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To: Governor Andrew Cuomo From: Educators 4 Excellence Date: February 15, 2012 Re: New York State Teacher Evaluation
Executive Summary
Educators 4 Excellence, a teacher-led, student-focused organization, convened over 100 teachers for a conversation with David Wakelyn, your Deputy Secretary for Education, on Thursday, February 2, 2012. The conversation was moderated by three New York City public school teachers and focused on the reasons for, and solutions to, the current impasse in negotiations about teacher evaluations. Additionally, teachers in the audience shared their ideas about what should be included in an evaluation system, their hopes for how a new system could help their students, and their fears about the challenges of implementation. Throughout the event we polled the teachers in attendance and the following recommendations represent the ideas and suggestions they generated.
Polling Data 96 percent agree with the statement: A fair and equitable evaluation system is necessary to elevate the profession.
Teachers should receive at least 5 observations each year so that supervisors can provide feedback regularly and track progress. Student survey data should be included as a measure of teacher effectiveness.
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II. What role should student growth data play in a new evaluation system?
Although tests are not perfect, they are one meaningful measure of the growth my students make. New York teacher
Teacher Insight We have reservations about the use of test scores because we know they cant measure everything that goes on in our classroom. But, they are the only objective measure of our impact on students over the course of the year and should be one component of many that help paint an accurate picture of our performance. We know that our impact on our students matters and should be reflected in our evaluation. Recommendation Student growth data, based on a well-developed value added model, should be one of multiple measures included in any evaluation system.
Polling Data 96 percent agree with the statement: Growth in student learning should be a part of a teachers evaluation.
38 percent worry that principals wont be adequately trained. 38 percent are concerned that the system will be punitive, not supportive.
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Recommendations Principals need to undergo rigorous training on how to properly observe teachers and how to give constructive feedback. An online monitoring system needs to be developed to continually norm and verify the accuracy and reliability of principal observations across the state and over time.
Conclusion
Governor Cuomo, thank you for sending your Deputy Secretary for Education, David Wakelyn, to listen to and learn from E4E teachers. We are energized by your recent focus on finally implementing a teacher evaluation system that was promised to us two years ago. Our current system is broken and we want and need meaningful feedback to help us continue to grow as professionals. We hope that you will take our recommendations into account as you finalize your plans around evaluation. We look forward to continuing to share the voices of classroom teachers with New Yorks Students Lobbyist.
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43%
48%
5% 15+ years
Q2. I teach...
36% 25% 4%
Early childhood Elementary school Middle school High school
28% 6%
Other
Q3. To what extent do you agree: A fair and equitable evaluation and support system is necessary to elevate the teaching profession. 82%
14% 4%
Strongly disagree
0%
Somewhat disagree
0%
Neutral Somewhat agree Strongly agree
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40%
45%
2%
Strongly disagree
6%
Somewhat disagree
7%
Neutral Somewhat agree Strongly agree
63%
10%
Provides meaningful feedback Acknowledge effective teaching
11%
Opportunities for professional growth
16%
38%
38%
11%
Principals wont be adequately trained Teachers ideas wont be included
13%
Will be punitive and not supportive
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60%
38%
11%
A standardized rubric Peer to peer feedback
13%
Multiple observations
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