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A Decade of Accomplishments Educators in Delaware schools, district offices, and the Department of Education have worked hard to accomplish much during the 1990's. Collaborative efforts have produced content standards, performance indicators, standards for administrators and teachers, a testing program based on the content standards, and an accountability system for students, schools, and districts. Across all of these accomplishments is one primary purpose: increasing student achievement. Challenges Ahead As the millennium draws to a close, educators in Delaware are building on their accomplishments. In the summer of 1999, educators will set performance levels for students on the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). These levels will determine awards and consequences for students, schools, and districts. Graduation and promotion consequences for students will begin in the 2000-2001 school year based on results from the Spring 2000 DSTP. Consequences for schools will begin in the 2001-2002 school year. Delaware is fortunate to have so many well-qualified and dedicated educators serving its students. To assure the quality and effectiveness of educators, the State faces the challenge of developing an educator accountability system.
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An outline for such a system is in A Report on Increasing Standards for Delaware's Educators, recently released by Governor Thomas Carper and Secretary of Education Iris Metts. Fairly holding educators accountable for student achievement towards the content standards is a major challenge facing Delaware. Why Update DPAS? The Delaware Performance Appraisal System (DPAS) was designed in 1985 and became fully implemented in the 1988-89 school year. This system was based on the effective teaching research and was best practice during the 1980's. Classroom observations were the primary source of information for the appraisal. DPAS and the training for appraisers created the first uniform statewide appraisal system. Now is the time to revise the appraisal system and complete a key component of standards-based education: an accountability system for educators. DPAS must be updated and aligned with teacher and administrator standards, content standards, and be connected to the accountability system for students, schools, and districts. What Are the Recommendations? Governor Carper and Secretary Metts' report puts forth several recommendations for revising the appraisal system. In addition to aligning the system with teacher and administrator standards, it must include not only observations but also multiple measures of educator performance, including student academic growth. Another enhancement is tailoring the system to reflect the experience and proficiency of the educator. |
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What Does the Research Say? Research clearly indicates that teacher effectiveness is the single most important factor in improving student achievement. Not only do effective teachers positively impact the achievement of their current students but also this effect continues for a number of years. In a recent report, Linda Darling-Hammond and Deborah Loewenberg Ball state, "What teachers know and can do is crucial to what students learn. Teacher expertise is one of the most important factors in determining student achievement." Darling-Hammond and Ball summarize a body of research confirming that teachers' knowledge of subject matter, student learning and development, and teaching methods are strongly related to increasing student achievement. Ronald Ferguson, in the Harvard Journal on Legislation, studied large-scale data sets. He concluded that teacher expertise accounted for more variation in student achievement than any other factor. What Is Going On Across the US? Tennessee looks at student achievement gains during a school year and also at the teachers of the students. The data show that gains are greatest for students of effective teachers. These gains hold for students of varying ability. The evidence suggests that the effects of teachers on student achievement are long-lived. The Dallas Independent School District conducted studies that showed differences in achievement between students taught by teachers of differing quality. The impact of teacher effectiveness was clear in reading and mathematics. The district was surprised at the size of the effect. |
A recent study in the Boston Public Schools showed a strong relationship between high school teachers and student academic growth in reading and mathematics. The study found that the top one-third of the teachers was producing six times the learning seen in the bottom third. What Happens Next in Delaware? The Department of Education will work with educators across the State to assure that the revision of DPAS results in a system that fairly and accurately appraises educators. The revised system will include multiple measures of educator performance, will reward skills and knowledge, and will improve the performance of ineffective educators through necessary supports and due process. On-going, high quality professional development for all educators is necessary for a successful appraisal system. The revised DPAS will complement many recommendations in the Carper and Metts report, such as mentoring and other supports for beginning educators. Additionally, the new DPAS must be fair, practical, credible, and defensible. By the end of the 1999-2000 School Year, the Department will have defined the components of the appraisal system as well as a detailed timeline for piloting, training, implementation, and monitoring. The revised DPAS will contribute to Delaware's standards-based education and goal of improving student achievement. Likewise, it will be another significant statewide accomplishment as the decade of the 1990's draws to a close.
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More information about educator accountability is available on the Department of Education's website: http://www.doe.state.de.us Also, look for upcoming editions of Accountability Notes on the Department's website and in schools and district offices. |
