Appraisal: valuing difference, fostering self-responsibilityChris Thornley, New Zealand Teachers CouncilKerry Mitchell, The Education Group

Workshop One: Situating appraisal in the New Zealand context

Evaluation

TALIS findings (2009) from secondary schools in 20 OECD countries indicate that:• 44% of teachers viewed their appraisal as fulfilling

administrative purposes only• In a number of countries using appraisal and feedback to

establish a development plan is less common than simply reporting the outcomes to the teacher

An international picture: what’s missing?

An international picture: stronger processes

• Teachers reported that appraisal and feedback contributed to their development and had a strong positive influence on them and their work

• Teachers rated their knowledge and understanding of their subjects and related pedagogy as moderate to high importance in the feedback they receive

• Strengthening systems of appraisal relied on improving links between school evaluations, teachers’ appraisal, goal setting, feedback, professional learning and development

An international response

• Grattan Institute in Australia has developed ‘a new system of appraisal and feedback’ for use in schools

• Some jurisdictions in the USA implement a summative approach where teachers are appraised using rubrics

• In Finland appraisal is characterised by the high level of confidence placed in schools and teachers as professionals.

Evaluation

Since 2007, the practice of New Zealand teachers has been considered against a set of standards developed by their professional body with input from the profession. High trust models for appraisal have been preferred:

• The Graduating Teacher Standards• The Registered Teacher Criteria

Since 2007

Cultural locatedness and identity

Cultural competencies:Ako: practice in the classroom and beyondWhanaungatanga: relationshipsTangata whenuatanga: socio-cultural awarenessManaakitanga: values, integrityWānanga: communication

Mārama –graduating teachersMōhio-knowing how to affirm Māori and iwi cultureMātau: being able to lead and engage others in affirming

Evaluation

The degree to which teachers perceive that any innovation reflects their identity impacts on the likelihood that they will take on and drive the innovation

Teacher agency and ownership work positively together when teachers make sense of the innovation and identify with it

Teachers’ positioning toward an innovation

Fostering a self-responsibility

Goals, roles and responsibilitiesScaffold the change-move slowlyConsult at each stageValue contributions, build ownership

70/20/10 rule

•(70) Informal learning – on the job (challenging tasks)•(20) Social learning - (relationships and networks)•(10) Formal

What are the professional learning and development opportunities that occur at your school?

Appraisal of Teachers Project

New Zealand Teachers CouncilEarly childhood education and schooling in English and Māori medium settings18 month pld of workshops and webinars and independent inquiry17 locations nationally

Bringing all the pieces together-

The profession

The system

Making the linksStrategic direction

Appraisal

Professional learning opportunities

Inquiry into

practice (Professio

nal teachers

and professional leaders)

Valued outcomes for students

Twelve core elements of Employee Engagement

1. They need to know what is expected2. Have the necessary materials and equipment3. Have the opportunity to use their talents everyday4. Receive recognition for accomplishment5. Feel someone in the organisation cares at a personal level6. Know that personal development is encouraged

(Buckingham and Coffman)

Twelve core elements of Employee Engagement

7. Feel their opinions count8. Feel their work is important to the organisation’s mission9. Have co-workers committed to doing quality work10. Have good relationships with colleagues at work11. Have talked to the leaders regularly about their progress12. Have opportunity to learn and grow.

(Buckingham and Coffman)

Your experience

Think about an appraisal that had a positive effect on your practice as a teacher

Describe the process to your partner and what made it successful

Now repeat for an appraisal that had either no effect or a negative effect on your performance

Workshop Two: A Framework for appraisal

•Self• Joint/shared

• Alignment• Professional

growth

• Inquiry into practice

• Trust• Valid

information• Commitment

to action Open to learning conversations

Evaluative Capability

ResponsibilityPerformance Management

Tangata whenuatanga

Wānanga Whanaungatanga

Manaakitanga

Ako

Ako

o

Conceptual Framework for Appraisal

Ako

Performance

Processes that develop, strengthen and make best use of staff skills, knowledge, training and talent in ways that maximise learning outcomes for students:

• Staff appointments• Induction• Professional/staff development• Appraisal• Career support• Competence and discipline processes• Code of ethics

Performance

Coherent performance management for performance growth: appraisal and attestation

A coherent Approach

AttestationMaking the links

RegistrationSalary review

CompetenceConduct/ discipline

Developmental goals based on outcomes

for learnersSelf and peer

evaluationObservation

Professional learning opportunities

Teaching as inquiryCareer pathways

Appraisal for Learning

Open to LearningOpen to Learning

It’s about a recognition that we are all learners and learning takes place when there are high levels of:

• Trust• Respect• Inquiry • Conversation• Action

Open to learning disposition

Open to Learning

Key values in open to learning conversations

Open to Learning

What makes these conversations tough?

Open to Learning

How do people typically deal with this?

Open to Learning

How do people typically deal with this?

Self-responsibility

Professional

Teacher responsi

bility

Professional

Leader responsi

bility

Joint responsibility

Joint responsibility

Self-responsibility

Shared understandingClarity about criteria for desired practiceWhat actual practice looks like Co-construction of descriptions of practice and agreement about what that practice demonstrates Disposition towards examining and improving practiceActive learners taking responsibility for improving teaching and learning and demonstrating commitment to improvement.

Joint responsibility looks like…

Evaluation

The evaluative (appraisal ) process

1. Describe what ‘good’ looks like

2. Develop indicators, exemplars, illustrations, rubrics, to shape a full understanding

3. Ask the evaluative question: How well does my practice meet each of the RTC and overall?

Evaluation

The evaluative (appraisal ) process

4. Determine the sources of evidence I might collect that can be used to answer this question

5. Use suitable processes to gather the evidence

6. With my professional leader, use the evidence to examine my practice

7. Answer the question by reaching a reasoned conclusion

i. Jane’s Story

http://tekotahitanga.tki.org.nz/Videos/Teacher-stories/Jane-s-story

Performance Management• Re-registration

( every 3 years)• Attestation (annual

for pay progession)• Appraisal (annual

for growth and development)

Process:• Criteria

established• Goal setting• Indicators of

success identified • Timeframes and

actions identified• Support to be

providedEvidence Collected (learning portfolio)• Teaching as

Inquiry• Observations

/feedback• Evidence of

learning• Student voice• Contribution to

wider school - feedback from other staff

Appraisal Discussions• Interpreting

evidence• Affirmation• Feedback• Next steps

Appraisal Report• Overall evaluative

judgements/statements

• Key strengths• Next steps/concerns• Support to be

provided

Appraisal components

Registered Teacher Criteria

Botany Downs School

Botany

Evaluation

Workshop Three

Evaluation

Analysing evidence

presentation perspectives

sources

RTC

&

Tātaiako

Evaluation

Analysing the evidence

From everyday practice: What is available as evidence?

Identification: What stands out? Where are the patterns? For me, my group of akonga and individual akonga/priority learners?

Reflection: What does this mean for next steps teaching and learning?

How does this meet the RTC/Tataiako?

Registered Teacher Criteria

From big to small-starting with teaching and learning

From small to big-understanding the criteria

From small to big-identifying next steps and goals

Backward mapping to the RTC

Scenarios

Scenario One – Appraisal conversations at SGHShttp://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/content/professional-leaders-employersScenario Three – Kelvin’s story

Website links

http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/content/professional-leaders-employers

www.educationgroup.co.nz

Reference List

Refer handout for resources, links articles and research reports