founder

84. 9 advantages of face-to-face
Can quickly and efficiently cover a lot of ground
Less paperwork
Less threatening than written, less bureaucratic
Focus on 1-2 key points, teacher not overwhelmed
The teacher can push back, informal dialogue.
Can be tentative, check on something (girl’s card)
Can judge if the teacher can handle criticism.
Can segue into general talks about instruction, status.
Much more likely to change ineffective practices

85. Four-squares feedback
What’s going well
Any concerns
Next steps
What I can do?

86. Informal, somewhat humble posture
Stand-up chats are lighter, less threatening.
Brief – 30 seconds to 5 minutes; don’t overdo it!
Not an all-seeing, all-knowing, judgmental god
“I was only there for ten minutes; here’s what I saw.”
“I’m curious about what happened after I left…”
Really listening to how the teacher responds
Give-and-take, suggestions, commendations

87. Feedback in writing? Signature?
Feels bureaucratic, CYA to the teacher
Less nuanced, detailed than face-to-face
Teacher not invited into the conversation
Face-to-face is quicker, more direct, more powerful.
Signature only if there’s a red flag – “letter to file”
How about this sequence:
Mini-observation
Face-to-face conversation
A short to the teacher summing up

88. Nine ineffective practices
Intervening with students – “Excuse me, …”
Giving the teacher “private” feedback on the spot
Sending feedback from a laptop while in class
Written feedback that “ends there”
Several-day delay before giving feedback
Bureaucratic checklist, robotic use of technology
Distracted – “He’s there but he’s not there.”
Perfunctory – I’m checking you off my list.
Not giving all teachers feedback all the time
Arizona district: trio visit, pullout, demo

89. Which is most likely to improve teaching and teachers’ investment in improving?
No feedback
Verbal feedback during class
Post-it note on desk
Memo to staff on best practices
Checklist in mailbox
Electronic checklist
Written comments in mailbox or
Face-to-face talk
Written comments, then face-to-face
Face-to-face, then written comments 5
Answer Now!

90. Best location for mini feedback?
Principal’s office
Corridor
Playground
Teacher’s classroom during free period
Cafeteria
Faculty lounge
Parking lot
A bar after hours
A phone call in evening
Other 5
Answer Now

91. Avoidance I’m too busy! Can’t track down teachers.
Will I have enough to say? Bite the bullet on criticism?
I’m more comfortable with a checklist,
Another reason: binge mini-observing

92. “I made it my business”
“Face-to-face feedback is the driver of change.”
Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, 2010
If it’s perceptive and delivered well, it can really affect teaching and learning.
Being strategic about tracking down teachers.
And following up on subsequent visits, chats

93. Scheduled check-in meetings?
Each teacher has a scheduled meeting time
Do mini-observations shortly before check-ins
Use the check-in to give feedback
Also to have a more general How’s-it-going talk
Helps keep principal on track
Any disadvantages?

94. Linking to school-wide improvement
The principal can be a cross-pollinator!
Spread good ideas, things to avoid, think about
Organize PD on specific areas
Put teachers in touch with each other
Peer observation
Pass along insights to teams, instructional coaches.
Talk about units, student learning.

95. 6. Stepping up to the plate

96. A leader who is silent on mediocrity speaks loudly
Some teachers get into bad habits, slack off - mediocrity
Addressing mediocre and poor teaching depends on:
A clear, shared vision of effective teaching
Urgency – good teaching really, really matters
Guts
How to keep our moral edge?
Co-observe classrooms with your boss
Regularly look at interim assessment results

97. Pointers from Thomas Hoerr (2004)
Pick the time and place carefully.
Be timely.
Be specific.
Watch your body language.
Tell why this is important to you and the school.
Say that you’ve been there too.
Allow for a response.
Review and reinforce at the end.

98. 7. Shifting gears with unsatisfactory teaching
Mini-observations aren’t sufficient.
Full-lesson observations, ideally unannounced
Union reps, lawyer consulted at every step
Diagnosis and prescription, improvement plan
2-3 chances to improve, plenty of support
If insufficient improvement, dismissal

99. 8. A clear, explicit link to end-of-the-year evaluations
It’s understood that mini-observations are evaluative.
No firewall between minis and evaluation.
It’s all part of improving teaching and learning.
This may require collective bargaining or a waiver.
At the Mather, there was rapid acceptance of the idea.
People trusted I was seeing reality, feedback was honest.
We did away with the dog-and-pony show!
Which opened up time for mini-observations.

