Do Educator Evaluations Even Matter?

In a recent blog post, I discussed two main ways that administrators can show that they understand educators are professionals and humans and that they are valued: professional development and evaluation. My earlier piece focused on professional development, and this piece gets into the idea of evaluation and how we can make it matter. At 2Revolutions, we consistently focus on providing educators and leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to improve professionally so that the learning experiences continually improve for students. We work with districts on a continual basis to define their Portraits of Educators and Leaders and find ways to empower educators to have consistent growth. Esther Asbell of SAU16 constructed this thought piece on this process and the empowerment given back to those in the system that are doing the work on a daily basis. Educators need to feel valued in order to be a positive role model and have a positive impact on the children they serve daily. The question then becomes: once they have the goal setting opportunity and the professional development plan determined, what are the next steps to facilitate growth and development in these categories?

What is Evaluation and Why?

Educator evaluation should include parameters that evaluate what is taking place in the classroom environment each and every day, as well as measure the impact those actions have on student learning. I don’t think I have met one educator that has ever said they love the observation and evaluation systems that have been constructed as non-negotiables within their school system. Now, strong educators will always see the value in accountability for their role in the classroom, and most want to know if their students are learning. But the unrealistic measures that are equated with “quality” as a professional seem outdated, inequitable, and honestly like a slap in the face because educators are so much more than just checkboxes and expectations written on the board or posted on the walls in the classroom.

Educators and leaders are being forced to equate student success to measures that don’t accurately represent all of the integral pieces that directly impact the classrooms daily. Some evaluations include measures of “classroom environment” that focus on the writing on the board, the lights in the classroom, the set up of the desks, and other physical features that often are not in the teacher’s control and have minimal impact on the learning if the educator in the room is orchestrating an effective lesson. I have seen evaluations from some schools that include fill-in-the-blanks for how many students are facing forward and sitting up, how many students raise their hands in that time period, and/or how many students “seem” involved. While these may be data points that help a teacher plan, organize, and manage their classroom effectively, they can be influenced by so many outside factors, including a student’s home life or learning ability, and they don’t accurately measure the overall impact of an educator. These measures don't really show anything about ensuring students have the ability to succeed in this world, but more so focus on making sure the mandated content is being delivered and the overall environment is being managed. Both of these are important things, but a child can be a standout student in the classroom and still struggle with things in the real world–so what are we doing to ensure all students have the skills needed after graduation? 

The matchup–between the expectations of the profession, the allocated resources and time, the support from families and community, the pay, and the outside world issues that they each still face when they walk out the door–is non-existent. It is a recipe for failure from the jump. 

So how do you make evaluations meaningful? The first point of entry would be with mandated tests. State mandated testing needs to be thrown out the window and replaced with something focused on student competencies and adaptive skills. Currently, the tests that we give our students each year are problematic. They do not value diversity in culture, learning style, or socio-economic status. They measure a student’s ability to take a test. “Test companies (a multi-billion dollar a year industry) not only manufacture the tests; they also manufacture the courses and programs that can be taken to ‘prepare for the test.’ If you have the money, you can get special tutors that will help you do well on a test. If you don’t have the money, and your school is in a low socio-economic area that gets less funding than the more wealthy schools, then you’re not getting the same preparation for the test as those at the higher socio-economic levels do” (Armstrong, 2013). The data shows that the more affluent schools “perform” better. This is not an accurate measure of understanding, but rather a measure of resources available. What is even more confusing to me is when the educator or the school is given scores/remarks based on their success on standardized tests. One assessment can determine how qualified a teacher is? What about the other 170+ school days, learning opportunities and experiences that teachers provide to the students in and out of the classroom? Do tests matter more? If the evaluation includes anything about test performance, what is there to encourage a teacher to provide more student-led and equitable opportunities to students, rather than just test prep throughout the school year? It feels like we are boxing in educators to hit specific data marks, and in turn we are removing the joy, individuality, and authenticity of learning in the school environment.

The next step in improving the educator evaluation process should be making sure it is personalized. No learner is the same; therefore, no educator is the same. Administrators should focus on individual teacher goals. At the beginning of each school year, administrators should review the basic expectations of an educator such as differentiated lesson plans, attendance expectations, creating an inviting and positive relationship with students and families so they are excited for class and attending regularly, and the requirements for the schools on grades and when and how to communicate learning with families. All of the aforementioned set the bar. Then each educator should work to set individual goals above and beyond the basics that focus on areas of their growth and ideas they are invested in personally. 

Throughout the year, the administration would then check in with them on their progress against these goals and ask them to maintain a portfolio of uploaded evidence of the progress they are making. When it’s time to review contracts and think through teaching placements for the upcoming school year, administrators would then sit down with the educators and see what progress has been made. The progress that they have made on their individualized goals would be quantified with teacher development and student growth at the forefront. Both things will happen in conjunction when an educator has worked to set a goal that is grounded in their individual areas of growth and improvement. Most educators are going to rate themselves harder than any administrator does, and they are going to be personally tied and focused on these goals; you won’t have to remind them about their goals if they value the goals. They will be ready to show you their growth. The joy will be there in the realm of self-growth and improvement, rather than some fabricated forced joy due to an initiative of the moment. 

Evaluation of educators is necessary. Just like students need accountability and boundaries, educators need to have it as well, not as a “gotcha,” but as a way to demonstrate growth and support ongoing learning. “When properly implemented, evaluation reforms can dramatically improve teacher quality, build trust with teachers, and contribute to improving other a host of educational institutions, such as teacher preparation programs” (Robinson, n.d.). Every day we do research in our field on the best learning practices and what this generation of educators and students need; this information comes from these evaluations and the data that is collected by schools and districts. It is necessary data, but if improvement is the goal, buy-in and collaboration with the people doing the work is the best way to ensure repeatable gains. 

As a classroom teacher for 17 years, when I had fewer classroom “rules” and mandates that I created and more group-created classroom norms and expectations, then I had better classroom management and behavior. To someone outside of education, this may seem like an anomaly, but it’s all about buy-in and feeling like a part of the process. Students have shown that when they have input and find value in what is expected of them, they are more willing to work harder and meet those expectations. Why not do the same for educators? When they are handed a rubric and a list of non-negotiables, they are more likely to find loopholes where they are still in compliance, rather than genuinely push themselves to be a better practitioner and educator in the field. But when you have fewer non-negotiables at a school and more individual conversations, then you will see more educator joy, more feelings of value, and more willingness to show up and excel for the scholars and the school. 

At 2Revolutions, I have the opportunity to work with many amazing leaders and thinkers in the education field, and one thing that grounds us in the work each and every day is the foundation of respect. Educator evaluations, too, need to be rooted in respect, and by doing that, all of the practitioners in the field on every level can truly grow and increase impact on student learning. We can learn from each other and with each other, and from that we all consistently continue to grow.