The Teacher Evaluation Task Force has created an extensive default model that reflects current statutes as well as an extensive road map of best practices, Curt Rock, a Foley teacher who serves on the task force told MREA. The draft could be pulled off the shelf and implemented, but Rock expects that most will choose parts beyond the statute requirements to use because of the depth of the document.
The group continues to work through a variety of issues, including a best practices approach for teachers who rate “needing improvement” in evaluations, appropriate remediation and assistance and what steps can be taken in years 1 and 2. The definition of “value-added” and the breakdown of the measurement criteria beyond the state’s 35 percent also have been recent focus areas.
The task force’s six committee chairs will meet Dec. 7 for an all-day meeting to finalize a draft for the group’s approval. The task force expects to provide the final report to the Commissioner on Dec. 13. The group has scheduled a meeting in January after the Commissioner has had an opportunity to review the recommendations.
The task force plans to have pilot schools implement the model once it receives approval from the Commissioner to identify what additional changes would need to be made before the statute is effective in 2014.
Districts are encouraged to bring a team of four to the regional meetings that will be hosted early next year. The Minnesota Department of Education planning and facilitating a three-part series of workshops designed to supporting districts’ planning and implementation of principal and teacher evaluation systems that meet the requirements in legislation. The goal for the series is for district teams to have a base of knowledge with which to choose or develop evaluation models and to plan for implementation of models.