Evaluating Teachers

Danielson’s purpose in writing this article is to outline the components for the framework of an effective tool for evaluating teachers. The evaluation of teachers is a critical component for schools and administrators as these evaluations provide the data for making daily decisions for continued school improvements. School leaders have many responsibilities. One of the most important responsibilities that a school administrator has is the process of evaluating teachers. Evaluations promote improved student learning and the continued professional development of teachers. Danielson begins by illuminating the underlying problem with teacher evaluation tools. She begins by stating the ultimate function of existing teacher evaluation tools and how they are used to assess the performance of teachers in order to stimulate the learning of both teachers and students. Current teacher evaluation tools exhibit several inadequacies in their formulation and structure. These current teacher evaluation tools are lacking in criteria that provide feedback for helping teachers identify areas for improvement. Performance components and comments are simple and offer no insight to qualify the rating. There are no components that separate criteria for entry-level and career teachers and no sections to indicate the expertise and the experience of career teachers. Danielson continues by pointing out that due to the lack of consistency between administrators, teachers scores may be biased based on the perceptions of the administration in their respective buildings. The final deficit in current teacher evaluations is that teachers feel as though the evaluation is an event that is performed to them rather than with them. Danielson’s article addresses the school’s accountability to stakeholders because the school operates on public monies. Guaranteeing teacher quality is essential. School administrators need a credible tool to substantiate their evaluations of teachers to ensure validity of their observations and findings. Schools, teachers, and administrators need to have a consistent definition of good teaching but all should have a consistent understanding of what good teaching is. Supervisors should have the skills to perform the evaluations with accuracy and consistency. With evaluations that are consistent, teachers can be assured that the results are reliable and helpful in improving their teaching whether they are an entry-level or career teacher. Evaluations that are shown to be valid will promote professional development among teachers. Danielson’s Framework for Teaching allows teachers to be actively involved as well as having the opportunity to reflect on their teaching performance and collaborate with their supervisor. This article concludes with an overview of the successful implementation of Danielson’s evaluation tool in Chicago Public Schools providing first-hand information following the use of this evaluation tool. Further, it is emphasized that administrators and supervisors must be trained to perform the evaluations effectively and …show more content…
There are four levels of performance for each component of good teaching. Even with the specificity of this tool for each component, and teacher communication following the observation, the tool still may not adequately represent the teacher’s performance. The evaluator has to be able to develop professional dialogue with the teacher through “a process of active intellectual engagement”. This dialogue will allow the teacher to reflect and elaborate on professional practices during conversations. This dialogue assists the evaluator in understanding the methods and practices of the teacher. By reflecting and evaluating their practices, teachers can make adjustments to improve their effectiveness in the classroom, planning, and parent-community relations. Maintaining ongoing communication with teachers will allow the evaluator to observe qualities and strategies that may also be useful in helping other teachers improve in different areas of their profession. The implementation of this framework provides evaluators a tool by which to assess teachers on their own merit. As evaluators continue to observe and dialogue with teachers, they can consider the individual philosophies and instructional strategies embraced by each teacher. Evaluators can also offer suggestions for teachers when a teacher’s instruction strategies and practices are not effectively reaching some students. The Framework for Teaching becomes less of an evaluation tool and more of a conversational outline to narrow focus on topics that are specific to each teacher. It is a more personalized tool for evaluating teachers. The Framework for Teaching can be utilized as an effective evaluation tool because it provides a guide for observation and includes components requiring dialogue for extended evaluation considerations. Utilizing this tool, it will be important as a