How should educators be evaluated taking into account the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards?
605880
They should be evaulated on performance just like everybody else in the private sector. \n\nI am a project manager and I have customers and vendors who don't want to do this or that, but guess what I push them to do what needs to be done and I am evaluated on my perfomrance period.
546719
Many people don't understand that a student may be cognizant of and understand the concepts s/he's expected to know, but be unable to test well due to a variety of factors.  Standardized tests don't typically measure a student's ability to apply knowledge, only the ability to memorize facts.  Students with better memorization skills do better on standardized tests.  Our current political and social culture, however, understandably seeks a certain level of accountability for both schools and students.  Unfortunately, standardized testing isn't necessarily a good measure of how bright or knowledgeable a student is, or how good of a job a school or teacher is doing; instead, it encourages teachers to teach to the test rather than teach students to apply critical thinking skills.  No one, however, has yet to come up with an alternative standard of measurement that can be applied equitably, and I doubt anyone ever will.  Instead, we need to recognize that every child has his/her own learning style and pace, to educate teachers to recognize students who are struggling or falling behind, and to give them the time and the resources to teach all of the children in their care to the best of their abilities.
1025638
Many public school systems, like the ones in New Jersey, created a No Child Left Behind Act which tries to enforce that all children will learn through modifications - whether that means having a child study team evaluation for an IEP, or having a teacher make modifications within their lesson plans to help a child learn.  \n\nPublic school teachers HAVE to do evaluation assessments on all the students they teach during the school year.  Usually if we see a "problem" (possible learning disability or non-specific LD) we will contact the parents for an initial meeting.  PARENTS NEED TO BE THEIR CHILD'S ADVOCATE and many times must push the school system to evaluate a child and offer assistance.  Assistance may be a one on one aide, involvement in a special education class, large print books, occupational and physical therapies, etc.\n \nI believe that many children slip through the cracks because parent/teacher communication may be weak.  I also believe that it is a teacher's NUMBER ONE priority to ensure the students in his or her class can learn.  Sad to say many teachers become complacent in their careers and are not looking to hard for the children who need help.
304
hi,\n\nThis question is of particular interest to me because I have been interested in education reform for some time. I'm a believer that the quality of education has a lot to do with the quality of the teachers. To have quality teachers, many different initiatives should be put into place. \n\nThere are several areas to focus on improving teachers:\n\n1) preparation and credentialing- some states have focused on improving teacher education programs and raising the passing score on qualifying exams like the PRAXIS.\n\n2) induction and retention- it's well known that the teaching profession has a high burnout rate. it's not suprising. they're essentially expected to raise our society's children and many times spend more time when them than the parents do. that's why some states have instituted better support programs for new teachers. assigning each new teacher a teacher-mentor and having a supportive adminstration that encourages teacher autonomy and professional development are a few ways to help retain new teachers.\n\n3) professional development- states should encourage the professional development of their teachers. this doesn't just mean that they raise the expectations for the classes they take, it means that they tie these developments to compensation as well. one way in which states have given teachers incentives to grow professionally is by instituting national board certification programs. a teacher who passes this test gets a raise as well as the privelege of teaching in any other state w/o additional requirements.\n\n4) accountability- it's a problem when non-performing teachers are allowed to stay because of tenure. while it's important to ensure teacher accountability, it seems that some states see this area as a panacea for generating good teachers. it's not. the other factors are equally important, if not more so. to weed out deadbeats, you just have to nurture a better teaching staff.\n\n5) fair compensation- obviously, this is very important.\n\nhope this helps?
887968
In the US, the trend is to have more of a business-like accountability.  Some districts are tying teacher bonuses to the student test results.\n\nAs for classroom observations, usually the principal or the assistant principal does several "walk-throughs" of the classroom throughout the year to see that the teacher is doing their job.  It can be unannounced or scheduled depending on the principal-teacher relationship.  And there are usually 1 or 2 official classroom appraisal of the teacher by an administrator.\n\nAlso, more and more documentations are demanded from the teachers like lesson plans, curriculum calendar, etc. to show administrators that the teachers are teaching to the right standard.  In severe cases like schools that continually fail the "No Child Left Behind" Annual Yearly Progress review, external sources may visit schools to observe classrooms and teaching documentations.  The art of the appraisal then becomes a more of a balance of the "too many chefs in the kitchen" scenario.  Is it better for the teacher to have more administrators managing than to have the teacher work standalone?  It is more of a sliding scale.  But the question is what is the balance that will result in the best student scores?
