Georgia Pilots New Teacher Evaluation

A central component of the evaluation for classroom teachers will be what’s called a “value added” piece. The idea is to measure how much progress a student has made in a year using test scores and other data. Avis King is Georgia’s Deputy Superintendent of Student Improvement:

“The other pieces of the evaluation of course, the observation piece, where teachers are observed and they can also provide documentation of their practices in the classroom. And there is also a survey piece as well.”

But, with five weeks to go, some major decisions still haven’t been made. Officials haven’t decided which value added model they’re going to use. And they haven’t determined what percentage each component progress, observations, and surveys– will weigh.

Tim Callahan, of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, says that’s a red flag:

“For anxious teachers and principals across this state, it’s a little like the plane is at the top of the runway and doesn’t have wings, and it’s revving up and they’re telling us, You know, don’t worry. By the other end of the runway, we’ll have wings and we’ll take off.’”

The Education Department’s technical advisory committee is choosing which value added model to use and King says they don’t want to rush:

“They’re wanting to make sure they get the best model, so they’re working very carefully, very deliberately. It will be between now and the end of December.”

Callahan says once the pilot begins, the Education Department should seek constant feedback from educators:

“The most critical input is going to be what they learn in the 26 districts they’re piloting this thing and more critical than that is do they react to that input?”

King, of the Education Department, says they’ll get input from schools.

“Because we really want this to be an evaluation system that makes a difference in our state.”

When the new semester starts in January, ten percent of teachers in Georgia’s “Race to the Top” districts will participate in the pilot.