100. 9. A clear explanation to teachers
Launch with a good rationale
What’s the problem to which this is the solution?
Old system is chewing up time and is ineffective
Change will help our school’s mission.
Reassure teachers on the key worries.
Show a videotape! It really helps make the point.
In the first couple of cycles, accentuate the positive.

102. The logic of mini-observations
Unannounced to see everyday reality.
But it would be unfair to observe just once a year.
So observations must be frequent to sample accurately.
But if frequent, don’t have time to stay for full lessons.
So observations need to be short.
But visits are short, full write-ups aren’t possible.
So brief, face-to-face feedback and follow-up s.
But it’s easy to lose track, miss teachers, double up.
So the process must be systematic.

103. Advantages for teaching and learning
See reality without distortion (no glamorized; blend in)
Get to know how all teacher are doing, spot problems
CEO visibility, listening, getting ideas, credibility
Build trust, the lubricant of school culture
Unspoken message: everyday teaching is what matters
I’m your coach; let’s solve problems together.
More humble, winning posture – teachers hear, accept
Good time management – squeezed into busy days
Gathering anecdotes for meetings, parents
Lots of information for year-end evaluations

104. How would you personally feel about being supervised using mini-observations?
Strongly prefer this approach
Prefer it
No difference one way or the other
Uncomfortable with it
Very negative about it 5
Answer Now!

105. With mini-observations with feedback a year, would you have a pretty accurate picture of each teacher’s performance?
Yes No 5
Answer Now!

106. How much impact would this have on teaching and learning?
Very positive
Somewhat positive
Not much impact
No impact 5
Answer Now!

107. II. SUPERVISING CURRICULUM UNIT PLANNING

109. To be a good mini-observer, it helps to know the curriculum
A razzle-dazzle lesson, but does it…
Align with standards? Big ideas?
Contain the appropriate level of rigor, detail?
Get at the big ideas, essential questions?
Principals can’t micromanage every lesson.
25,000 a year!
But can monitor teacher teams’ curriculum unit plans

114. Key to increasing teacher ownership
Teacher teams (e.g., Grade 3, 7th-grade social studies)
Starting with the end in mind: a shared vision of what students should know and be able to do
Planning each 4-6 week curriculum unit in advance
Principal reviewing drafts, dropping in
Instructional coaches supporting teacher teams

115. A difference in tone
Asking for lesson plans feels officious, untrusting.
Working with teams on unit plans is stimulating and productive work.
It’s also much more manageable!
Essential Questions are better for classroom walls than SWBAT lesson objectives.

116. Some insights on backwards design
It won’t happen by itself.
It pushes teachers to plan deeper, more thoughtfully.
It’s challenging intellectual work, best done in teams.
It builds collaboration, investment in the mission.
It’s the best way to integrate standards.
It gets higher-order, college-ready ideas into lessons.
Much easier to supervise unit plans than lesson plans

117. A simplified unit planning template
State standards (written out verbatim, unpacked)
Knowledge goals - Students will know…
Skill goals - Students will be able to…
Big ideas - Students will understand that…
Essential Questions (3-4 in kid-friendly language)
End-of-unit assessments (written up front)
Lesson-by-lesson instructional plan
See sample fifth-grade nutrition unit

118. Some key leadership steps
• Clarity on end-of-year learning goals for each grade
Having teams decide on units, calendar them
Insisting that teacher teams collaboratively plan units
Providing a simple unit planning template, model unit
Giving teams the time to plan
Making sure teachers start with the standards
Reviewing unit drafts, revising, visiting meetings
Subscribing to providing UbD training, support

119. What is the potential of backwards unit design in your school?
We’re doing this already.
It would greatly improve the quality of teaching and learning.
It would bring about some improvements.
It wouldn’t make much difference.
It would confuse and overload teachers. 5

120. How does involvement in unit planning affect teacher supervision?
It makes the principal a more perceptive and helpful observer.
It gives the principal a little more of an idea of curriculum content.
It turns the principal into a desk-bound curriculum bureaucrat.
Principals don’t have the time to get this involved in curriculum. 5
Answer Now

121. Synergy with mini-observations

122. III. INTERIM ASSESS-MENTS: Introducing student learning into supervision and evaluation

125. Mini-observations and curriculum units: Necessary but not sufficient
It’s not enough to get into classrooms a lot.
It’s not enough to have good curriculum unit plans.
Are students learning?
This must be part of supervision and evaluation.
But how?
A national debate is raging.

126. Problems with individual merit pay
Practical – Test scores not available till summer.
Psychometric – Tests not valid for individual evaluation.
Value-added – We need three years of data for validity.
Staff dynamics – Collaboration is undermined.
Curriculum quality – Low-level test prep.
Moral – Turning up the heat increases cheating.
Fairness – How to divvy up credit among all the teachers who contribute to students’ success?

