Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation by Kim Marshall

Rethinking TeacherSupervision and Evaluationby Kim MarshallTeam ARenee BeekerJennifer SchaefferGina Serluco

University of Mount UnionED607Understanding our AuthorWanting to make a differenceMarshall Started as a sixth grade teacher in an urban school where he taught for eight years. Took a grant-funded position as an Education Coordinator for two years, hoping he could make important changes to what he called, fragmented curriculum (p. 13). Attended Harvard Graduate School Worked on Boston Superintendent transition team in the Central Office for six years.Held principal position for fifteen difficult years1969 was his first year. Graduate school 1980 but Mass began closing schools so the future as principal seemed slim.2Marshalls View of Supervision as a TeacherAfraid of the supervisor who was very critical of his teachingLacked support or direct feedback Isolation Invited a professor from Harvard to observe his class who too was critical.Administrators unable to support or offer help. Harvard Professor Ronald EdmondsEffective Formula for Urban SchoolsStrong instructional leadershipHigh expectationsFocus on basicsEffective use of test dataA safe and humane climateMarshall (2013), (p. 8-9).Could there be anything missing?This just happened to be Marshalls Harvard Professor

4Road Blocks to Closing the Achievement Gap Marshall Faced Marshall (2013)also stated ..had I reflected more carefully on the preceding seventeen years when I was a teacher, graduate student and central office administrator, I might have anticipated some of the bumps that lay ahead (p. 7).Low Expectations by staff Resistant Culture that took years to turn aroundTeacher Isolation, weak teamworkCurriculum Anarchy weak alignment between teaching and assessmentDiffering grading criteriaNot looking at what students were learningevaluation of teacher via student outcome not allowedSupervising evaluation only saw a small portion of a teachers work.Planned observations change the behavior of all in the roomMarshall (2013) convinced supervising and evaluation was his core role as an instructional leader (p. 7).On the way to improvement Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)Standards and good assessmentsCurriculum & Achievement GoalsCommunity wake up callstudents had to pass tenth grade Reading and Math MCAS to graduate (p. 16).Marshall questions his Harvard Professors Formula missing important components of standards and assessments. Marshall (2013), however, believes, standards are not enough we need to radically improve teacher supervision, curriculum planning, interim assessments and teacher evaluation (p. 18).

Supervision & Evaluation

Marshall suggests that supervision and evaluation are key levers for improving teacher performanceHe also suggests that there are problems with the current system

Marshall notes that in a survey he conducted, no teachers cited end-of-year evaluations as a way they improved their teaching to improve student learning.

The top two types of feedback teachers use to judge teaching improvement was through; #1 student feedback and #2 natural talent and ingenuity (see figure 2.1)7Supervision & EvaluationMarshall states (2013) Most teachers do the right thing most of the time, but when teachers are left alone, mediocrity happens (p. 21).

Essentially, the current system leaves teachers being evaluated only once a year if that, lending towards the tendency for a dog-and-pony show when they are evaluated

Especially if the evaluations are announced

There are 4 ways for administrators to avoid the tendencies of teachers to slip into mediocrity1. Hire well2. Pay teachers well and give them respect3. Create working conditions conducive to learning4. EVALUATE more EFFECTIVELYSupervision & EvaluationAccording to Marshall, supervision has 5 core functionsAppraisalAffirmationImprovementHousecleaningQuality Assurance

This is the focus of Marshalls book using supervision and evaluation to improve teaching and student learning

A broken teacher supervision and evaluation process widens Americas achievement gap (Marshall, p. 22).Supervision & EvaluationMarshall highlights 7 key design flaws in the supervision & evaluation model we have been using for the last several decades:There is no shared definition of good teaching: the forms/checklists used in evaluations do not foster an honest, open, and pedagogically sophisticated dialogue between principals and teachers (p. 24).

The principal only sees a fraction of teachers work: If, according to Marshall, teachers plan and teach approximately 900 lessons/year a principal is likely to only see one lesson taught in a year (if that) per teacher, then principals are only observing .1% of a teachers teaching in a year

This leaves teachers in isolation for 99.9% of the timeSupervision & EvaluationThe principals presence changes what happens in the classroom: Because many evaluations are announced in advance, teachers & students are able to show an atypical lesson to impress the principalA dog-and-pony show

Not indicative of the teaching & learning that usually takes place

Full-lesson write-up rarely change anything: Marshall identifies four problems with full-lesson write-ups. They include:

Because principals are writing so much, they miss a lotThis is just a glimpse of the overall quality of the teachers workOften avoid answering the big-picture question How am I doing?They are difficult to do well

The process is time consuming: Because writing evaluations takes so much time, Marshall puts principals into 3 categoriesSaints go by the book and allow evaluations to consume their lives until they are finishedCynics have lost faith in the system and do not believe their write-ups will produce any improvements in teachingSinners - dont do most evaluations and only write up the most ineffective teachersSupervision & EvaluationTeachers are passive recipients of evaluations and are in isolation from colleagues: Evaluations are usually viewed as a top down approach which does not involve participation on the teacher partMany teachers do not have much respect for the processTeachers often reject or ignore the feedback offered

Student learning is not part of the process: Due to contractual restraints and the essence of the evaluation process, principals are often focusing on teaching inputs vs. learning outcomesBecause evaluation doesnt focus on student learning, principals are unable to help teachers excelMarshalls solution use test scores to evaluate teachersThat being said, Marshall also notes the pitfalls of using standardized tests to evaluate teachersBottom line student learning should be at the forefront of teacher evaluations Supervision & EvaluationHow supervision and evaluation should work:

Principals and teachers have a shared understanding of good teachingPrincipals are in classrooms often and see everyday teaching in actionPrincipals are knowledgeable and perceptive of othersTeachers get frequent feedback and coachingTeachers trust the process and engage with the feedback, not just individually but in teamsPrincipal address mediocre and ineffective teachingStudent learning is central to the process (p. 41).SnoopervisionNot all teachers were appreciative of Marshalls detailed, ongoing feedbackSchools union felt Marshall was overstepping with evaluative write-ups which were only to be done at the end of the year (p. 43).

