{"id":933,"date":"2016-08-16T15:00:55","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T20:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=933"},"modified":"2016-08-08T11:01:09","modified_gmt":"2016-08-08T16:01:09","slug":"improving-instructional-coaching-and-evaluation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2016\/08\/16\/improving-instructional-coaching-and-evaluation\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Instructional Coaching and Evaluation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Seth Fitzsimmons<\/em><\/p>\n

We need a good evaluation system in our WELS schools. Multiple education researchers, however, agree that teacher evaluation systems are troubled. Most do not do a good job differentiating between effective and ineffective teachers, and they do not aid much in professional growth. The annual conversation that WELS principals and their teachers have using the synod’s Teacher Performance Assessment tool can be uncomfortable and accomplish little. A more productive model for encouraging conversation and fostering teacher growth exists via the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching<\/a> (FFT). The FFT is an excellent model for principals and staffs at WELS schools to consider because it focuses on teacher development rather than teacher evaluation.<\/p>\n

I was led to investigate the FFT after reaching out to one of our community\u2019s public school principals. He said the whole district uses the FFT, and he personally loves it. One of my school board members teaches in our public school district, and he also likes using the FFT. Thus, having both an administrator and a teacher advocating for the FFT, I definitely wanted to learn more, and I believe you should as well, whether you are a principal, a teacher, or a person interested enough in Lutheran education that you subscribe to this blog.<\/p>\n

THE PROBLEM
\n<\/strong>The two most prominent tools for WELS teacher evaluation provided by our Commission on Lutheran Schools (CLS) are the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) and the WELS Continuum of Teacher Development (COTD) based on the WELS Teaching Standards. The TPA does give WELS teachers and principals the opportunity to reflect on ministry and give an evaluation score. However, it does not provide much opportunity for instructional improvement because in most schools it serves as a once-a-year evaluation with little to no feedback on the specifics of how<\/em> to climb the effectiveness ladder. The COTD, though, is indeed meant for instructional improvement and is currently being piloted in some of our synod\u2019s schools. It looks to offer an improvement for our school leaders to provide instructional coaching while at the same time informing the evaluation process.<\/p>\n

However, my primary reason for not using the WELS COTD as the sole evaluation and coaching tool for my school is that it takes so long for our synod to develop items that will be used synod-wide. Because of this and the fact that the FFT is more detailed, I feel that the FFT is the best solution to choose as the primary coaching and evaluation tool at my school. However, I also needed to keep in mind the mission of our school (connecting students to Christ) as it relates to our teacher evaluation and coaching. Therefore, I would recommend using a hybrid of the Danielson FFT and the WELS COTD.<\/p>\n

THE BEST SOLUTION
\n<\/strong>Marzano (2012) explained that evaluating teachers and developing teachers are two completely different things. His research also supports that evaluation systems are useless unless a fundamental goal of the evaluation tool is to focus on teacher development and growth. He stated that the tool must be comprehensive, specific, include a developmental scale, and acknowledge growth. The FFT is and does all of these.<\/p>\n

INCORPORATING THE WELS COTD
\n<\/strong>As noted above, we will also need to include certain parts of the COTD because of their importance to the mission of our school \u2013 connecting our students to Christ. The five elements of the \u201cFOUNDATION\u201d will all need to be added to the FFT as well as the following:<\/p>\n