Comments on: Study looks ‘under the hood’ of new teacher-evaluation systems

By: Sarah Garland

Sarah Garland — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:48:42 +0000

Interesting points. Charlotte Danielson’s teacher observation model is being used in a lot of places because it has some research backing backing its ideas about what teaching practices are best. (It’s also interesting to note in the context of the new evaluations that Danielson doesn’t support the use of student test scores to rate teachers.) So is it an art, or is there a way to do experimental research to find out which teaching methods help boost student success, and which don’t? Can we assume these methods would be universal, or how much does it depend on the classroom and school context?

By: Patrick Crabtree

Patrick Crabtree — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:53:55 +0000

This may shed more light:
http://www.cato-unbound.org/2008/04/07/richard-rothstein/a-nation-at-risk-twenty-five-years-later/

By: George Peterman

George Peterman — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:11:16 +0000

Keep in mind that ConnCAN was just given a national Bunkum Award (“If Bernie Madoff Worked in School Finance Award”) from The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder, for their gross misuse of data in their propaganda efforts to kill unions and divert public money to their privately run schools. ConnCAN is the lobbying group begun by the same folks who run Achievement First, a private educational company, founded with the help of hedge fund managers, wealthy pharmaceutical directors (a few of who have been fined majorally large sums for bad practices with vicodin), and the current Connecticut ed commissioner Stephan Pryor.

By: robert e. soctt

robert e. soctt — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 05:19:19 +0000

One area worth considering when it comes to quality teaching practices would be long term studies, much like the framingham medical study.
Think it, if three parents show up at their local public school for the first day of first grade for their children and the principal tells parents their children are goiing to be a part of a study. Teachers have received extra training during the summer, we will be comparing our traditional program to a language based intensive program and one with a greater emphasis on the more affective aspects of learning.

Many parents would be very upset. Most will not their child being used like a lab rat. Therefore, there is little research that clarifies excellent and vital teaching practices you would see are more universal in people considered good teachers.

To create such research would be a major undertaking but one I think would be very instructive.

By: Janet Atkins

Janet Atkins — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:44:27 +0000

The difficulty in teacher evaluation arises from the fact that teaching is an art. It is NOT strictly a science with a method that if followed correctly will make each and every student an A+ learner and successful in all of life. That’s the panacea that so many Americans desire, and that’s why we have so many packaged curriculums on the market that promise to make successful learners in each and every classroom. That’s why we test our children to their wit’s ends. Until the American public and our politicians realize that teaching is an art, and that art cannot be quantitatively evaluated—but rather must be evaluated qualitatively—then we will miss the boat on teacher evaluation. Good teachers know good teaching. If you check with the majority of administrators and district personnel—those who do evaluations—you’ll find many of them left the classroom because they just couldn’t stand teaching—or at best were mediocre in the classroom. Those of us who have stayed, and succeeded for many, many years to turn kids on to learning and to foster relationships that have made success story after success story, know that we practice an art. One simply cannot measure art.

By: Justin Snider

Justin Snider — Thu, 31 May 2012 15:01:28 +0000

The report can be found at http://conncan.org/sites/conncan.org/files/research/measuring_teacher_effectiveness.pdf

By: Lisa Guernsey

Lisa Guernsey — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:52:42 +0000

Sarah, thanks for the information about this new study, which will be important for early education policy makers. The link to the report is broken — can you repost? Thanks.