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The New Ohio Teacher Evaluation System

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American Society Today has a great post up, that they have kindly allowed us to reproduce. If you're not bookmarking or following American Society Today, you're missing out on some great stuff.

As a result of Ohio House Bill 153, Ohio's budget, the legislature has mandated new standards for teacher evaluations. These new mandates apply to both Race to the Top districts and districts that did not receive Race to the Top funds. The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) was given the task of developing the new Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES pronounced [ō-tĕs]). Ohio Senate Bill 316, the Mid-Budget Review made some changes to these requirements, so the requirements have continued to change. Despite these changes, there is a framework that has emerged as the basic structure for the system. Here is a link to Frequently Asked Questions about OTES from ODE: FAQs

ODE has recently released some videos on YouTube to help educate people about Ohio's new Teacher Evaluation System. These videos have been embedded below.


Ohio's Teacher Evaluation System-What's Changing?




Evaluation of Teacher Performance-How Will This Work?

 Evaluation of Student Growth Measures-How Will This Work?


In this video he does not talk a lot about the locally determined measures of student growth, which will be the measures used for the majority of teachers. The process that ODE has developed for developing these is known as Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), which he mentions in the video but does not explain. Here is a link to more information about Student Learning Objectives from the Symposium on Teacher Evaluations that ODE provided on May 25, 2012: http://ohioeducatoreval.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/slosymposiumpresentation.pdf
Here is a link to brief explanation of the Student Learning Objective process from ODE: Student Learning Objectives
Here is a link to the template checklist for writing Student Learning Objectives: SLO Checklist

Teacher Ratings -How Will They Be Used?


In this video he does not talk a lot about performance pay or employment decisions, which to many people are the most important topics related to teacher evaluations in Ohio. Ohio HB 153 requires that teachers who are rated "Accomplished" be paid more than teachers who are rated "Proficient." Also, any teacher rated "Ineffective" for two out of three years may not be renewed. Local districts will be developing these new performance pay systems over the next couple of years.

Teacher Evaluation Budget Language

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Here's the language surrounding the creation of teacher evaluations contained in the budget bill

Sec. 3319.112. (A) Not later than December 31, 2011, the state board of education shall develop a standards-based state framework for the evaluation of teachers. The framework shall establish an evaluation system that does the following:
(1) Provides for multiple evaluation factors, including student academic growth which shall account for fifty per cent of each evaluation;
(2) Is aligned with the standards for teachers adopted under section 3319.61 of the Revised Code;
(3) Requires observation of the teacher being evaluated,including at least two formal observations by the evaluator of at least thirty minutes each and classroom walkthroughs;
(4) Assigns a rating on each evaluation in accordance with division (B) of this section;
(5) Requires each teacher to be provided with a written report of the results of the teacher's evaluation;
(6) Identifies measures of student academic growth for grade levels and subjects for which the value-added progress dimension prescribed by section 3302.021 of the Revised Code does not apply;
(7) Implements a classroom-level, value-added program developed by a nonprofit organization described in division (B) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code;
(8) Provides for professional development to accelerate and continue teacher growth and provide support to poorly performing teachers;
(9) Provides for the allocation of financial resources to support professional development.
(B) For purposes of the framework developed under this section, the state board also shall do the following:
(1) Develop specific standards and criteria that distinguish between the following levels of performance for teachers and principals for the purpose of assigning ratings on the evaluations conducted under sections 3319.02 and 3319.111 of the Revised Code:
(a) Accomplished;
(b) Proficient;
(c) Developing;
(d) Ineffective.
(2) For grade levels and subjects for which the assessments prescribed under sections 3301.0710 and 3301.0712 of the Revised Code and the value-added progress dimension prescribed by section 3302.021 of the Revised Code do not apply, develop a list of student assessments that measure mastery of the course content for the appropriate grade level, which may include nationally normed standardized assessments, industry certification examinations, or end-of-course examinations.
(C) The state board shall consult with experts, teachers and principals employed in public schools, and representatives of stakeholder groups in developing the standards and criteria required by division (B)(1) of this section.
(D) To assist school districts in developing evaluation policies under sections 3319.02 and 3319.111 of the Revised Code, the department shall do both of the following:
(1) Serve as a clearinghouse of promising evaluation procedures and evaluation models that districts may use;
(2) Provide technical assistance to districts in creating evaluation policies."