Turned to making end-year evaluations more meaningful (p. 43). But became either a dog-and-pony show, safe lesson, or distrustful critiques Wasnt it absurd and unfairfor a teachers official grade to turn on one lesson? (p. 44).Hyperactive Superficial Principal Syndrome Drive-by visits (p. 44). Regular instruction was disrupted Could not focus on student work /curriculum No concrete or effective results Anxiety rose among teachersHSPS addiction Being very busy with lots of little stuff Trapped in office, constant crisis, interruptions, difficult to focus, only required evaluation, little feedback, misses a lotTeachers are mostly on their own and get used to working in isolation, which means that mediocrity flourishes in all too many classrooms (p. 46).Marshall called himself a walking, talking gap-widener (p. 46).Mini- Observations Inspired by: Physical education teacher who announced teachers feeling unappreciated at a staff meeting. Based on the beliefs that: 1. Teachers, even good teachers, need reassurance (needing specific classroom examples) 2. Giving all positive comments is proving dishonesty 3. Teachers need candid criticism to improve Put into action: Frequent, brief, unannounced, prompt feedback, non-threatening, open-communication, and briefing teachers before launching Difficultly pulling away from HSPS Goal to visit each staff member 19 times each Nerves kicking in- outside of Marshalls comfort zone *Note: not to be confused with a walk-through as mini observations are more individualized and have a connotation of spending more time in the classroom (p. 56).

Mini- Observations Positives Only 5 minutes! Enough time to slow down and catch significant moments Teachers staying on task Able to decide teaching point Most teachers found it routine/ non-threatening Ability to praise small victories or creative lessons Flexibility with visit time Able to visit 4-5 teachers per day using nooks and crannies of the day (p. 49). Creating an opportunity for helping teachers improve, enriching collegial relationships, and to talk about events in their classroomsSeeing students in a positive setting (rather than disciplining)More insightful during staff & grade level meetingsWhat strikes me in here? Whats interesting, different, or problematic? What is worth sharing with the teacher? What will give this teacher insight? (p. 48).

Mini-Observations ChallengesMeeting with teachers Meeting informally with teachers to have short, but meaningful conversations (Marshall did not want to call teachers to his office)Sometimes took days to catch up and caused some teachers anxiety over a weekendTalking to teacher to check them off rather than impart an interesting insight on their teaching (p. 50).Some visits are better than others Sleep deprived, stressed, or distractedMarshall understood mini-observations to be more meaningful during active teaching rather than days of direct instructionCome back to classes that were within transition, snack, etc. Depth Ability to be sharp and fresh or in the zone(p.50).Tug of HSPS Easy to get out of the groove

Mini-Observation Strategies Record keepingEach evening wrote a brief description of the visits on a staff list Map a ScheduleRotate SubjectsTime Management Fit in visits between errands Focus Get rid of other mental distractions When doing thisconversations were more likely to go into depth about a particular teaching moment, the goal of the lesson, how their kids were doing, and teachers fears and dreams. (p. 51). Self MotivationOwn belief that this would make a difference in teachers morale and effectiveness with students (p. 51).

Mini-Observations Feedback Marshall put feedback into these categories: PraiseReinforcement SuggestionsCriticism Lead with a statement, not a questionWhat struck you Concrete and descriptive After sharing observation, a longer discussion could generate with background or post observation events resulting in compliments and/or suggestions Sharing resourcesArticles, websites, etc. encourages action Mini-Observation Vs. Year Evaluations Support Mini-observations helped form an impression on teachers and background Identify teachers who need the support Teacher Response End-of-year questionnaire Mini-observations: Perceptive, gave me insights, honest, affirmed my teaching, sparked discussion, helped me improve (p. 55). Union- approved, teacher allowance to use brief observations written on official evaluations Marshalls Core Identity Began to give workshops to graduate school classes, published articles, etc.

Competencies & SkillsUse teacher supervision and evaluations as a way to improve teaching and student learningDevelop clear evaluation tools Create rapport with teachers so lines of communication can remain openConnecting external standards with good evaluationsCurriculum planning and interim assessments connectionsConsider using mini-observations to assist teachers in enhancing their teaching and creating a better school morale Use concrete and descriptive feedback

Blueprint for ExcellenceThe beginning of the blueprint for excellence as determined in chapters 1-3 would include:

Address four key areas: teacher supervision, curriculum planning, interim assessments, and teacher evaluation

Solid evaluation tools move beyond checklists & narratives, which often do not address student learning, to rubrics

Develop a shared definition of good teaching

Perform mini-observations the short, unannounced classroom visits which will allow administrators and teachers to work together to improve teaching and, therefore, student learning

These are the just the beginnings of the blueprint for excellence!