Tomorrow at a morning news conference Mayor Gray will announce the DC CAS (Comprehensive Assessment System) test results for DC Public Schools and public charter schools. Every year students in grades 3-8 and 10 take the standardized CAS tests to measure their learning against D.C.'s learning standards. Let's just say the scores are highly anticipated -- the results will be used to grade teachers under DCPS' controversial teacher evaluation system known as IMPACT, developed by former Chancellor Michelle Rhee and team.

The stakes are high: Teachers deemed "highly effective" under IMPACT are eligible for bonuses and other perks, while those who show less than stellar gains -- or worse --decreases in student scores, may stand to lose their jobs.

Discussing the issue at our staff meeting, we ended up asking the million-dollar question: What makes a teacher effective? And its corollary: Is effectiveness something that can be fairly measured in the classroom?

Sorry, I don't have the answers. If I did, I'd be rich -- The Gates Foundation is literally spending $45 million on research to answer those questions. But, personally, when I think about great teaching, I think of Mrs. Frieburger in the second grade. She was bubbly and excitable. She set up a book publishing corner and let us author our own works to create a class library. She made you feel like she cared about you. She gave us a “smarty pill” to bolster our confidence right before the Scantrons were handed out for end-of-grade testing.

I have no idea how her class fared on the test compared to other second grade teachers in the school district, but I credit her with teaching me to love reading and writing.

As D.C. teachers await their IMPACT evaluations, the Washington Teachers’ Union is working hard to challenge its legality. IMPACT is based on research that suggests teacher have the greatest in-school effect on student performance. The hope is that by holding teachers more accountable for students’ test scores, teacher performance will improve and poor performing teachers can be removed.

Here’s a breakdown of how District teachers are evaluated under IMPACT:
For general ed. teachers with value-added data (students take DC CAS)
• 50% Individual valued added student achievement data
• 35% Teacher evaluations
• 10% Commitment to school community
• 5% School value added student achievement data
 
For general ed. teachers without value added data (students do not take DC CAS)
• 75% Teacher evaluations
• 10% Teacher assessed student achievement data
• 10% Commitment to school community
• 5% School value added student achievement data

The union and other opponents of IMPACT think it’s punitive and fosters a teach-to-the-test atmosphere.

 
Both parties ultimately want the same thing: quality teachers in the classroom so children in the DCPS system get the best possible education. But defining a quality teacher isn’t an easy task. No Child Left Behind requires that districts have “highly qualified” teachers, but only directly requires teachers to meet certain proficiency levels or hold certain degrees. These measures haven’t proven to be successful indicators of teacher quality in the past.

It will be interesting to see how the union’s challenges to IMPACT will play out in court. Right now the union is expected to appeal a ruling that allows arbitration contesting procedural errors in evaluations but not the substance of IMPACT or the ratings instructors receive.

I hope the two sides can work towards finding a way to evaluate teachers that encourages high student performance without discouraging the creativity of all the Mrs. Frieburgers out there.  What are your thoughts?