127. But isn’t there some way?
Here’s why it matters.
The moment of truth in classrooms
A teacher teaches a curriculum unit, assesses learning

128. Inexorable gap-widening forces
Pressure to cover the curriculum, prepare for tests
Pressure from parents of high-achieving students
Beliefs about intelligence
Fatalism about the bell curve
Shortage of ideas, materials to help those kids
Isolation from colleagues…
How can we stop the gap from widening?

132. “Professional Learning Communities” good interim tests, analysis, action
Same-grade, same-subject teacher teams collaborating
Common goals, interim assessments every 6 weeks
Immediate scoring and data display
Collegial sharing on what worked, what didn’t
Non-evaluative to foster adult learning
Grappling with student misconceptions, learning problems
This gets teachers really invested.
The engine of improvement in high-achieving schools.

133. Visible Learning by John Hattie (2009)

136. 8 keys to success with interim assessments
High-quality tests, well aligned, appropriate rigor
Rapid turnaround (24 hours)
Clear, graphic data display
Productive team data meetings, “data without blame”
Administrator/coach involvement, support - video clip
Honest reflection, continuous improvement
Immediate follow-up with students
Students involved: knowing status, setting goals…

141. Principals are the key orchestrators
Building understanding and trust
Insisting on common interim assessments
Scheduling assessments, team meetings, follow-up
Ground rules to keep focused, low-stakes
Team leaders facilitate; principal drops in, supports
Young administrator’s entry point: results vs. methods
Teachers hold each other accountable for high quality.
“Man on Fire” swimming sequence

142. Agile teaching, responsive to student learning minute by minute, day by day, month by month.
Dylan Wiliam and Ian Beatty, 2009

143. What is the potential of interim assessments in your school?
We’re doing this now.
If done well, this would bring about major improvements in teaching and learning.
It would have some benefits.
Teacher teams are resistant to this kind of work.
Interim assessments would have a negative impact on our school. 5
Answer Now

144. How about the principal’s role in interim assessments?
Shifting the conversation to results is key to effective supervision and leadership.
The principal should help guide this process but not lead it.
The principal should let teachers handle assessments.
Principals don’t have the time or expertise to do this kind of work. 5
Answer Now

145. Three kinds of supervision interact

146. IV. TEACHER EVALUATION RUBRICS

147. End-of-year evaluation
After doing 10+ mini-observations with feedback…
After working with teams on curriculum unit plans…
After working with teams on interim assessments…
How to sum up a teacher’s performance for the year?
Narratives, checklists, and goals all have problems…
Must differentiate between great, good, mediocre, poor
Recognize quality, give tough-love feedback to others

148. Teacher evaluation rubrics
Rubrics spell out four levels of teaching quality.
They force judgment.
A road-map to help underperformers to improve
Charlotte Danielson: Framework for Teaching,1996
Some districts, charter schools using rubrics
Endorsed in Education Sector report, Rush to Judgment
Big advantages over write-ups, checklists, goal-setting

149. Kim’s rubrics (2006, 2010) Open source
Researched rubrics, best ideas, step-by-step process:
First, deciding on “buckets” based on many models:
Planning and preparation for learning
Classroom management
Delivery of instruction
Monitoring, assessment, and follow-up
Family and community outreach
Professional responsibilities

150. The rating scale and labels
4 – Highly Effective
3 – Effective
2 – Improvement Necessary
1 – Does Not Meet Standards
Differentiate the four levels of performance
The goal – all teachers performing at Level 3 and 4
Identify master teachers for maxi roles in school
Intervene with mediocre and ineffective

151. Sorting and drafting A wide search for the criteria of good teaching
Finding the most powerful, best written
The inputs that lead to high student achievement
Sorting them into the six “buckets”
Drafting Level 3 (Effective)
Short and sweet!

152. D. Monitoring, Assessment, and Follow-up [Effective level]
- Posts clear criteria for proficiency, including rubrics and exemplars of student work.
- Diagnoses students’ knowledge and skills up front and makes small adjustments based on the data.
- Frequently checks for understanding and gives students helpful information if they seem confused.
- Has students set goals, self-assess, and know where they stand academically at all times.
- Regularly posts students’ work to make visible and celebrate their progress with respect to standards.
- Uses data from interim assessments to adjust teaching, re-teach, and follow up with failing students.
- Takes responsibility for students who are not succeeding and gives them extra help.
- When necessary, refers students for specialized diagnosis and extra help.
- Analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.
- Reflects on the effectiveness of lessons and units and continuously works to improve them.

