FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue Regional School District school board voted unanimously to submit a new teacher evaluation system to the state for approval at Tuesday’s meeting.
LD 1858, ‘An Act To Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership’ was enacted in April 2012, mandating the implementation of a “performance evaluation and professional growth system” for teachers and principals in every school district. The system requirements, which must consist of a series of standards, multiple measures of effectiveness and tie into staff professional development, were scheduled to be fully operational within four years.
Mt. Blue, like most districts, previously utilized a teacher review system described as a “narrative model” by teacher Doug Hodum, who has been heavily involved with the creation of the new system. Teachers were observed in the classroom, suggestions were made and a narrative was created.
The new system is data driven, utilizing the Marzano Teaching Evaluation Model. A committee of teachers, district and building administrators selected that model due to its popularity, particularly in this region, which meant there was significant support available. The Marzano system utilizes a total of 60 different elements that gauge teacher performance, although teachers will initially focus on eight elements, adding additional facets over time.
The professional component of the classroom observations will account for 80 percent of the teacher’s rated effectiveness. The other 20 percent will relate to student growth. Multiple years of data would be collected, Hodum noted, to broaden the scope beyond a single class. Teacher progress will be tracked through iObservation, a digital tool that can provide immediate feedback after a classroom visit. Teachers can be rated as either highly effective, effective, partially effective or ineffective–those categories are part of the state law.
Building administrators said they were “impressed” so far, as Cape Cod Hill School Principal Darlene Paine put it, although some said the new system would take more work, initially, as both teachers and administrators became familiar. Foster Technology Center Director Glenn Kapiloff called the assessment system “a common language” that could allow teachers across different disciplines to communicate teaching strategies with each other.
Directors asked about what safeguards existed after teachers rated “ineffective” and whether other data, such as student surveys, should also be collected.
The vote to send the system to the state for approval was unanimous.
