Statewide Educator Evaluation System Proposed

Press Release from the Maryland State Department of Education:
June 20, 2011

MARYLAND COUNCIL ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A STATEWIDE EDUCATOR EVALUATION SYSTEM
STATE RECEIVES FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR TWO-YEAR PILOT
ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 20, 2011)

The Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness today gave approval to initial recommendations for a Statewide Educator Evaluation System.

The recommendations define various aspects of teacher and principal evaluation, set in place general standards, provide flexibility to local school systems with State approval, and establish a framework for evaluation.

(...)

The Education Reform Act of 2010, passed by the Maryland General Assembly in April 2010 and signed into law last June, called for the new vision for educator evaluations. The Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness was established by Governor O’Malley through Executive Order to put those changes into place. The Council – made up of educators, policy experts, and elected officials – was originally set to complete its initial work by the end of 2010, but requested an extension through the end of June 2011.

The Council was established to make recommendations for the development of the Statewide system of evaluation for educators required under the new law. The Council developed recommendations designed to ensure that educators are evaluated using multiple, fair, and transparent methods; that they are given meaningful opportunities to improve; and provided with the means to share best practices.

The Council's initial recommendations include the following:

Evaluation Framework – Separate evaluation systems have been developed for teachers and principals. Both include professional development at their core, and are divided between qualitative and quantitative (student growth) measures.


Definitions for Evaluation – A list of various terms used in the evaluation processes, including mentoring, observation, and student growth measures.


General Standards for Teacher/Principal Evaluation – A four-step process, including established areas of professional practice (such as class preparation, instruction, classroom environment, and professional responsibilities), and both State and local growth measures (such as State Assessments and multiple measures of student academic achievement). Under the plan, teachers and principals would be evaluated as highly effective, effective, or ineffective. All teachers and principals would be provided with professional development in an effort to strengthen their performance.

To read the whole press release, CLICK HERE.