153. Drafting the other three levels and creating headlines

154. Involving teachers
Goal: understanding, trust, investment in improvement
Rubrics negotiated, shared and discussed up front
Voluntary self-assessment and goal-setting
In May/June, each teacher fills out the rubric.
Input in areas where principal lacks information.
Meet, compare, discuss the evidence
Finalize, celebrate, set goals

156. Let’s try one page Think of a teacher you know well.
Pick one domain (Classroom Management?)
Read across each line circling 4, 3, 2, or 1
The best description of that teacher’s performance.
What strikes you about using rubrics?
Pluses
Concerns

157. Flip through the whole package
A total of 60 facets of teaching (Danielson has 77)
Covering all aspects of the job
Judged by at least 10 mini-observations, conversations, visits to team meetings, other interactions
For teachers at Level 1 and 2, improvement plan, support
Rubrics not appropriate as classroom visit checklists!
Rubric data from a whole faculty can be very helpful…

159. Policy questions with rubrics
A score for each domain? An overall score?
More weight for some domains? B, C, D ?
A different rubric for new teachers?
Involving teachers, others in tweaking the rubrics?
Student input? Parent input?
Rubrics for other job categories? (Westwood, Mass.)
Differential pay depending on rubric level?

160. Other factors matter more
Do you think teachers rated at Levels 3 and 4 produce high achievement?
Without a doubt
Probably
Not necessarily
Other factors matter more 5
Answer Now

162. Would it be OK for your child (or niece or nephew) to be in a Level 2 classroom?
Yes No 5
Answer Now

163. Suggestions for Level 2 teachers
For those with an overall Level 2 rating…
No salary step raise
A year to improve to Level 3
Lots of support
If insufficient improvement, dismissal
Being implemented in Hillsborough, Florida with strong union support

164. Ideas for rewarding teachers for results
Who gets rewarded?
Individual teachers
Teacher teams
The whole staff
What is measured?
End-of-year standardized test scores
Value-added gains in test scores
Student gains on in-school assessments
Classroom performance (observations, rubric scores)
What’s the reward?
A $$ pay bonus
Commendation in the year-end evaluation
Verbal praise from the principal

165. My suggestions Who gets rewarded? Individual teachers Teacher teams
The whole staff
What is measured?
End-of-year standardized test scores
Value-added gains in test scores
Team’s student gains on in-school assessments
Classroom performance (observations)
What’s the reward?
A $$ pay bonus
Commendation in the year-end evaluation
Verbal praise from the principal

166. Highly effective teachers share their magic, boost their schools
Mentors and team leaders
They observe classes, are observed
Work with their teams on curriculum units
Work with their teams analyzing results
Mentor new teachers, struggling colleagues
Serve on the school leadership team
Write proposals, dream up new ideas
Think about policy, district issues

167. How would you personally feel about being evaluated with these rubrics?
Great
Quite good
Doesn’t matter either way
Quite worried
Very concerned, negative 5
Answer Now!

168. How much impact do you think using these rubrics would have on teaching and learning?
Very positive impact
Somewhat positive impact
Not much difference
Very little impact
Negative impact 5
Answer Now!

169. Will the logic model work now?
A shared definition of good teaching
Principals see everyday teaching in action.
Principals are knowledgeable and perceptive observers.
Principals have an effective way to give feedback.
Principals address mediocre and ineffective teaching.
Teachers hear and accept the feedback.
Teachers take ownership for student learning.

170. How to make this sustainable? A principal’s time (35 teachers)
Full-dress evaluation hours (50 observations, 6 hrs each)
Mini-observations hours (4 a day, follow-up talk)
Showing the flag - 80 hours (1/2 hour a day most days)
Lesson plan inspection - 70 hours (2 hours a week)
Rubrics, conferences - 55 hours (1 hour each, 1/2 hr. conference)
Interim assessments- 50 hours (5 a year, 10 hours each)
Curriculum planning - 40 hours (six hours 6 times a year)
Learning walks/rounds - 12 hours a year (4 hours x processing)
Calculated 9 hours a day x 180 days

172. The most powerful activities - 260 hours

173. Instructional leadership on the hoof
Early-morning ing, paperwork, calls
Out front greeting colleagues, students, parents
Quick meeting with leadership team, secretary
2-3 mini-observations; face-to-face feedback to 2-3
Monitoring the “big rock” projects for the year
Dropping in on a teacher team doing unit planning
Dropping in on a team looking at data, student work
Cafeteria time and other interaction with students
Private conversations with students, teachers, parents
Outside at dismissal having informal chats, unwinding
Late afternoon ing and paperwork

174. Work smart, build collaboration, close the achievement gap!