| Session Title: An Integrated, Comprehensive, and Standards-Based System of Educator Evaluation: The North Carolina Experience |
| Multipaper Session 276 to be held in the Granite Room Section A on Thursday, Nov 6, 10:55 AM to 12:25 PM |
| Sponsored by the Pre-K - 12 Educational Evaluation TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Dawn M Mackety, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, dmackety@mcrel.org |
| Abstract: Personnel and program evaluations in the field of education have witnessed few truly integrated models across educator roles and preparations; however, a newly-adopted evaluation system has been designed to do just that. This session presents the North Carolina Educator Evaluation Project, an integrated, comprehensive, standards-based system of personnel and program evaluation for North Carolina educators. This evaluation system improves performance and promotes professional growth by evaluating preservice and inservice teachers, principals, and superintendents and their preparation programs. The first paper presents an overview of the project, including client mission, goals, and standards. Subsequent papers discuss the design, development, key features, rubrics, and artifacts associated with individual evaluations. Alignment among statewide professional education performance standards, distinct yet interrelated evaluations, and education career tracks will be presented. Pilot-test findings that examined the functioning and quality of the system with over 250 principals and 700 teachers will also be presented. |
| Coherent, Aligned, and Standards-Based: The North Carolina Model |
| Jean Williams, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, jmwilliams@mcrel.org |
| This session briefly presents the North Carolina Educator Evaluation Project, an evaluation system for educators and educator-preparation programs. The six evaluation systems are coherent, aligned, and standards-based. This overview discusses the client mission, goals, and standards, and guidance throughout the project. Also reviewed are the principles we followed for development and evaluation. |
| It's a Powerful Thing: Evaluating Teachers and Principals for 21st Century Skills and Growth |
| Sha Balizet, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, sbalizet@mcrel.org |
| Jean Williams, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, jmwilliams@mcrel.org |
| The new personnel evaluation systems for North Carolina principals and teachers are aligned with new state performance standards and emphasize professional growth. In the personnel evaluation system, educators collect multisource 360-degree feedback to help target growth goals. Initial evaluation research examined functioning and quality of the systems with over 250 principals and more than 700 teachers, preparing for implementation in 2008-2009. |
| Evaluating Preservice Teachers and their Preparation Programs |
| Brent Heidorn, University of West Georgia, bheidorn@westga.edu |
| Kim K Metcalf, University of West Georgia, kmetcalf@westga.edu |
| Evaluation of teacher education or teaching candidates has historically emphasized the quality of students (e.g., GPA) who are admitted to preparation programs and completion of requisite experiences (i.e., coursework, internships, etc.). Even 'highly qualified' requirements within NCLB focus on candidates' preparation rather than their performance. Newly adopted Standards for Professional Educators in North Carolina provide a framework for evaluation of educators across roles (e.g., teacher, building administrator, and superintendent) and at all points in their career (i.e., preservice and inservice). Further, the Standards enable these necessarily distinct but interrelated evaluation systems to be focused on professional performance and complimentary to one another. This paper describes the design and development of a system for evaluating preservice candidates for teaching licensure and by which teacher preparation programs themselves can be evaluated. |
| Aligned to Lead: Evaluating Preservice Principals and Preparation Programs |
| Dawn M Mackety, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, dmackety@mcrel.org |
| Kim K Metcalf, University of West Georgia, kmetcalf@westga.edu |
| Although strong principal leadership can be a powerful force shaping educational quality and reform, research demonstrates that alignment among educational systems within a school or district also has a substantial influence. While this principle of alignment has been readily applied to school systems, it is often ignored among the larger systems that prepare principals for leadership. A new system of personnel and program evaluation has been designed to provide standards-based alignment across educator roles (e.g., teachers, principals and superintendents) and preparations (e.g., preservice vs. inservice). This paper describes the design and development of a system to evaluate preservice principals and their institutional preparation programs within the context of the comprehensive North Carolina Educator Evaluation Project. Alignment among statewide professional education performance standards, preservice principal candidate and program evaluations, and inservice principal performance evaluations will be presented. Key features, rubrics, and artifacts associated with the evaluation will also be discussed. |
| Evaluating North Carolina's School District Superintendents |
| Kim K Metcalf, University of West Georgia, kmetcalf@westga.edu |
| Jean Williams, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, jmwilliams@mcrel.org |
| The new evaluation system for North Carolina's School District Superintendents is aligned with both the teacher and principal evaluation systems, yet extends and enhances the work of school executives to include the chief school officer for the district. This paper will briefly describe the evaluation model, preliminary feedback from practitioners as well as State Board of Education officials, and the challenges faced in finding ways to include local school boards, community members, and other stakeholders in this comprehensive review of the district's top leadership. |