434321
Do you mean like curriculum standards?\n\nIf that is it, then you need to identify the standards that are being taught.  After that, you need to evaluate if the students are actually learning them.  For instance, PA Standard 1.1.11.A Learning to Read Independently states that students should be able to "locate various texts, media and traditional resources for assigned and independent projects before reading."  Essentially, students should be doing prereading excerises on their own.  Did they do that?  \n\nWhat you have to do is go through the entire curriculum and pick out the standards and make sure that they were met.\n\nI hope that helps.
960151
There are some vital areas you have overlooked. You need to 'catch them being good' and openly reward positive behaviour. The pupils should be involved in the creation of the class rules and sanctions and be very clear in advance of what will happen should these rules be broken. And should the rules be broken you should tell them it's their behaviour they don't like not them. It is vital that you have unconditional positive regard for pupils. You also need to have a very robust and consistent approach to positive behaviour management, agreed strategies on how you will deal with and respond to individuals with individual needs. This needs to be in writing to ensure other visiting specialists or cover teachers are aware of these agreed strategies and use them. And finally, ask yourself - are your lessons worth behaving for? \nGood reading? Anything by Bill Rogers
507626
Not necessarily. With the new theories about assessment, there's a lot of ways that yo can make an evaluation of your students. Look out for books about assessment and ideas for students especially elementary kids.
304583
Interesting question!  On one hand, the teacher is responsible for doing all in his power to make the course material as interesting as possible.  He should be well schooled in educational methods and strategies, and should constantly be seeking to learn more and better ways to impart information.  Careful forethought and planning on the instructor's part will result in many ideas that will make class more interesting and appealing to the reluctant learner.\n\nThat said, however, it is manifestly impossible to enter a pupil's heart and make him want to learn.  Part of being human is to have free moral choice, and some simply choose not to learn.  It is not possible to reach everyone, regardless of what the hopeful pundits may claim.  Even Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher, had one disciple that positively refused to accept His teaching.  \n\nI suspect that laziness on the part of the evaluator has something to do with blaming the teacher for the lack of motivation on the student's part.  It's easy just to say, "If the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught."  However, as with most things, the matter is far more complicated than that.  The evaluator (whether it be a school administrator, parent, board member, or politician) needs to take the time to check the teacher's methods and procedures.  If deficiencies are found, these can be addressed.  But let's not forget that it's the student's job to learn just as it's the teacher's job to teach.  Without the cooperation of both, learning cannot and will not take place.  And to try to fix unilateral blame for that failure may be an attractively simple option, but it is simply not realistic.
1182339
If you work in education you should start with last year's assessment and state what you have worked on/improved upon, etc.  You should include any conferences or in-service learning/training opportunities you have participate in; the ways in which you have changed your classes and/or teaching style; any extra-curricular activities you have participated in (coach, sponsor a club, attend games, etc.); and you should also include what you plan to do in the upcoming year to continue to improve upon your teaching, etc. (maybe a conference you'd like to go to or someone you want to shadow . . .)
916144
Standardized testing refers to the uniformity of procedure in administering and scoring a test.  This standardization is essential in order to compare one person or group of persons with another person or group.  And, to compare a person with him or herself over time.\n\nThe issue you are raising is not with standardized testing, but with how test content drives the content of the school's curriculum.  Restricting course content to the areas that will be tested ensures that more students will pass the test.  And, some school administrations do evaluate their teachers on the basis of numbers successful on the test.\n\nIn my opinion, the nation-wide emphasis on specific skills has negatively impacted the richness of past public primary and secondary education.  More and more parents and students seem to be coming to the same conclusion that you have reached.  Some are switching to home schooling or enrolling in private schools.  However, you can become responsible for your own enrichment without withdrawing from the public schools.  Simply change your expectations of what they are able to offer.  However, do your very best on the TAKS.  It is a serious endeavor.\n\nYou ask if this is fair.  The answer depends on how you define fair.  There is currently a powerful movement in this country to improve student performance.  It may be instructive to use causal analysis to examine the source of this movement.  Your questions are good ones.  Continue to be inquisitive.\n\nI hope this helps.  If you are interested, read more about the No Child Left Behind Act and how communities around the country have responded.
