New Teacher Evaluation System Set For Failure

On Monday, the Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness approved a pilot program that takes a whole new approach to teacher evaluations in the public schools. While principals will continue to observe instructional practices and lesson planning in the classroom, fifty-percent of a teacher’s rating will now be directly tied to student achievement.

The idea of increasing teacher accountability resounds with politicians and parents. Maryland may lead the country in Advanced Placement test scores, but we still can’t guarantee that Johnny can read by the end of 3rd grade.

According to the 2010 Maryland Report Card, thirty-eight percent of Baltimore City schools failed to meet adequate yearly progress for student achievement for two or more years. Ten percent of Baltimore County public schools are failing, as are 28% of Prince George’s County schools. That’s 150 failing schools just within three school districts.

On one level, there appears to be some logic to the idea that teachers will focus on self-improvement knowing that their performance pay is tied to student achievement. Some teachers, in fact, will take the initiative to try out innovative teaching practices to motivate students to succeed. Many others, however, will face a daily battle of simply keeping a safe and orderly classroom while they try to teach minimal skills.

For all its other academic success stories, at a statewide level in 2010, Maryland did not meet its overall Adequate Yearly Progress, as required under No Child Left Behind. Specifically, African-American students, as well as students who receive free or reduced lunches; special education services; or have limited English proficiency all failed to meet basic proficiency levels in math and reading. Additionally, Hispanic students did not meet reading proficiency levels.

Many talented and dedicated teachers work throughout the state. Yet, one-third of Maryland teachers only meet minimum teacher qualifications, which includes an undergraduate degree, a few teacher preparation courses and an 1100 on the SAT, a score slightly over the national average for high school seniors.

Linking student success to teacher performance still might be a good idea, except that we do not currently have methods in place for assessing achievement for the majority of classes taught in school. Sure, students march through the hoops of math and reading testing in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades. But, what about Kindergarten teachers, high school home economics teachers, and art instructors? How will their performance be evaluated? Can the state develop an economical evaluation system that works well for high school physics teachers down to elementary school gym teachers?

One suggestion by the Governor appointed MCEE board focuses on assessing student work portfolios, rather than relying on teacher issued grades. The portfolios could either (1) showcase a student’s best work; (2) demonstrate growth over a period of time; or (3) show examples of meeting certain standards throughout the year.

Portfolios assessed by independent evaluators seems like an objective idea, but let’s do some quick math to see how this idea adds up.

Baltimore County has approximately 8,800 teachers who will need to be evaluated annually under this new proposal. We’ll assume that only a sample of student portfolios – say ten - will be evaluated for each individual teacher.

According to a consultant’s report submitted to MCEE, it will take about one hour to adequately evaluate one student’s achievement portfolio. The consultant indicates that a qualified assessor will earn around $15 an hour. Tabulate the results and it will cost the county $1.2 million a year to implement this new evaluation system. 

That is more money than the entire 2011 Baltimore County-wide Gifted and Talented budget.

Statewide, the new teacher evaluation program will carry a price tag of at least $8 million. That price goes up astronomically if the state uses an electronic format for maintaining and storing student portfolios.

The cost of this new program goes beyond dollars and sense and begs some very basic questions.

Where will the time come from for creating these portfolios in the first place?

It might not seem like a lot, but tracking portfolios throughout the year takes time. Between gathering, collating, checking off, and spot-checking the assembly and quality of portfolios, teachers will realistically spend at least one hour on each student’s portfolio. For an elementary school teacher with 30 students, it may be an easy task to find that time. But, what about the high school teacher with 150 different students? Does he take time away from planning and grading papers or does he just work for free?

How random will the selection of portfolios be?

For a teacher who mainly instructs honors classes, this question is of little consequence. But, what about the teacher whose students represent five different native languages, a dozen Individualized Education Plans or 504 plans for special educational needs, and a handful of students medicated for various mental health reasons - just in one classroom? Which ten students fairly demonstrate how competently the teacher is doing her job in that situation?

Aren’t we just teaching to another “test”?

Putting a greater emphasis on the production of a high quality products once again relegates learning to the back seat while students are groomed to meet one standard: Making the teacher look good. Students already spend weeks practicing how to write acceptable Brief Constructed Responses that are required on the Maryland State Assessment exams. How much time will now be spent on editing, revising, and redoing portfolio projects just so a teacher will pass their own evaluation?

Where’s the quality control?

Unless every item in a student’s portfolio is in the child’s own handwriting, how will we ever really know what is a genuine work sample and what has received “extra” help? Call me cynical, but we’ve all seen science fair projects that have left us thinking, “Gee, that mom sure did a nice job with building that volcano model?” How are we to be reassured that won't happen with this new evaluation system?

Teacher accountability provides a critical link to tracking student achievement. That fact cannot be denied.

However, Maryland’s new evaluation approach is doomed to fall short of its intended goal. Rather than increase achievement levels by inspiring teachers to do their best, it will add a burdensome tracking system, resulting in less instructional time for students who are already failing in the system.

Alessa Giampaolo grew up on the east-side of Baltimore City and now lives in Northwest Baltimore County. She runs Hand In Hand Home School, the state’s largest homeschooling website. Alessa writes curriculum and is an educational advocate for gifted students, LGBT students, and underachievers. You can contact Alessa at alessa@handinhandhomeschool.com.