SREB Launches Insights Interactive Data

Posted on October 20, 2016October 15, 2016 by coreeducation

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has released SREB Insights, an interactive data tool to help policymakers compare and understand state trends, policies, and recommended actions for reaching college- and career-readiness standards. SREB Insights features analysis around the alignment of state standards to college admission requirements, benchmarking of professional learning opportunities to help schools implement Read more about SREB Launches Insights Interactive Data[…]

Teacher Leaders: A Key Link between Teacher Evaluation and Professional Development

Posted on August 2, 2016July 31, 2016 by coreeducation

Anna Duncan, writing for New America, explores the power of teacher leaders to transform the debate around teacher evaluation and place the emphasis more squarely on professional development. Excerpts from the article appear below: That teacher leadership systems have to serve as a key link between teacher evaluation and professional learning becomes evident in a Read more about Teacher Leaders: A Key Link between Teacher Evaluation and Professional Development[…]

The CLASS Project: Empowering Educators, Raising Student Achievement

Posted on July 29, 2016July 22, 2016 by coreeducation

Against a statewide backdrop of sliding student achievement levels, widening education inequities, and high levels of teacher dissatisfaction, the CLASS Project—an Oregon nonprofit initiative—has made sharp gains in all of these areas while simultaneously improving the working relationships between various education system stakeholders. But what exactly IS the Creative Leadership Achieves Student Success (CLASS) Project? Read more about The CLASS Project: Empowering Educators, Raising Student Achievement[…]

Does Teaching Experience Increase Teacher Effectiveness?

Posted on July 12, 2016July 8, 2016 by coreeducation

Tara Kini and Anne Podolsky of the Learning Policy Institute, ask, “Do teachers plateau early in their career or do they continue to grow and improve as they gain experience?” Through a review of research, these authors reexamine this critical question using advanced research methods. Based on a review of 30 studies published within the Read more about Does Teaching Experience Increase Teacher Effectiveness?[…]

Validity of Observation Ratings in Teacher Evaluations

Posted on July 8, 2016July 1, 2016 by coreeducation

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) released a new study recently on the validity of evaluation ratings using an instrument adapted from a well-known teacher observation tool, the Danielson Framework for Teaching. The findings of the study, by Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West, support the use of a single summative rating to evaluate teachers, but Read more about Validity of Observation Ratings in Teacher Evaluations[…]

Re-Thinking Teacher Evaluation

Posted on July 6, 2016September 12, 2020 by coreeducation

Charlotte Danielson is author of a number of books including Framework for Teaching, first published in 1996. She has consulted with state departments of education across the United States, as well as ministries of education abroad. She recently offered her view on how to improve current systems of teacher evaluation: The idea of tracking teacher Read more about Re-Thinking Teacher Evaluation[…]

What do teachers actually think about new teacher evaluations?

Posted on June 28, 2016June 27, 2016 by coreeducation

EdCentral recently reviewed what two recent surveys of teachers revealed about their opinions of new teacher evaluation systems. Excerpts from their article appear below: What do we actually know about teachers’ perceptions of their evaluation process? Two new reports offer insights into this question. In May, the Center on Education Policy (CEP) released a report Read more about What do teachers actually think about new teacher evaluations?[…]

Exploring the Teacher Shortage Dilemma

Posted on June 7, 2016June 5, 2016 by coreeducation

The critical issue of teacher shortages is often featured in today’s news headlines. Whether a shortage exists varies from state to state as do the root causes and the approaches states are taking to address the issue. To support policymakers, Education Commission of the States conducted extensive research on the topic and created a comprehensive Read more about Exploring the Teacher Shortage Dilemma[…]

Grading the Graders: A Report on Teacher Evaluation Reform in Education

Posted on May 20, 2016May 20, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent report from Thomas Toch at Georgetown University analyzes the national teacher-evaluation reform movement and finds that it has been far more beneficial than its many critics would suggest. In a growing number of states and school districts, new, more meaningful evaluation systems have focused principals’ attention on instruction, prompted valuable discussions in schools Read more about Grading the Graders: A Report on Teacher Evaluation Reform in Education[…]

Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems: A Roadmap for Improvement

Posted on April 28, 2016April 23, 2016 by coreeducation

The goal of every teacher evaluation system should be strengthening teacher practice to improve student learning. As states assume more autonomy under the Every Student Succeeds Act, they have a significant opportunity to make progress toward this essential goal by taking stock of their evaluation and support systems and refining them for the better. Teacher Read more about Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems: A Roadmap for Improvement[…]

Improving Observer Training: The Trends and Challenges

Posted on April 8, 2016March 31, 2021 by coreeducation

Observations of teacher performance are a critical component of most teacher evaluation systems, and, if done well, they can help teachers better understand and improve their practice. Yet, as critical as observations are to ensuring quality instruction, not much is known about how districts are training and supporting their observers. This report examines recent research Read more about Improving Observer Training: The Trends and Challenges[…]

Evaluation Systems as Tools for Professional Development

Posted on March 23, 2016March 18, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent report released by New America called Beyond Ratings examines state teacher evaluation systems and evaluates their usefulness as tools for teacher growth. The report highlights what actions states have taken so far to ensure evaluation systems are being used to develop teachers’ practice, and what more needs to be done. In particular, the Read more about Evaluation Systems as Tools for Professional Development[…]

New Report calls for States to Shift Teacher Evaluations Toward Support

Posted on March 17, 2016March 11, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent report from New America: Ed-Central blog, titled Beyond Boundaries, looks at states’ role in the teacher evaluation process. New teacher evaluation systems are an increasingly common aspect of teachers’ daily lives. To ensure that all students have access to quality teaching, the vast majority of states have adopted new, more rigorous teacher evaluation Read more about New Report calls for States to Shift Teacher Evaluations Toward Support[…]

State Chiefs Pledge to Maintain Teacher Evaluation Post NCLB

Posted on March 7, 2016March 4, 2016 by coreeducation

The nation’s state superintendents are trying to send the message that, even though there are no longer any federal requirements for teacher evaluation, states aren’t abandoning their commitment to review their teachers on a regular basis. This comes as a result of the federal passage of ESSA which relaxes the rules on teacher evaluations. CCSSO Read more about State Chiefs Pledge to Maintain Teacher Evaluation Post NCLB[…]

The New Normal in K-12 Education

Posted on February 29, 2016February 26, 2016 by coreeducation

A recent blog by Third Way examines several issues in education policy and reveals the outdated logic and arguments that are being used to debate modern issues. This stagnation in conversation not only threatens our ability to move forward with the best policies for our nation’s students, but it also has had the unintended consequence Read more about The New Normal in K-12 Education[…]