533709
Decide what you want to teach.\nDecide how you are going to evaluate the learning. (Assessment drives planning)\nDecide how you are going to present the concept.\nDecide what kind of guided practice you are going to use to see if your students get the concept.\nDecide what independent practice you are going to use.\nMake sure you are:\nmeeting state and local curriculur standards\nmeeting the developmental needs of your learning group\nmeeting the learning styles of your learning group\nproviding differentiated instruction for your group\nmeeting the IEP of all the special needs students in your class\nincluding your districts character values\ntaking into account Gardner's seven intelligences\nmake sure you reach higher level thinking skills on Bloom's taxonomy\nNow you can start to plan period two...
176757
A. National Education Association
537618
One aspect of my work is to help determine whether students are eligible for Special Ed, or for protections under state and federal laws to protect students with disabilities. When we make that decision, we are required by law to look at information from a variety of sources. Usually we do two or three different formal assessments that give us two or three completely different pictures of a student. These are usually standardized, so that you get a score in terms of how this student compares to other students his or her age. The team will review the school records, and get input from teachers, counselors, and family. Often, an objective outsider will observe the student in their usual classroom setting. Fifteen or twenty minutes of quiet observation can give you valuable information about a student.  \n\nAnother reason we need tests is to demonstrate that the students are actually learning what we allegedly teach them. Unfortunately, the yearly state tests we give them in the US each year are profoundly flawed.\n\nAlfie Kohn writes, "Don’t let anyone tell you that standardized tests are not accurate measures.  The truth of the matter is they offer a remarkably precise method for gauging the size of the houses near the school where the test was administered." By that he means that standardized test scores are profoundly affected by the students' social standing and economic condition (or socio-economic status).\n\nBut when it comes to taking away funds from a school, the same requirement of gathering information from a variety of sources does not seem to apply. It seems this is often done because of the scores on a single type of yearly test, one that covers a small fraction of what students should be learning in school, and one which has no direct consequences for the students who take it.  They don't care, and they like to draw pictures with the dots in the bubbles. On the other hand, there are big-time consequences for school staff.\n\nIn one major metropolitan area in the US, a favorite trick of the politicians is to cut the budgets of struggling schools and watch the test scores go down. Then they fire the principal and all the teachers (except the ones with "outstanding" ratings, which principals rarely give), replace the staff with new teachers, give them a highly-scripted curriculum (Teacher: Take out your pencils and open your workbooks to page 41. We are going to complete these sentences...), pour more money into the school, declare the school "Transformed", and take credit when test scores go up again. \n\nTeacher qualifying exams: They make an awful lot of money for the companies that give them, which sometimes charge more than $100 for a test that only takes an hour or two. Often a state will require six or seven of these for a teaching license. They do help protect the schools and the teachers unions from allegations that the teachers can't read or write. But you cannot test what separates a good teacher from a terrible one with a #2 pencil and a bunch of bubbles to fill in. And that's just common sense.
785139
Teachers need to be taught how they should behave in front of their students.  Knowledable teachers are not good enough.  They language they used and how they present themselves are important too.
355
On one side I say yes and on the other I say no. It depends really. Some teachers I do not think should be teachers, and I think this will help remove them, yet the good teachers also may be removed because of that too.
209278
Its important for teachers to continue their professional development because not all students are the same or learn the same.  Teacher's need different teaching methods to be able to present lessons to meet the needs of the students. Just because someone is a teacher it does not mean that they know everything and every which way of teaching the concept.  I personally enjoy professional development days because I learn a new method of doing things each time.  In California, teacher's need to prove they have been taking these courses to be able to renew their credential.  I keep track of all the professional development classes I have taken to prove that I have met the requirement to renew my teaching credential.  Every time you go to a professional development class I don't necessarily agree with everything they present either.  Its the teacher's prerogative to decide what they will incorporate and what will work with his or her students.